Iron Man 3
Five
years since he first appeared on screen. Four movies where he has figured.
Three films of his own series. Phase Two is underway. Sound confusing? This One
review will explain all that…
Marvel
first came to be by the creative hands of the great Stan Lee, who dreamed up
many characters and visualised them in the form of comic books. After the first
X-Men film in 2000 was a hit, every superhero in the comic book library was
“borrowed” and put into the development wheel to one day become a film. Iron
Man was one of the lesser known heroes of the Marvel Universe to the mainstream
audience, so portraying him on screen was going to be a gamble.
But you know
the story. The first film came along in 2008, catching everyone by surprise. It
was brilliant and found most of its strength in the fantastic performance of
Robert Downey Jnr. He did well again with Iron Man 2, and continued this trend
with a little movie from last year about a bunch of heroes working together.
You might have heard of this film called “The Avengers?”
Now, it’s
a post-Avengers world and Marvel has aptly referred to Iron Man 3 as the start
of “Phase 2”. Thor will return later this year to get angry and swing his
hammer around some more, while good old Captain America will bust out the
shield and patriotic gear again in 2014. And Hulk? Apparently, another
stand-alone film for him is still a possibility, but he’s a difficult character
to focus on separately because he balances on the border of hero and villain.
And again, all these characters will rejoin forces once more in The Avengers 2,
due out in 2015.
So now
that you’re up to speed on all things Marvel, let’s get around to why you’re
here - to read about Iron Man 3. I just saw the movie tonight, and as I usually
like to do after just coming home from the cinema, I write up my review while
I’m still excited and all reeling from the experience. And first up, let me say
I was very entertained.
Our
latest offering of Iron Man doesn’t ignore the events that took place in the
Avengers, and makes several subtle references throughout the picture. Tony
Stark can’t sleep, and has flashbacks to that moment in New York where he
seemed to cross between our world and the universe. The man who is usually
always cool, composed and unphased by anything gets all jittery and shaken
whenever the memory of that worm-hole experience comes up. In the midst of the
world around him, things are not going well. A new terrorist, calling himself
The Mandarin, is wreaking havoc across the globe. Mysterious, untraceable and
extremely dangerous, this oriental orchestrator invades the airwaves of
world-wide television to warn of his next attack. He isn’t stopping, and after
an attack on American soil which injures someone close to Tony Stark, its game
on!
Given his
lack of control and rational thought due to the events of the Avengers finale,
Stark isn’t thinking straight in general. He makes a statement directed towards
the Mandarin which essentially invites the terrorist over to Starks cliffside
mansion. In a spectacular attack of explosions and fire power, Stark loses his
home (which you see in the trailer) but makes it out with one of his suits.
Landing in a remote rural town in the mid-west, Stark treks through the snow
and wilderness, towing his suit behind him as a desperate attempt to cling onto
his power. Stripped bear of his armour, weapons and courage, Iron Man is put
aside while Stark must step up and become the hero. Without his suit, he’s just
a man, and must rely on his wits, resourcefulness and mechanical skills to
reclaim his position as The Iron Man.
There
were many great elements to this installment of the Iron Man franchise. Like I
hoped it would be, it was a great improvement over part two. Not that the
second film was terrible, but it just lacked something. The third time around,
a new director was hired, a different visual style adapted and a compelling
story that throws a few surprises and twists your way. I cannot even hint at
what those surprises are in this review, but you will be pleasantly surprised,
and even amused, by some of the character reveals and developments.
As in the
previous films, the use of advanced technology and cutting edge gadgets plays a
big part. Even though it’s set in the present day, the Iron Man films play with
several ideas, concepts and breakthroughs in science and discovery that are way
ahead of our time. It makes me excited that one day, the types of things Stark
can do in his basement lab will be available to us lesser mortals. Who wouldn’t
like to just talk to your own personal computer-assistant who could answer you
like a real person? And how convenient would it be to simply make things fly
over to you just by extending out your hand? I’d love to be able to do that
when I’m lying on the couch at home and I’ve left the TV remote on the other
side of the lounge room for example.
The
special effects in Iron Man 3 are top notch, and the seamless editing and
mixing of sounds and visual tricks result in some exciting and thrilling action
set pieces. One of the highlights (which was also in the trailer so this isn’t
a spoiler) involved Iron Man leaping out of a plane as it’s attacked mid
flight, to rescue the dozen people plunging to their impending doom. Aided by
his computerised assistant Jarvis (voiced by Paul Bettany) Iron Man quickly
assesses the situation; thirteen people falling, he can carry four himself and
only a matter of a minute to save them from hitting the ground. Cleverly, Iron
Man grabs one, then another, then another and finds a way to perform a massive
group hug 18,000 feet above the surface. It was awesome to watch, and so
awesome in fact, I clapped. Yes, I clapped in the theatre. And so did a few
other people in the audience. I love movies, what can I say…
Sequels
can really amaze you these days. There was a time when a sequel tried to repeat
the formula of the first, with a few small changes, but the result was usually
a poorer film. But the movies have changed so much, that sequels are what we go
back to the cinema for. Audiences today have seen more films of a large
variety, and we’ve just about seen it all. We’re smarter and won’t be fooled or
ripped-off anymore. If we like a character, and they have the potential to tell
us more stories, we go for it, and today’s movie companies know this. They
don’t muck around when they’re on a winning streak, and what started out as
comic book characters is now its own film production company.
Marvel
has big plans for their catalogue of Superheroes, who were strategically put on
the board, moved towards and around each other like chess pieces, then finally
united in The Avengers, a film once though impossible to make. Cheque Mate! It
achieved the impossible, becoming a very entertaining film and making a
gazillion bucks at the box office. We asked for it, and Marvel is giving us
more. So you might be wondering if this is the last time we’ll be seeing Iron
Man? I can’t say. The film keeps you guessing. Stick around until the end of
the credits for a little treat that hints at what else is to come. Phase Two is
underway and the future of the Marvel Universe looks to be in good shape.
Justice League take note…
* POST CREDIT-SCENE - Perhaps the further
Universe building of Marvel was still on the cutting room floor here, so the
post-credit scene for Iron Man is just a small doozy. We hear the voice of Tony
Stark, talking over a black screen, then eventually showing him lying back on a
couch. It’s clear he is spilling all his thoughts and feelings out to someone,
and as the camera pans to the right, we see Dr Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk,
sitting nearby, but asleep. He wakes with a jolt and ticks off Tony Stark who
though his fellow Avenger was listening to him. They quarrel briefly over what
kind of conversation it is, before Stark naturally turns the attention back to
himself and continues talking. It’s a short, funny scene.
Comments
Post a Comment