The long waited sci-fi superhero flick ‘Iron Man 3’ is a Hollywood blockbuster despite a weak screenplay. Action and acting by the stars are outstanding. Where the film lacks a bit is the storyline. And yes, the gag of Iron Man is excellent.
Plot – An extreme attack by the villains on the Iron Man almost finishes him off. Main antagonist of the film ‘Mandarin’, a terror kingpin (played by Ben Kingsley) and his gang start off with explosions and attacks on the United States of America. The story is all about how the Iron Man prepares his troop to rescue the US, his ladylove and the US President.
Tony Stark alias Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is back with ‘Iron Man 3’. The character shows his vulnerability this time. The guy weeps, he is scared and most importantly, he is more worried about his love Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).
Performance – Robert Downey Jr., as usual, works out a neat job as the protagonist. In fact, he has never been better as Tony Stark. He actually makes the movie shine. Downey brings a more humanizing level to the character Stark. Again, his chemistry with Paltrow is very natural and filled with lighter moments that are accompanied by the tricks he plays using his ‘army’. Paltrow looks gorgeous and does her job perfectly. It is good to watch her on the screen as she gets violent when she needs and that is the best thing about her.
Ben Kingsley is superb as Mandarin. He really seems like a legitimate threat. Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), the second villain is not up to the mark. Don Cheadle does a routine job as the buddy James Rhodes and War Machine.
The action and the special effects look good on the screen. In fact, the biggest praise Shane Black deserves for this movie is the action.
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The screenplay could be better. Mainly in the final moments of Kingsley’s screen time it lacked a lot.
Directorial work in the film is neat. Director Shane Black, who had directed Downey Jr. in ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’, has done his job perfectly.
A special mention to Shane Black for making the Mark 42 armor something of a character in its own right, as it gets one of the best gags in the film.
Verdict – Hollywood fans as well as action lovers will find plenty of reasons to love the movie. There is a plethora of outstanding action, comedy and sci-fi element to enthrall the audience, for which ‘Iron Man 3’ comes in the ‘Must Watch’ category.
Director – Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyenth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Sir Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau
TNI Rating – **** (4) Stars out of 5.