No Spoilers*
What Marvel Studios has on their hands is an absolute monopoly on the meaning of the word franchise. The fact that no studio put together a successful Avengers style of sequel movie making is shocking. They tied several individual movies into The Avengers, and then continued the single franchise movies with incorporation from The Avengers. Genius! The DC films will eventually follow the money in suit. Regardless of the strength or weaknesses of the single character films, the fact that they all tie together loosely with the same cast adds tremendous value.
“Iron Man 3” is without a doubt one of the more epic superhero movies put together in connection with the avengers. Iron Man overall is packed with more comedy than other characters because of Tony Stark’s sarcastic and egotistical personality, which gives him an unconventional narrative that isn’t the typical righteous man fighting for the world. The laughs and action packing makes this a raw, enjoyable movie that avoids the degree of complex introspection of humanity or philosophical questions in the way “The Dark Knight” did, and not necessarily for the worse.
The story for “Iron Man 3” is unpredictable the way most superhero movies can be. The twist from a political overtone to what eventually unfolds is surprising enough to keep you guessing until close the end. This is supported by great performances by the leads Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, and Gwyneth Paltrow, and a lack of weak links in the other supporting roles. The references to “The Avengers” are plentiful, which again makes the fun connection between films, yet their relevance to the story is sometimes questionable. The action remains top-notch throughout and also unpredictable, with Tony Stark having built many new toys and tricks, which at this point is what action films have the hardest time doing. So kudos to the storyboard guys for that.
After seeing the end, I’m curious as to how they might continue the Iron Man franchise beyond “The Avengers”, since everything was tied together nicely in a cathartic way as much as a half comedy/half action film could. But with the good reception the film has been getting, I’m sure a table of writers is already plotting the hypothetical. I’m convinced that Iron Man through this trilogy is the strongest and most developed character of “The Avengers”, far more than Captain America, The Hulk, or Thor have done so far.
If you like superheros, action, or laughing, you’ll like “Iron Man 3”. No doubt about it.
P.S. Stay after the credits
8.9/10
As AJ Thinks 