Iron Man 3 truly redeems the series after the damp squib that was Iron Man 2 (2010). Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself stripped of his iron suit and the technology that makes him invincible. Confidence shattered, he is forced to fight evil with little more than his wits and ingenuity or face losing the ones he loves and the world he believes in. He faces a formidable enemy, motivated by revenge and a fervent desire to destroy Tony Stark and expropriate everything he holds dearest.

**Spoiler Alert** The new villain, Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), is merely a puppet- a most convincing but failed Shakespearean actor, hired to fulfill everyone’s concept of a vicious and mad terrorist in the mold of Osama bin Laden. Controlled by evil forces and a twisted soul, Killian (Guy Pearce) easily eclipses past Marvel films that have lacked a really strong villain, perhaps with the exception of Loki. Iron Man 3 delivers in spades with Mandarin and Killian. Terror and corporate smarm go together perfectly, meshing real-world politics and super heroic action with a wonderfully implemented twist.

Despite the dark, violent conflicts and the horribly flawed nature of the individuals in Iron Man 3, the scriptwriters (Drew Pearce and Shane Black) have introduced a healthy dose of humour that keeps the level of entertainment high. It is easy to see the hand of some of the world’s greatest comic book creators at work here (Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Leiber and Jack Kirby).

Set after the cataclysmic events of The Avengers, director Shane Black asks the question in Iron Man 3 “what is more important, the man or the armour?” Ultimately Iron Man will do what we want a superhero to do – overcome the forces of darkness and sacrifice everything if necessary to protect the ones he loves.

In the aftermath of the Chitauri disaster in New York, Tony throws himself into damage control, creating more than 40 new suits of armour. He suffers horrible insomnia, rarely sleeping and in the process isolates Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) from his world. Robert Downey Jr. plays Stark as a control freak, and this is what happens when he’s confronted with something beyond him. He is panicked, a stark contrast (pun not intended) to the suave playboy we’re used to seeing. Meanwhile, the Mandarin delivers theatrical threats and Aldrich Killian is putting the moves Pepper Potts.

Robert Downey Jr., as always, knocks it out of the park in his role as Stark. It’s surprising, considering that many other actors in similar roles appear to just be going through the motions by their third movie. In his sixth appearance as Stark he is still reinventing himself. Harley, (11 year old Ty Simpkins) brings a touch of tweener charm and awkwardness, potentially working against the movie in less capable hands, but the sharp script brings a nice acidity to his exchanges with Stark.

So what is more important, the man or the armour? Tony Stark realizes at the end of the movie that he is indeed Iron Man even without the armour. In fact the Iron Man technology itself is shorn several times and then adorned by others including Pepper. Marvel has decidedly favoured the morally strong and pure of heart over the technology. Stark is not unique in this respect it turns out and others come to his rescue when doubt insidiously creeps into his soul. Easily one of the best Marvel movies yet, there may be a touch too many special effects and occasionally the humour may eclipse a serious moment, but director Shane Black has made Iron Man 3 a hero pic worthy of our attention.

The myETVmedia Team

All pictures courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.