Movie Review: Ironman 3

SPOILERS WILL BE IN THIS PIECE, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED SO DON'T COME CRYING TO ME.

Alrighty, I tried really hard not to get swept up in the hype surrounding this movie.  I was in fact a bit worried about the change in writer and director, but Shane Black has done movies that I really like.  I also was not really thrilled about the look of the new armor, but if my biggest problem is going to be something cosmetic like that, then I can over look it.

I really, really wish that was my biggest problem with the film.

I'm going to start positive.  Everyone brought great performances to their roles.  Robert Downey Jr. was again remarkable as Tony Stark and making it to the point where the character will be synonimous with him. Paltrow was lovely as always and was a great counter-balance to Downey's Stark, although I think the banter between Pepper and Tony was better in the previous films.  The kid in the movie was incredible and the scene with him and Tony were easily the highlight of the film.

Now here's where I tick off a lot of fans.

I was excited about one thing with this movie: The Mandarin.  They hinted at the character back in the first movie.  I was stoked to see that he was finally going to be the big bad in the movie.  We've established that aliens exist in the Marvel Movie-verse so have a baddie with alien tech in his rings could play beautifully here.  It could have even served as a bridge with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY or even a little hint at something Thanos-y.  

No.

Its Ben Kingsly playing a druggie actor pretending to be a big bad.  Yes, the revelation was funny, but at the same time I felt so incredibly cheated here.  It was a brutal letdown and really soured the movie for me.

Now, here's where I'm a real nit picky douchebag.

Pepper somehow gets mad fighting skills and can perfectly aim a repulsor blast in the movie's climax when she couldn't do it before?  The Extremis thing made her a cyber ninja or something?  

Oh, and the Missus pointed out that the brain with the fancy pants brain projection, and the only time there was any sort activity was when the guy got pinched?  Really?  I'm not a neurology expert, but I think there's a lot of stuff going on in the brain all the time.

And why was charging the armor a problem?  Tony is walking around with an arc reactor in his chest which completely powered previous armors?  That made no sense at all.

And the ending.  The Missus said it felt like a wake, and she was right.  It was like the character was wrapping it up and turning in his armor.  Well, at least blowing up all his armor.  No more arc reactor in his chest either.  No wonder Joss Whedon was wondering what was he supposed to do with the character now?  It looks like Ironman is now retired.  They even said "Tony Stark will be back".  Not Ironman.  Sure that's probably done to get buzz going, but that's not the buzz I'd like to see.  

All the other Marvel movies have left me with a feeling of "that was aewesome and I can't wait to see what's coming next".  This one did not.  Instead of opening up new things with the Marvel Movie-verse, it felt like it was closing one of the books.

Not a bad movie, but it let me down really hard.