Review: Iron Man 3

Is it possible to be a superhero movie, but then not really be a superhero movie, but really be a superhero movie all at the same time?  Confused?  Don’t be.  After watching Iron Man 3, this will all be crystal clear and so will the direction of Marvel Phase 2.   It’s easy (and lazy) to label movies like Iron Man 3 as “superhero flicks” because their protagonists are born from the funny pages, but Kevin Feige and his Marvel cohorts are about to challenge you on such preconceived notions.  Iron Man 3 is not a movie about Iron Man per se but more a whodunit tale driven by a really smart protagonist that happens to have a really expensive suit.  With Game of Throne’s Alan Taylor directing Thor 2 and the political intrigue storyline framing the plot of the next Captain America, what you’re going to see is Marvel immerse their characters in very specific subgenres.  It’s a clever move designed to give these characters a longer shelf life.

As for Iron Man 3, the plot finds our quit witted protagonist dealing with the aftermath of the events that unfolded in The Avengers. Struggling with some form of post traumatic syndrome, Stark is forced to deal with a mistake from his past that may or may not have some connection to the Mandarin, a ruthless terrorist who is hell bent on unleashing attacks against the United States.  With the lives of those he cares about hanging in the balance, Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) must find a way to discover the mystery behind the Mandarin and put an end to his reign of terror.

It’s seems like a pretty straight forward action premise, but what is most striking about Iron Man 3 is that it feels strikingly different than its predecessors.  Writer/Director Shane Black brings his brand of storytelling to the franchise and gives it a feel reminiscent of his work with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and the Lethal Weapon movies (think whodunit with some elements of buddy cop flicks mixed in for good measure).  That Downey Jr. spends more time out of the suit weaving his way through the plot is a surprise – one that pays off nicely.

Any discussion of this film cannot go long without talking specifically about the work of Robert Downey Jr.  It has gotten to the point where one must ask the question of whether Downey Jr. is portraying Tony Stark or if Tony Stark is just an extension of Downey Jr.  He is quick witted, quirky, and able to oscillate between humor and gravitas seamlessly on the turn of the dime and these qualities may have been the biggest drivers of success for not only the Iron Man franchise but also he entire Marvel cinematic universe.  That he is no longer under contractual obligation to the company no doubt has a few Disney executives losing sleep.

Once again joining RDJ onscreen are Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau, and Don Cheadle as Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, and James Rhodes (Iron Patriot) respectively and each is given heavier lifting this time around.  I am not sure if it’s the business casual suits or the snappy chemistry she shares with Downey Jr., but I have never found Paltrow more likeable than I do in these Iron Man films.  She tends to embody the heart and sentimentality in each of the movies, but in this outing Paltrow does a decent job of flexing a bit of muscle. 

What Jon Favreau brings to the film is a decent measure of the campy but endearing humor that we have come to expect from the actor/director.  Sometimes bumbling but always good-natured, Favreau’s portrayal of Hogan won’t make any highlight reels but he capably keeps the tone light while advancing the plot.  As for Cheadle, he plays Colonel James Rhodes to satisfactory results and nothing more.  While I like Cheadle as an actor, I have always found his work in this franchise less than stellar.  It may be the result of acting choices or his chemistry with Downey Jr. but I don’t think he has really hit the right pitch with the character. 

As for the newcomers to the franchise, Guy Pearce is fair but unremarkable as Aldrich Killian – a man with questionable intentions.  He doesn’t hurt the movie by any means, but I could also have envisioned any number of people stepping into the role of an eccentric unbalanced scientist to produce the same if not better results.  Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin is solid and makes some very interesting choices, but his actual screen time is not hugely robust as it is more his characters “presence” than his actually being present that impacts the plot.  Bringing up the rear for this trio is Rebecca Hall as genetic botanist Maya Hansen.  I found her performance weak and unconvincing and at times she felt painfully out of place in this movie – most glaringly in the second act.  There are many other ways the creative team could have gone with this character (and plot thread) and I can’t help but think one of the other choices would have been better.

So what you have then is an Iron Man film that is more about the man than the armor – one that wisely lets RDJ occupy the driver’s seat.  It’s not a perfect film as at times the pacing loses its way and there are some logic leaps and character decisions that have and will infuriate the overly zealous comic book purist.  But at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what you expect from a summer action movie.  If you are looking for a decent plot with big visuals that is fun to watch, then this is a movie you should definitely run out to the cinema to watch.  If you are looking for something more than that, then Iron Man 3 may be a roll of the dice for you.  Regardless, this is easily the best movie thus far in what has been a somewhat weak year at the cinema.  Up next on the Marvel slate is Thor: The Dark World (November 8, 2013).

Standout Performance: Robert Downey Jr. - plain and simple.  

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Review: The Avengers

I think when Joss Whedon signed on to direct The Avengers, he knew it would be a juggling act.  The film features three stars from active franchises, one CGI-driven protagonist from a franchise twice rebooted, a bow and arrow wielding lead of the soon-to-be-released Bourne Legacy, a person twice voted sexiest woman alive, and Samuel Jackson who has been in pretty much every movie ever made.  That’s a lot of “material” to cram into two and a half hours – let alone craft into an epic narrative.  I am happy to say that in another life Whedon could have been a circus performer because he pulls off an epic juggling act, because The Avengers is a very entertaining movie that flat out delivers.  It’s not a perfect movie, but considering that Whedon was not only trying to balance an ensemble cast, but really a collection of franchises, it is about as strong and exhilarating an effort as one could hope for.

The movie wastes no time getting into the plot and never lets up until the second of two after the credit scenes (the last of which was one of the best scenes in the movie).  The third act is punctuated by the kind of action sequences between a set of heroes and villains that for so long has been relegated to ink stained funny pages.  But before that, we get a narrative that is engaging with some surprisingly fantastic comedic moments.  The one sticking point to the movie is that in the second act, the pacing gets bogged down in some character development.  As necessary as this is, it feels slow in comparison to some of the huge action sequences that lead up to it.

As for the cast, here is how the principles performed:

I am hard-pressed to think of an actor who embodies the character they portray more than Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.  RDJ’s deal gives him as much input (if not more) on the character as the writers themselves, and because of this it so often feels like he is playing himself.  And this is a very good thing, because in The Avengers Downey Jr. delivers his typical sharp quick-witted commentary and keeps the dialogue entertaining even when the plot slows down during exposition.

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America is strong as the iconic straight-laced hero and sets up a perfect contrast to Downey Jr.’s Stark.  This is no easy fete as at times in The First Avenger, Evans’ Rogers suffered from what I have dubbed the Superman/Batman syndrome.  Superman is a character people should aspire to be.  Batman is a character that people can relate to.  In the times we live in, a large percentage of the population gravitates towards the latter than the former.  Evans’ Rogers is definitely more of the former than the latter – but this is a good thing as agent Phil Coulson reminds us while swooning over the presence of Mr. Stars and Stripes.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor is to me the character they had the most trouble reconciling with the plot, which is confusing since his character has the strongest ties to Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.  Hemsworth easily slips into the role of the Asgardian warrior as he did in Thor (the woman seated behind me who could not stop gasping every time he showed up on screen no doubt agreed), which made it disappointing that he was relegated more to the background in this jaunt.  His scenes with Hiddleston’s Loki though are some of the most conflicting and intense and definitely tease a number of possibilities for Thor 2.

Hulk in a lot of ways steals the show in the third act as Whedon has figured out that he can be heroic, comedic, and highly entertaining – in small doses.  As for the man who portrays Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo does a very good job of bringing a sense or reluctance to the role.  He excels where Eric Bana and Ed Norton before him failed and this is particularly important in this film, which is already loaded with alpha males.  Ruffalo’s sheepish demeanor brings a sense of balance to the proceedings.

Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner – the dual assassins – expertly portray the roles in which they are cast.  Johansson clearly has seen better days but for once her droll delivery is perfect as Romanoff/Black Widow.  Likewise, Renner’s rugged appearance and gruff demeanor fit Clint Barton’s persona to a tee.  While the two are portraying b-level members of the group, they are well suited to add support to the larger than life personalities that they share the screen with.

If there is a weak point in the cast, it is Samuel L. Jackson who has a track record of being the weak link in epic action movies (see Star Wars episodes I,II, and III).  There are other ways they could have gone with this casting, but unfortunately the proverbial die was cast over four years ago in the post-credit scene of Iron Man.  S.H.I.E.L.D.’s on screen representation however is greatly redeemed by Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson and Cobie Smulder’s Agent Hill.

Then there is Tom Hiddleston as the antagonist, Loki.  No action movie can be great without a worthy villain.  Hiddleston brings a menacing depth to Loki that permeates every smile and stare he casts at his adversaries.  Never is this more evident than the scene he shares with Johansson’s Romanoff.  To me his villainous work here is on par with anything Heath Ledger did in The Dark Knight.

The Avengers is the movie fan geeks of all ages have been waiting for long before Downey Jr. ever donned the Mark I suit.  It is fun, exhilarating, and will make you want to cheer out loud.  I would most definitely recommend seeing this on the big screen.  The colors are vibrant, the action is fast, and the scale is enormous.  The only downside to watching this film is that you have to wait at least a year before Iron Man 3 makes back to the big screen.

Standout Performance:  There are a lot of great performances but I really enjoyed Gwyneth Paltrow in the film.  It is a very nice touch.

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