Is the Third Iron Man Really the Charm?

I must confess that I was conflicted to whether I should actually go and recommend this one or not.

It is not how you might think it would be given the trailer, I will say as much. Also it should definitely be noted that if you are a fan of the Iron Man comic book I should warn you that there is a risk you might be disappointed with certain developments in this story. Last but not least keep in mind that this is not The Avengers (2012) and that Shane Black and is not Joss Whedon.

I am going to be honest; I am very partial to, what I think is, Whedon's ability to maintain depth while still having his characters deliver funny one-liners. I love his wit and his kind of humour. I did expect something similar from Shane because of the good work he did on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) but just as that film falters slightly story-wise and struggles with character depth at times so does Iron Man 3. The one-liners are, in my own honest opinion, too many, not always spot-on placed and tended to feel piled up. There is an honest attempt at development and depth but it does struggle a bit. What I personally would have liked, though, would have been if they had explored certain character elements and put emphasis on that more than they did.

As far as the plot goes I will say it's not as much about plot holes, as some might have said, as weak plot points. There are some genuinely amazing scenes though and a bunch of the comedy is actually entertaining. The problem is that the story feels jumbled, that a few things are just too convenient for the story to the point where it's almost deus ex machina devises and that reactions and motivation in all characters seems shaky and off at times.

On the plus side this film did have me on the edge of my seat a bunch of times. And it did make me laugh at a few points. Also all the actors did brilliantly and I personally enjoyed that Pepper Pots was not the damsel in distress in this film because that is just one of the most tiring and overused themes out there. I also enjoyed, even though it had its weaker moments, the closer portrayal of Tony Stark and I am very biased here, I must confess, because I think Robert Downey Jr is an amazing actor and he is perfect in his role as Tony Stark. Even in the moments where I felt like the jokes Tony delivered were a bit too scripted, as opposed to the effortlessness it had in The Avengers, Downey Jr still delivered quality acting.

All in all I am still not sure how to feel. I am conflicted. Though whilst some say they regret ever going and that it's not worth your money I am, for one, going to go see this again. I feel like I need to in order to fully form an opinion and decide if I do really like it for the good acting, nice special effects and clever underlying story (not mentioned here since I don't want to spoil) and the edge-of-the-seat moments or if I don't like it because of the deus ex machina and faltering character development and the characters' strange actions/reactions/motivations as well as the comedy that went overboard.

To the important part then; do  I recommend it? Well, I do not do typical reviews so I would not write this if I had no intent in recommending it. I do recommend it. But I also recommend that you keep in mind that it is not like what you have seen in the trailer, it does not stick to the story arc in the comic books and that it is not like Jon Faveru's Iron Man films. What it is on the other hand is Ben Kingsely, Guy Pearce, Paul Bettany as the sassy voice of Jarvis, Gwyneth Paltrow as the lovely and fantastic Pepper Pots and, of course, the one and only Robert Downey Jr being undeniably awesome as Tony Stark and Iron Man and, on my part, they (along with the other great actors) absolutely make this film worth a recommendation!

Who Doesn't Want Robert Downey Jr Narrating?

The film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) has that - Robert Downey Jr narrating, I mean. Which is really what makes it awesome. Because it's, in all honesty, not the strongest film out there. It even falters towards the end, story-wise, I would say.

Written as a novel by Brett Halliday and written for the screen as well as directed by Shane Black (who also was involved in writing the screenplay for Iron Man 3 (2013) and was the one who directed it) this is a humoristic action crime piece. It really has its moments and Robert Downey Jr and Michelle Monaghan really help making it enjoyable.

Above all this film is amusing. One has to assume that that is the main point of it because as far as comedy goes it's a really good one. It has its serious moments as well, though, and both Robert and Michelle handle them wonderfully.

Oh, and yes; it does have action. It is an action film, after all.

So, to sum it all up, this would be highly recommended to anyone who likes Robert Downey Jr's acting and humour and to those who enjoy the mixture of action and comedy - this here is a good one, folks!

Looking Forward To

A number of films that will be release this year, actually.

Of course, no surprise  I am stoked about Iron Man 3 (2013). It's obviously the sequel to Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010) and also ties together with The Avengers. This one is directed by Shane Black but we will, granted, really, see both Robert Downey Jr back in his role as Iron Man/Tony Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Pots.

I am also excited about The Great Gatsby (2013), directed by Baz Luhrmann, which is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel from the 20's with the same name. Among the talents starring in this film are Leonardo DiCaprio, Isla Fisher and Carey Mulligan.

I must say I do enjoy animated films and really loved Despicable Me (2010). So this year I'm looking forward to the sequel - Despicable Me 2 (2013) - once again directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud and with Steve Carell as the voice of Gru once more.

Same goes for Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) though that one does not really have the same directors as Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) did.

And thought it's not Kenneth Branagh who directed Thor 2: The Dark World (2013) but Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) I am still very excited about the sequel to Thor and to see Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as Thor and Loki again the wonderful and amazing Natalie Portman as Jane Foster once more (especially since she wasn't include in The Avengers). Not to mention Anthony Hopkins as Odin and Stellan Skarsgård as Dr. Eric Selvig as well as Rene Russo as Frigga.

And who is not looking forward to the continuance of Bilbo's amazing journey in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug? I know I absolutely am! Once again Peter Jackson (The Fellowship of The Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003)) has been directing and the screenplay has been written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro based on the book "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again" by J.R.R Tolkien.

I am also keeping an eye out for Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) which is a vampire film with the amazing talents Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as the main characters Adam and Eve.

And last, but certainly not least, I am looking forward to Joss Whedon's (The Avengers, The Cabin in the Woods) Much Ado About Nothing (2012) - an adaptation on the Shakespearen play - starring Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Clark Gregg and Nathan Fillion and many others.

Five Marvel Films

That you really do have to watch, if you by any chance haven't gotten around to watching them yet, are the five interconnected Marvel Movies. They can be seen separately but it's quite a journey to see them all.

First out was Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010); both directed by Jon Favreau. They are excellent superhero action movies with a good dose of humor. Robert Downey Jr does a marvelous job as Iron Man.

Next in line was Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) directed by Joe Johnston. Chris Evans makes a great Captain and the movie is action and entertainment.

And then we have the beautiful movie Thor (2011) directed by Kenneth Branagh - who did a most magnificent job making this wonderful film. Chris Hemsworth is Thor and Tom Hiddleston is incredibly talented in portraying Loki. Also Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins are among the talents in this deep yet humorous piece.

And it all comes together in the epic film The Avengers (2012) directed by Joss Whedon. He has made the most incredible job of bringing huge superhero characters together in one fantastic story. It's a huge production but it's all kept together brilliantly. It's also highly entertaining, contains epic battles and fantastic dialogue as well as great one-liners. All in all this one is a must see!