Abhijeet Singh ’15

Edsman Rating: B

Photo Courtesy of marketsaw.blogspot.com

Iron Man 3, which released in theaters on May 3rd, is directed by Shane Black and stars Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire playboy Tony Stark, Gwenyth Paltrow as his love interest Pepper Potts, and Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin. This film, the third in the Iron Man film series, picks up after the events of last year’s The Avengers, as Tony Stark is struggling from PTSD and other mental issues following the intense and overwhelming battle in New York that took place in the film’s finale. He can no longer sleep, fears for the safety of himself and those that he loves, and has been more erratic since the film’s events. This sets the scene for the arrival of the Mandarin, a politically-driven villain who is linked to a variety of mysterious yet interconnected terrorist attacks around the globe. Soon, Stark finds his very way of life under attack, and with no coterie of superheroes to aid him this time, will he prevail?

While Iron Man 3 is a flawed film, it is miles ahead of its predecessor and aids itself through a combination of wit, plot twists, and entertaining action sequences. Sometimes it goes too far, yet if one is willing to extend their suspension of belief a little further, this film will undoubtedly deliver. Downey Jr. once again distinguishes himself as the one and only man who can play Tony Stark, and watching his personal journey against his own demons, combined with the fight against the evil threats posed by the Mandarin. There will be unexpected turns in the story that may confuse the audience momentarily, but the film uses them to its advantage in crafting a unique superhero movie.

However, the film makes tough jumps from taking itself too seriously to treating its subject material in a rather silly way, and for some this may result in some emotional detachment throughout the film. Since the Iron Man films have grounded themselves with reality a lot more than other Marvel films, this is disappointing. At the end of the day, Shane Black tries earnestly to experiment with the ever-changing superhero movie formula, and while there are successes in some areas, there are failures to be seen as well. None of that detracts from the fact that this is a fun film and a worthy conclusion to the film series that put Marvel on Hollywood’s map.