5/03/2013

REVIEW: 'Iron Man 3'

Most sane men in my position, would be in bed right now, wrestling with their dreams, rather than wrestling with words. But, if there is one thing I will never lay claim to, it is sanity. In a brief moment of clarity, I will say that I opted for a 9:00 showing, rather than the more traditional midnighter, but in the end... My work must go on, and I promised a review, and dammit all, I plan to deliver.

So let's dive right in shall we, before the adrenaline wears off, and exhaustion takes over. See you after the jump.


It is no secret that of all the Marvel Studios characters, Iron Man is my favorite. Actually, that's not really the case. I don't give a damn about Iron Man, I am much more amused by Tony Stark. Don't get me wrong, Black Widow is quite pleasing to the eyes, but it is Tony Stark and his quick wit, that help to sooth the sting of Spider-man being some other studio's property. Naturally, when I saw this was set to kick off the summer movie season, I was pretty excited. One more opportunity to try and keep a straight face as Robert Downey, Jr. delivers some solid gold comedy.

The film, on top of being the starting gun for the summer, also acts as the beginning of the second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So yeah, the movie is kind of a big deal. And after the impressive buzz coming from over seas, this movie had quite a lot to live up to right out of the gate.

And boy did it deliver.

The movie was an action-packed thrill ride, with a deep vein of sentimentality, and the same comedic gold that guarantees a return visit to the cinema. It manages to pack in a Michael-Bay-worthy number of explosions, to guarantee that people know it is time to buy up the popcorn, and smile with child-like glee. And there is even a bit of a love story, to keep the sentimental types happy.

The dialogue is quick, and well written, keeping the laughs frequent enough to engage the viewer, but not so frequent as to over-shadow everything else. As usual, Robert Downey, Jr. is spot on with the role, every vocal inflection, and facial tick channeling the heart and soul of the comic book Tony Stark.

The hardest part about writing this review, other than the creeping exhaustion that is taking over, is that I don't want to spoil anything. There are enough bits that I just don't want to ruin those moments for anyone. I will say, that the cast is great. Ben Kingsley is brilliant, and helps to elevate things on the villain front. All in all, this was a great movie, and I honestly can't wait to see it again.

Recommendation: This movie has a little something for everyone. There is action, romance, comedy... Plenty to go around. There are things to appeal to the geek in all of us, or to the person that is denying their inner geek. So basically, see if the trailers looked even remotely interesting to you... see this film.

Is It Theater-Worthy: Does a bear shit in the woods? This is the summer movie season... These movies are MADE to be seen on the big screen. If you miss this one, and wait for the Blu-ray, I feel sorry for you.

Final Thoughts: Summer movies, Marvel Phase 2, this... this is what the summer is all about. This is a movie that won't change your life, and leave you pondering some inconvenient truths or anything, but it is a movie that, for a brief time, will make things seem so much better just for having seen it. It is a movie that will inspire hyperbole in many, and some of it may even be deserved. Is it the best movie ever? No. Is it the best Superhero movie ever? No. But is it a fun movie, that epitomizes the summer movie feel? You better damn well believe it!

Frank's Final Score: 8.75 out of 10.

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