Iron Man 3 2013

    If you continue to follow this blog you will learn that I am obsessed with Marvel movies. This summer we will be seeing the sequels to Thor and Captain America, so watch out!

      First of all, if you've yet to see the latest installment in the Iron Man franchise, Iron Man 3, leave your computer and run to the nearest movie theater ASAP. 

      Usually, the second or third movie in a movie franchise is never as good as the first. But Iron Man 3 was action packed with an amazing story line. What I loved about this movie was that it focused more on Tony Stark, rather than Iron Man. I can't think of anyone else besides the incredible Robert Downey Jr (RDJ) to play Tony Stark/Iron Man. RDJ has to be one of the best things Marvel has ever done. But anyways, lets get back to the task at hand. 

      Why do I love this movie?

1. Action packed
2. The Story line
3. The focus on Tony's internal struggle
4. Character relationships

      It's no surprise that Marvel would produce an action packed thrill ride, but Iron Man 3 has been the best one yet. Through most of the movie my heart was in my throat because the action scenes were so stressful and kept me at the edge of my seat. It was crazy and unpredictable, just pure perfection. 

      The story line was great. I loved the cameo by Yinsen (the other captive in the first movie), I remember Yinsen saying that they'd met before but of course Tony didn't remember. Seeing him for that brief moment really brought a smile to my face. But the most important aspect of the story was the New Years eve party in 1999. That, in essence, was the origin of all the obstacles faced throughout the movie. If Tony had met with the disabled scientist, Aldrich Killian (who later becomes a flaming bad guy with swagger), Tony Stark could have avoided all the drama. Killian comes back with a vengeance  setting everything a flame; but he gets the Mandarin to be the face of all the chaos. Making the connections as a viewer and watching Tony Stark figure them out for himself is a great experience to have while watching a movie. 

      The last two movies were focused on Iron Man the hero, rather than Tony Stark the person. In Iron Man 3, we see his obsession with his suits in a negative light. It also seemed that he suffered from what looked like PTSD from the events we saw in the Avengers. For the first time, Tony Stark was weak, and not like when he let Pepper run Stark Industries in Iron Man 2, he was scared. Pathos, or provoking sympathy for the character, was definitely achieved. And finally, when he saved Pepper, he destroyed all the suits, which means that he can now move on and the suits aren't going to anchor him down any longer. 

      I love Pepper Potts and Tony Stark's relationship, even though it is quite unorthodox. Tony has the type of personality that makes it hard to adequately display his affection for Pepper, even though we all know he loves her more than life itself. He gave her the suit to protect her when their home was attacked and risked his life just to save her. Gwyneth Paltrow and RDJ have this wonderful chemistry that translates well onto the big screen. 
And who doesn't love JARVIS, an artificial intelligence with sarcasm, it doesn't get any better than that. When JARVIS "dies" as a result of their crash landing in Tennessee, the audience is distraught, as if an actual person has died. Especially since Jarvis is basically Tony Stark's best friend. And the new little addition, Harley, whom Tony meets in Tennessee is so cute and funny, and really contributes to the comic relief in the film. 

      Iron Man 3 was a phenomenal movie, and the fifth highest grossing film of all time; Avatar holds the number one spot. Overall, Iron Man 3 was a major success and I can't wait to see what else Marvel has to offer.

      Definitely worth watching in the theater.