Iron Man 3

This is it.  "Iron Man 3" was the my favorite summer movie this year.  As far as summer fare goes, 2013 was not very good.  A bad summer for movies is sad, but this one was made sadder by the realization that my summer peaked in early May. 

"Iron Man 3" is the first post-Avengers, Marvel movie.  And it not only lives up to the level of awesomeness that "The Avengers" set, but also helps heal the wounds left by "Iron Man 2."

In this installment, Tony Stark is up against a terrorist-mastermind known as the Mandarin.  Stark's arrogance results in the Mandarin attacking his home, leaving him presumed dead and armed with a broken suit of armor.  Stark winds up in a small town where he must learn a little humility, repair his armor, find a way to defeat the Mandarin, and overcome his PTSD.

A lot of the magic in this movie is due to writer/director Shane Black.  Black is an important voice in action cinema.  He's only been in the director chair twice but it's his screenplays that are held in such high regard.  Black burst onto the scene with "Lethal Weapon" and also had "The Monster Squad" that year (everyone's kids should be watching "The Monster Squad").  He then wrote the occasional action script every few years like "The Last Boy Scout" (which is awesome), "Last Action Hero" (which is not awesome), and "The Long Kiss Goodnight" (which is mostly awesome).  Then came a 9 year drought.  But it was all worth it, because when Shane Black returned he had his best screenplay in hand.  And he was going to direct it himself.  The result was "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang."  If you've never seen it, stop reading this and go find a copy.  This article will still be here when you get back.......all done?  Good.  It was hilarious, right?  Well, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" is the reason that Shane Black got to write and direct "Iron Man 3."  His constant banter is a perfect match for Robert Downey Jr.

"Iron Man 3" is quintessential Shane Black.  It takes place at Christmas.  The dialogue is almost too clever.  It involves kidnapping.  It even becomes a "buddy cop" type movie at the end.  It's a big, dumb blockbuster with a big, smart script.  Sure, there are the plot holes and gaps in logic that seem to be inescapable with superhero movies, but Black has the good sense to focus on character instead of story.  Having a few gripping and fun action set pieces helps too. 

That focus on character is important because it's what makes the first movie so great.  Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, and James Rhodes are people we like and want to spend time with.  These characters were treated as little more than action figures in "Iron Man 2."

Shane Black doesn't seem to have a distinct directorial style so I can't get into that, but I will discuss the action scenes.  The two standouts being Iron Man rescuing a dozen people who've been sucked out of a damaged airplane and Tony Stark's one man raid on the Mandarin's compound.  These are great scenes that showcase Stark's ingenuity both in and out of the Iron Man suit.  The final action sequence is dumb though.  It's not poorly done.  It's just another "epic" battle to top off a movie and it feels hugely out of place in a film that is focused on a lost hero battling insomnia and panic attacks.

All in all, "Iron Man 3" is my favorite of the series.  I think the first movie is the best made, but there's something about the familiar rhythms of a Shane Black screenplay that I can't get enough of.  It's a great film and Ben Kingsley is wonderful as the Mandarin and I've really enjoyed talking to people about their reactions to him.  This is a movie that will be getting plenty of replay at my house.

8 out of 10