Iron Man 3 (contains vague spoilers)
2/4
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, and the voice of Paul Bettany
Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Intense Sci-Fi Action and Violence Throughout, and Brief Suggestive Content
The first "Iron Man" was a breath of fresh air. It wasn't original, but it was well-told by Jon Favreau (who has a small appearance here as Tony Stark's bodyguard). The sequel wasn't as good, but it was fun at least. The final film in the trilogy is simply lazy. There are so many directions it could have gone in, but the story takes the easy way out at every turn. While the resulting film is certainly watchable, it's not nearly as fun as the trailer would have us believe.
After the events in "The Avengers," Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is suffering from PTSD: he's constantly on edge and worrying about the safety of his assistant-turned-girlfriend Pepper Potts (Paltrow). Considering how seriously Joss Whedon treated (or should that be bungled) the action in last year's monster hit, this is not only facile, but borderline insulting to those who actually suffer from the disorder. Trouble comes when a lunatic who calls himself The Mandarin (Kingsley) is wreaking havoc across the country with a series of mysterious bombings. In flies Iron Man to stop him.
I was excited about this movie, mainly because The Mandarin looked so badass. The trailer makes him out to be a madman along the lines of The Joker. He looks like an unstoppable force capable of terrifying destruction anywhere, anytime. But the truth is that The Mandarin is so cartoonish that he's not menacing at all. And when the truth of his identity is revealed, it's such a lousy cheat that I was pissed off. And on top of that, the real villain's motives are so lame that they belong in a spoof movie.
The acting is decent, although that's to be expected with a cast of this caliber. Robert Downey Jr. slides back into the role that made him a star again. There aren't as many one-liners as there were in previous installments, probably because Tony has so many panic attacks and moping scenes. Gwyneth Paltrow is as lovely as ever. Don Cheadle is okay, but there's not much for him to do in terms of acting. Rebecca Hall and Guy Pearce are solid as well (as a wannabe love-interest and a rival...it's a big budget action movie...guess which actor serves which role).
Coming from Shane Black, this is a pretty big disappointment. Once Hollywood's wonderboy for action movies after "Lethal Weapon" became a smash hit, Shane Black has made a movie with...this. Considering the big budget, I have no doubt that there was studio meddling, but this is still inexcusable. Part of the creative process is creating good material within the boundaries you are given. The script is a mess, the film is way too long, and there is very little that can be considered clever. Skip this and watch "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" instead.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, and the voice of Paul Bettany
Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Intense Sci-Fi Action and Violence Throughout, and Brief Suggestive Content
The first "Iron Man" was a breath of fresh air. It wasn't original, but it was well-told by Jon Favreau (who has a small appearance here as Tony Stark's bodyguard). The sequel wasn't as good, but it was fun at least. The final film in the trilogy is simply lazy. There are so many directions it could have gone in, but the story takes the easy way out at every turn. While the resulting film is certainly watchable, it's not nearly as fun as the trailer would have us believe.
After the events in "The Avengers," Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is suffering from PTSD: he's constantly on edge and worrying about the safety of his assistant-turned-girlfriend Pepper Potts (Paltrow). Considering how seriously Joss Whedon treated (or should that be bungled) the action in last year's monster hit, this is not only facile, but borderline insulting to those who actually suffer from the disorder. Trouble comes when a lunatic who calls himself The Mandarin (Kingsley) is wreaking havoc across the country with a series of mysterious bombings. In flies Iron Man to stop him.
I was excited about this movie, mainly because The Mandarin looked so badass. The trailer makes him out to be a madman along the lines of The Joker. He looks like an unstoppable force capable of terrifying destruction anywhere, anytime. But the truth is that The Mandarin is so cartoonish that he's not menacing at all. And when the truth of his identity is revealed, it's such a lousy cheat that I was pissed off. And on top of that, the real villain's motives are so lame that they belong in a spoof movie.
The acting is decent, although that's to be expected with a cast of this caliber. Robert Downey Jr. slides back into the role that made him a star again. There aren't as many one-liners as there were in previous installments, probably because Tony has so many panic attacks and moping scenes. Gwyneth Paltrow is as lovely as ever. Don Cheadle is okay, but there's not much for him to do in terms of acting. Rebecca Hall and Guy Pearce are solid as well (as a wannabe love-interest and a rival...it's a big budget action movie...guess which actor serves which role).
Coming from Shane Black, this is a pretty big disappointment. Once Hollywood's wonderboy for action movies after "Lethal Weapon" became a smash hit, Shane Black has made a movie with...this. Considering the big budget, I have no doubt that there was studio meddling, but this is still inexcusable. Part of the creative process is creating good material within the boundaries you are given. The script is a mess, the film is way too long, and there is very little that can be considered clever. Skip this and watch "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" instead.
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