Iron Man 3 Review

Does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Robert Downey Jnr soars into Iron Man 3 with ease, boasting his best one-liners yet as the ever-charismatic Tony Stark. He who breathed life into The Avengers, an otherwise overwrought outing, returns with wit and charm to suit up in iron-plated armour once again. By his own ingenuity and use of whizz popping gadgetry, Tony Stark along with an army of robot soldiers must face two mastermind villains to help save the world. As he fights to protect the woman he loves, he finds the answer to a lingering question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

The American billionaire shows his human side in Iron Man 3 as he suffers from anxiety attacks following a near death experience. With a target on his back, he comes up against The Mandarin (played by Ben Kingsley), a terrorist who poses a threat to the US president and Aldrich Killian (played by Guy Pearce), a scientist once snubbed, now hell-bent on revenge. Killian develops a radioactive serum called Extremis to cure his own debilitating disability giving him regenerative healing qualities and the ability to generate extreme heat – at one point he breathes fire. Even for a comic book movie sci-fi elements such as these feel farfetched. Then again, this is coming from the Marvel franchise that featured an attempted alien invasion in its last instalment.

The confused plot is bolstered along by strong performances from Robert Downey Jnr and Gwyneth Paltrow whose chemistry is enticing enough to bring it over the finish line with quick laughs, a touch of drama and a tonne of action. In one spectacular set piece, Tony Stark’s cliff-top house in Malibu is attacked by a series of explosions that leave him battered, bruised and left for dead. Another action highlight sees Iron Man rescue 13 people in mid-air who have fallen out of a plane. The special effects, although extraordinary, are overused and there is more than a few suit-up moments that feel tech-indulgent.

Director and screenwriter Shane Black replaces Jon Favreau who retains an executive producer’s credit and returns in the role of Happy Hogan, Stark's former bodyguard and chauffeur. Black’s robust script shows a skill for smart dialogue that includes jokes about Downton Abbey. Fans won’t be disappointed by comedic banter that comes fast, snappy and well delivered by the leading cast.

In comparison, Pearce’s character, the villain of the piece feels frustratingly one-dimensional and is a major drawback of the film. His motivations are weak and his overall plan for worldwide domination remains unclear. The final half hour verges on Transformers territory with a lot of clanging metal as robots hit other robots creating a mash of thoughtless chaos.

Although a lot sleeker and less self-regarding than other Marvel ventures, Iron Man 3 won’t win any new converts. As the main drawcard, Robert Downey Jnr is benefited by a decent script which blends comedy with a good dose of action, even if it includes one too many instances of deus ex machina.