Iron Man 3

Overview

When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

Rating

13 Reviews

• 

  Wuchak

  5 Aug 17, 2021

  _**Worthwhile, but a bit of a letdown compared to the snappy "Iron Man 2"**_ Released in 2013, "Iron Man 3" stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in this third installment where Shellhead takes on the so-called Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), led by Killian (Guy Pearce). After Stark's personal world is destroyed, he is left to survive by relying on his ingenuity and instincts to rise from the ashes and protect those closest to him, like Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). In the process Tony seeks to answer a question that has haunted him: Does the suit of armor make the man or does the man make the suit of armor? Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau are on hand as James Rhodes (War Machine) and Happy Hogan respectively while Rebecca Hall plays an agent of A.I.M. After the absolutely kinetic (and inexplicably criticized) "Iron Man 2" this third part of the trilogy is a bit of a letdown. It's a quality superhero movie, but the first act is lethargic compared to the dynamic initial reel of the previous movie. Things pick up in the second act as Stark is separated from his loved ones and presumed dead, forced to team up with a brainiac kid. While some claim that the movie's "more serious" than "Iron Man 2," it has the same tone and the same main characters/cast; the amount of "more seriousness" is marginal. People say "Iron Man 3" plays better on repeat viewings, so I'll update this review after future viewings. But I was letdown by the lame representation of the Mandarin, the ambiguous powers of the A.I.M. operatives, the myriad Iron Man suits functioning without a person in them and the fact that everyone and their brother dons the Iron Man armor or parts of it. For instance, Pepper morphs into a veritable superheroine at one point. Nevertheless, it's not bad at all and the cast is great with Rebecca Hall and Guy Pearce effective in their roles. The movie runs 130 minutes and was shot North Carolina, Southern California and Miami. GRADE: C+

• 

  Filipe Manuel Neto

  5 Aug 14, 2022

  **It's a substantially weaker film than its two predecessors.** After two frankly good films, I was curious to see what this film would bring to the public, who immediately set out to fill the studio's coffers with their tickets money. Marvel has discovered an excellent financial lode by transposing most of its characters to the cinema, and this film is destined to be a box office success, although the quality is much more questionable. I'll start with what I usually leave for last: the technical aspects and production values ​​are really excellent and constitute the strongest and most solid point of the film. Directed by Jon Favreau, who has held his chair since the first “Iron Man”, the film has retained most of the crew and core cast, which helps give the trilogy the flavor of a unique work. With a solid bet on more flashy, loud and spectacular action, the film wants to appeal to a young audience that wants something big, where CGI and effects can create authenticity and a sense of danger. The quality of the effects is undeniable, but the excessive action takes a toll on the final set. It looks like a video game, a recurring mistake in these types of movies. In addition, the film has good cinematography, it was beautifully shot, it is sharp, and it has excellent colors and light. The work of the stuntmen is meritorious, yet regularly forgotten in the minds of viewers. The sets and costumes are very good, especially Tony Stark's house and the various armors from the movie. Another word for the soundtrack, by Dwight Yoakim, which proved to be up to the task without, however, proving to be memorable. The cast includes most of the names we already know from the previous two films, with Robert Downey Jr. the most relevant for maintaining the leading role. The actor is good, deserves our credit, and I recognize that he tried to give his character a greater maturity and sense of experience. In this film, Stark is a much more mature, traumatized, tired and even fragile man, and his relationship with Pots has become more formal and firm, causing the former playboy to settle down and carry on a serious love relationship. I understand that this may displease some, but the film seems to take place several years after its predecessor, “Iron Man 2”, and makes mention of several events, in the meantime. With excellent technical work and the use of excellent makeup artists, Ben Kingsley shone in the role he was given and which is clearly one of the best of his recent career. Paltrow and Cheadle also leave us a positive record of his work, although it wasn't as intense as one would expect. Favreau, in addition to directing the film, has a brief funny cameo as Happy. But it's Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall we should be worried about: they do what they can, and yet the film didn't give them much of a chance to do more and better. The biggest problem with this movie is, of course, the plot and writing of the script, dialogues and scenes. Attempts at comedy are very unpleasant, and Stark, who once had almost a barrage of phrases and jokes for all occasions, is now a serious and weary man. The material given to the actors is scarce and does not bring anything really good. In addition, the film has almost no connection with the previous films, and especially “Iron Man 2”, whose events are never really spoken by anyone.

• 

  The Movie Mob

  7 Sep 16, 2022

  **While the deeper dive into Tony Stark and his past is welcomed, the execution came up a little short compared to Iron Man’s MCU entries.** Iron Man 3 might be my least favorite of the Iron Man franchise, but it's still a great movie. Iron Man 3 focuses much more on Tony Stark and his trauma following The Avengers rather than on Iron Man and the suit. A large portion of the film and even some action scenes explore who Stark is without the high-tech suit or fancy technology in general. Stark grapples with the fallout of past decisions and has to decide who he is at his core without the money or Iron Man. As expected, the entire cast dazzles in their performances, from Robert Downey Jr. To Don Cheadle to Gwyneth Paltrow, but the true standout is Ben Kingsley's Mandarin. Iron Man 3 is all about Stark's growth and development, and while that's a great idea, its poor villain and lack of actual Iron Man leave the film feeling a little hollow. I still appreciated the movie and its Christmas cheer, but the MCU has far better Iron Man movies and moments to enjoy.

• 

  Andre Gonzales

  6 Jul 5, 2023

  Once again another movie with very little action. Im really disappointed in these movies. Sure the stories are good but that's it.

• 

  Murp

  5 May 29, 2024

  [MAJOR SPOILERS] This is one of the most disappointing movies ever. From trailers and earlier parts of the movie, the Mandarin is hyped up to be this super powerful terrorist threat against Iron Man. I expected it to end with Stark defending America against some big plot or scheme from the Mandarin. Instead, at the end he is revealed to be some pussy in a cave. 4/10

• 

  Manuel São Bento

  6 Sep 18, 2025

  Rewatched for the Once Upon a Franchise podcast. Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0eSEgU1RvyiXLOfhXaw6BV?si=dbdb37bec9d24609&nd=1&dlsi=d1b8e122e0cf4678 Shane Black's authorial stamp is all over IRON MAN 3, for better AND worse. From the fast-paced, witty dialogue to the buddy-cop dynamics he injects into Tony Stark's relationships, the filmmaker succeeds most when deconstructing the main hero, forcing him out of the suit to grapple with his PTSD from the previous New York alien invasion, which provides genuine thematic weight. However, this is consistently undercut by a frustratingly superficial treatment of other serious subject matters, which is often played for laughs, creating a jarring tonal imbalance. This extends to other subplots, leaving the movie feeling caught between a serious character study and a flippant action-comedy, a conflict even the exceptional performance from Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes) can't fully resolve. The infamous Mandarin twist can admittedly be seen as foreshadowed by Ben Kingsley's (Gandhi) theatrical performance, but in subverting expectations, Black neuters its central threat, replacing a compelling villain with the bland, structurally disconnected Aldrich Killian. This narrative issue mirrors the action sequences; for every standout moment like the attack on Tony's home or the spectacular mid-air rescue, there are stretches of messy editing and distracting CGI. The result is a uniquely divisive entry, full of clever ideas that don't quite merge into a satisfying whole, but entertaining nonetheless. Rating: B-