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Iron Man has been one busy guy lately. It was just a year ago that he kicked off the summer with a few of his superhero friends in Joss Whedon’s .nightsandweekends.com/articles/12/NW1200154.php>The Avengers. Now the fast-talking hero is back in theaters, ushering in yet another Summer Blockbuster Season with his third solo adventure—and it’s pretty clear that the poor guy hasn’t had enough time to fully recover.
Iron Man 3 finds Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony Stark battling his demons. His recent adventures with the Avengers have brought him face-to-face with all kinds of otherworldly evil—evil that he may be unable to stop. Fearing that he won’t be able to protect Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), the only person who matters to him, he struggles with anxiety and insomnia, spending his nights striving to build the perfect super suit.
As Tony prepares for the worst, the country comes under the attack of a terrorist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). When Tony’s friend and head of security, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), is seriously injured in one of terrorist’s bombings, Tony takes it personally—and he sets out to end The Mandarin’s reign of terror.
The Tony Stark of Iron Man 3 is not one that we’ve seen before. Much of Stark’s usual swagger has been replaced by fear and insecurity—and surprising vulnerability. And, frankly, it’s a little off-putting. While it shows that Iron Man is still only human, Tony Stark is supposed to be cocky and fearless—not anxious and stressed-out. And Avengers movies are supposed to be playful and even a little silly—not gloomy. Fortunately, Stark’s ego and sarcasm still show up from time to time—giving the film some much-needed moments of levity—but the overall tone is more Dark Knight than Iron Man. One scene in particular that looks like it was borrowed straight from the mind of Christopher Nolan—so much so, in fact, that you might find yourself picturing Christian Bale in the scene instead of Robert Downey, Jr.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that Iron Man 3 is all dark and moody. It still has the action and eye-popping explosions that fans have come to expect from the Avengers. Meanwhile, though the pacing does drag a bit in the middle, the story is more focused than the wildly over-stuffed Iron Man 2, and the villain is more formidable than ever. There’s something about Kingsley’s Mandarin that’s so real and so creepy—yet so delightfully over-the-top—that he somehow manages to steal the spotlight from Downey’s usually charismatic hero.
It may be darker than the average Avengers flick, but Iron Man 3 still kicks off another action-packed summer with a bang. It’s tense and thrilling and loaded with explosive effects and wildly clever twists. Before you head to the theater, though, you might want to replay earlier Iron Man adventures—just so you’ll be able to make sense of the multitude of references. Then buy yourself a jumbo soda and your favorite candy and join Tony Stark on his latest battle—and keep your fingers crossed that he’ll take some time off to relax and get his swagger back before the next one.
Blu-ray Review:
Iron Man 3 may be slightly moodier than the usual superhero flick, but the film’s Blu-ray release makes up for it with some fun-filled extras.
Fans of the Avengers won’t want to miss the included Marvel One-Shot, a short film that picks up a year after Captain America’s disappearance, as his grieving girlfriend, Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter, goes on her first mission as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Or, for more Avengers action, you can check out a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Thor: The Dark World in the Featurettes section of the special features menu.
For more behind-the-scenes Iron Man 3 fun, meanwhile, you’ll want to visit the Featurettes section for two interesting extras: an up-close-and-personal look at the Air Force One scene and a brief making-of feature. You’ll also want to check out the deleted/extended scenes, which include some entertaining scenes with Bill Maher and E!’s Fashion Police, as well as a deleted storyline and some hilarious outtakes. But the hilarity doesn’t end there—because you’ll also find more on-set silliness on the gag reel.
Tony Stark may have gone through a dark phase in his latest outing, but that doesn’t mean that the film’s cast is going through the same funk. You’ll find all kinds of fun and fascinating behind-the-scenes features on the Blu-ray release of Iron Man 3—so, after you finish re-watching Tony Stark’s latest adventure, be sure to take some time to watch the extras, too.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
