Iron Man 3 Movie Review

Robert Downey Jr is back as Iron Man with the film ‘Iron Man 3′. The movie has released today in India, ahead of its theatrical release in the US. With sky high expectations and a pretty big release, the movie is expected to generate a good amount of revenue in India. Shane Black is the director of this instalment that has Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle in lead roles. Let us check out the film and see how it is.

Story :

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) removes himself briefly from active duty after repulsing the alien invasion (repulsed by SHIELD in The Avengers). He suffers from panic attacks and his relationship with Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow) grows edgy. In the meantime, America is jolted by a series of violent terrorist attacks orchestrated by the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

Tony Stark wakes up to the threat and warns the Mandarin, who responds by destroying Stark’s house and most of his weapons/gadgets. A desperate Stark escapes to rural Tennessee and begins investigating the Mandarin. He has a 10 year old kid named Harley for company.

Tony Stark soon discovers that the Mandarin is using an experimental military program known as the Extremis for spreading mayhem. The Extremis program is devised to help crippled people get a new life, but it goes horribly wrong and ends up creating weapons of destruction.

Stark must use all of his resourcefulness to overcome the impossible odds and combat the Mandarin, to save America from his reign of terror.

Plus Points :

As always, Robert Downey Jr is very effective as the Iron Man. He brings humour and a certain arrogance into the character and that makes his performance very nice to watch. Gwyneth Paltrow is good, and she has a kick-ass moment of glory towards the end. Ben Kingsley is brilliant as the Mandarin and his characterisation is quite interesting.

The vulnerable side of Tony Stark has been showcased well in this movie. Downey Jr’s bonding with the 10 year old Harley is a treat to watch. Don Cheadle delivers a good performance yet again.

The film’s action sequences and visual effects are very nice. The climax sequence ,in particular, will be quite a feast for Iron Man fans.

As in all Iron Man films, sly humour and some romance are present in generous quantities. After the climax fight, Tony Stark does something quite interesting and this has implications for the future films in this franchise.

Minus Points :

There is more drama and less action in this edition when compared to previous Iron Man films. So if you go in expecting pop-corn action entertainment, like in The Avengers, you will be disappointed.

The Extremis episodes are a little bizarre to watch and if you ask me, quite unbelievable (even by Iron Man standards).

The film does not have the ‘WOW’ factor. The action sequences and the visual effects are very good, but not spectacular. The 3D effects are quite underwhelming. In fact, the film will be a lot more enjoyable in 2D than in 3D.

Technical Aspects :

John Toll’s cinematography is decent. Brian Tyler’s music is just about ok and not very awe inspiring. When it comes to 3D effects, the film disappoints. In fact, the action sequences don’t seem to have been configured for 3D effects. Perhaps, it was more of an afterthought.

Shane Black does a neat job as a director. Perhaps, he should have done a bit more to keep the entertainment quotient of the film higher.

Verdict :

‘Iron Man 3′ is a good watch, though it is certainly not spectacular by any means. Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow deliver flawless performances and the climax sequence will be a feast for Iron Man fans. But there is more drama in this edition than pure pop-corn action.

Posted in: Hollywood