★★★★☆
(4 ½ stars)
Phase Two has begun.
[spoilers ahead]
I am so, so pleased with this film.
As with what seems like every other MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) film, the US release is a week after the worldwide release. While I'm sure many people were griping, I took this as an opportunity to really see what my friends had to say. Thankfully, my friends who were able to see the film last weekend were praising it.
I decided to skip out on the IMAX 3D and just see this in good ol' 2D. Neither of the first two films were released in 3D, and while I knew I, thankfully, wouldn't have the same experience as seeing "The Avengers" in 3D (front row, midnight screening), I still didn't feel the need to see this film in 3D.
This was definitely a redemption story. The whole "Iron Man" series is a continuing events of redemption. Tony knew that he was once a different man. He was rude and brushed people off with no remorse. It wasn't until he was captured in Afghanistan that he really starts to view life in a different light. These films also show Tony trying to figure out who he really is. We learn that what happened in New York scared Tony. He has never encountered aliens before, he never thought about these other dimensions and how these aliens can pose major threats to his planet.
"Iron Man 3" is Tony's (Robert Downey Jr) retelling of certain events after New York. The film starts out in 1999, at a conference in Switzerland. We've actually heard a bit about this conference before. In "Iron Man", Yensen tells Tony about the time they met at this conference in Switzerland in 1999. Though he doesn't know it at the time, Tony meets two people who will become extreme threats to him 13 years later: Maya Henson (Rebecca Hall) and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce).
13 years later, countless terrorist attacks are happening around America. Tony is already anxious, in part due to the events in New York, but his anxiety, fear, and anger becomes worse when his former bodyguard, Happy (Jon Favreau), is injured in one of the attacks. He makes a public statement, announcing that he wants to seek revenge on The Mandarin. He wants The Mandarin to come to him, so he provides his home address.
I remember, months ago, watching the teaser trailer for this. My mouth was wide open, jaw dropped, all in shock due to Tony's house being destroyed. You know you love that house, and you were probably jealous because you want a house like that. Who wouldn't? To see that house getting destroyed... Yes, my eyes were wide in shock, but I also felt a bit sad.
He escapes from the attacks, and JARVIS leads to him to Tennessee; the flight plan that had been set prior to the attacks on his house. He lands a bit outside of Rose Hill, so through the cold and snow, he drags his suit to a house in Rose Hill. He meets Harley (Ty Simpkins), a boy who means well but sends Tony into a few panic attacks due to the persistant mentioning of the attacks in New York. Harley is an asset to Tony. He is able to help Tony get his suit back to working, he's able to help find out information about these attacks, and even helps with Tony getting information about The Mandarin's whereabouts.
Definitely the biggest shocker of the film was that The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley) wasn't really The Mandarin. The man that was in all the promotion that we saw, and was the face of all the video broadcasts in the film, was not really the villain. His name is Trevor, and he's an aspiring actor that was hired to be the face of this menacing villain. Of course he knows about these plans, but he's unfazed by the acts of terrorism. He wanted to become well-known, and due to these broadcasts, his face was being shown all over the world, and people were noticing him.
I was a bit shocked to see Aldrich the bad guy. I was definitely pleased, though; I love Guy Pearce, and he was phenomenal in this film. I figured he would be what Sam Rockwell was to Iron Man 2, someone who was certainly a bad guy, but more of someone who assists the main villain. It's certainly set like that at the beginning, when we see Aldrich assisting with one of The Mandarin's telecasts.
While The Mandarin was certainly an evil villain, and one of the most terrifying in the MCU, his initial reveal was a bit...odd. For a moment, I really felt like I was being Punk'd. I was sitting in the theater, watching Tony react with Trevor, and I'm pretty sure I looked confused. I felt confused, and "what the ___?!" was certainly running through my mind. Once I realized that this wasn't some joke, I found the situation a bit amusing. I definitely found Rhodey's comments about Trevor quite amusing.
I did like how Tony was able to use his suit while not being in it. The scene that we all saw during The Superbowl, where Iron Man had to save those who fell out of the airplane... That scene was breathtaking. The cinematography, the effects, all of it was just wonderful. I figured they would be saved, but I still got emotional when they all safely landed in the water.
I was a bit pleased at a lack of S.H.I.E.L.D./the Avengers in this film. I do love Agent Coulson, and I do love the Avengers, but it's nice to see Tony, by himself, without any of those people for once. (If this was Marvel's way of apologizing for the overload of S.H.I.E.L.D. in "Iron Man 2", apology accepted.) I did love Mark Ruffalo's cameo appearance in the post-credits scene, and his comments left the audience laughing.
The film was great. I loved it, and the "Iron Man" films remain my favorite in the MCU. Yes, certain characters felt a bit underused (Maya and Aldrich) and sometimes scenes just changed and people did whatever with little to no explanation...but honestly, those were just minor flaws in this grand spectacle. I was very pleased with this film. The acting was superb. Everyone really stepped to the plate to make this film as amazing as it was.
I can't wait to see this film again, and to think, two years from now, The Avengers 2 will be released. I hope to see Robert Downey Jr reprise his role of Iron Man just one final time for that. (His contract ended with "Iron Man 3".) I can understand if he wants to quit, but I'd like to see him finish Phase Two before we even have to think about him being replaced. He is Tony Stark, and I know I'll be sad the day we hear the announcement that Tony Stark has been recast.
Watch the trailer here:
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