Rob:
Finally! A movie meant to star Robert Downey Jr that DOES star Robert Downey Jr!
Kym:
He's had a 500+ million dollar movie every year for five years, and he's back for number six! We missed you, Downey!
Rob:
Nobody balances 'funny', 'arrogant', and 'painfully haunted' as well as Robert Downey Jr can, all the while giving great improvised lines and amazing expressions. I don't care how much he's making, the man deserves another raise!
(I'm sure he'll find something to spend the money on)
Kym:
Some say Iron Man 3 is the best Marvel movie so far, but I'm not sure about that. Sorry Downey, we both loved IM3, but nothing comes close to the Avengers.
Rob:
Not that I hold it against them. The Avengers is arguably the greatest action-spectacle-summer blockbuster of all time, whereas Iron Man 3 is more character driven, and focused upon Tony Stark alone.
Kym:
Luckily, they have Robert Downey Jr to fill those big red and gold titanium-alloy shoes! This is the sort of movie that lives or dies by how good an actor you have in the main role. When so many of the scenes in the movie revolve around a single character, you have to be sure the actor playing the part is a Downey Jr., and not a James Franco.
(Choose wisely. Sam Raimi didn't.)
Rob:
Onto special effects, and as usual, Disney pulled out all the stops to make sure the effects were some of the best ever filmed! Despite relying heavily on green screens and CGI, it never feels fake. It's a very fine line, and they walk it beautifully.
(The Hobbits weren't as lucky. Might as well be standing in front of a matte painting.)
Kym:
My favorite over the top moment IM3 was the epic arrival of the toy commercial...I MEAN the "House Party" army of unique Iron Men suits to save the day! The result is an amazing climax sure to please every 8 year old boy that whined until their parents took them to see a PG-13 movie!
Rob:
Coincidentally, the movie's target demographic.
(In stores now!)
Kym:
Iron Man 3 also works well for adults interested in story and character, as the movie focuses a lot on the accumulated damage to Tony Stark's psyche, resulting in what is clearly PTSD, which has been known to happen after kidnapping, torture, explosions, your best friend betraying you....
Rob:
Your other best friend betraying you, Mickey Rourke showing up with cyber whips, getting hit in the head with legendary hammers after you make "Shakespeare in the park" comments...
Kym:
Disappointing sequels, intergalactic war, and of course HULKS.
(Pictured Above: Stressful work environment)
Rob:
Watching Tony work through it all may slow the movie down a little, but it adds a lot of depth to his character, and really helps the movie rise above your average superhero action flick.
Kym:
Of course it's not all about Downey. Gwyneth Paltrow really gets the chance to shine.
Rob:
Yup! The top comes off!
Kym:
For the love of...I was referring to Pepper Pots kicking ass in the action sequences!
(Much better)
Rob:
And just when you think she's done, at the movie's premier, the sides came off!
(MUCH better)
Kym:
Are you done being lecherous, dearest?
Rob:
Never!
Kym:
Turnabout's fair play, dear.
Rob:
Alright, we better stop, or this'll just start looking like our Pinterest boards.
Kym:
Of course all of Tony's friends show up as well. Colonel Rhodes gets plenty of great screen time as War Machine (ignoring the Iron Patriot name change), Happy has some great scenes, and Jarvis is as dry and sarcastic as ever. One thing bugs me about Jarvis though.
Rob:
Which is?
Kym:
Where is he? I mean, where is the computer program located?
Rob:
Well its...uh...sort of...huh. You know, I'm not sure. Maybe it's sort of Skynet-ish, hopping from computer to computer over Tony's network.
Kym:
If that's the case, then why wasn't he constantly connected to Pepper after the house blew up?
Rob:
Huh. You know, they never really explain Jarvis very well. It's possible he's only in the suits and Tony's garage. Of course, you wonder why Tony doesn't expand on his AI research. It's arguably an even bigger deal than the suits.
(I don't like where this is going)
Kym:
I also really enjoyed the young boy that befriends Stark while the billionaire genius is down on his luck. Downey and the young actor (Ty Simpkins) had a lot of great chemistry, and Downey keeps playing Stark as a sarcastic jerk, even when dealing with kids. Regardless, the pair develops a believable friendship that adds even more depth to the film and Tony's character.
(Iron Man 4 pretty much writes itself)
Rob:
If Iron Man 3 has any overt weaknesses, it's that at its core, the story and plot twist are both very similar to that in...oh wait, I almost forgot:
SPOILERS BELOW!!!
Rob:
Iron Man 3's plot is VERY similar to Debbie Does Dallas.
(Why Mr. Stark, I'd do ANYTHING to be your new secretary...)
Kym:
*Ugh* You're as classy as ever, dearest...not that I wouldn't put that past Tony. At least before Iron Man 2.
(Pepper ain't puttin' up with that crap no more)
Rob:
Seriously though, the only real weakness the movie has is that the story, plot twist, and main villain are very similar to that in Iron Man 1. A war profiteering millionaire uses terrorists as his pawns, to both feed his insatiable greed, and hide his own supervillainy nature.
(Jeff Bridges really let himself go.)
Kym:
Despite the twist being similar, I think it's pulled off much better here than in previous movies. In fact, the "Surprise! THIS is the REAL main villain" plot twist has been in nearly every superhero movie in recent memory.
Rob:
Iron Man 1, Thor, Incredible Hulk, Batman Begins, Dark Knight Rises...
Kym:
Ugh...don't remind me about Dark Knight Rises and Bane. They spend the whole movie showing how invincible and scary Bane is, only to reveal...
(I'm a glorified sidekick with no ideas of my own, my weakness is my face, and I wear pink dresses!)
Rob:
Yeah, Bane really wussed out on us.
Kym:
Iron Man 3 is a far has a far more interesting take on the twist, and it's revealed early enough in the movie that it isn't disappointing at all. It's less like Dark Knight Rises and more like Batman Begins. It isn't that the Mandarin isn't the villain, it's that the Mandarin isn't who you thought it was.
Rob:
All in all, any complaints are just small nitpicky issues. Despite the similarities to Iron Man 1,it still manages to be an amazing action movie, with quite a few shocks that took us both by surprise!
Kym
The Mandarin's attacks on Tony escalate so quickly, and so intensely, that the audience is just as shocked and off guard as our heroes are! This is all a part of showing the fallout that Tony Stark's arrogance brings. Not only did he tell the world he's Iron Man, but he gave the Mandarin his home address, and dared him to come and fight!
(Wow. Glad he didn't double dog dare him.)
Rob:
We see Tony Stark weak, beaten down, but never truly defeated. His resourcefulness, and ability to hold his own even outside of his suit really shows that he doesn't need his suit to be great. He saves the day, we get a mega happy ending, and he achieved most of it outside his suit.
Kym:
Not only is Tony a playboy, genius, billionaire, and philanthropist, but he's also truly a Super Hero, and he doesn't need a robotic suit to prove it! He's all grown up emotionally (took him long enough) and he truly IS Iron Man.
Rob:
Although the Disney toy & merchandising department would really appreciate it if he kept using the suits.
(Pretty please? Sugar on top?)
Kym:
Speaking of that, with Tony Stark's personal journey complete, the question everyone's asking is if Disney's going to let this be the end of Iron Men movies, or at least ones starring Robert Downey Jr.
Rob:
I don't think there's any question that Downey will be back for the Avengers movies. No offense to the other actors and actresses in the series, but the movies wouldn't be the same without him.
(Also not pictured: about $400 million gross revenue)
Kym:
Personally, I don't think replacing him with another actor is doable either. It's not like James Bond where you can switch actors, it's more like Indiana Jones. There's only one actor who can truly play the part.
Rob:
What we're trying to say is, Robert Downey Jr. should be James Bond in the next movie.
Kym:
YES.
(No, I said shaken and not stirred...you know what? Hell with it, gimmie both.)
Rob's rating: A-
Kym's rating: Buy on Blu-ray as soon as it's out!
...
(Kym: So how much money has Iron Man 3 made so far?)
(Rob: All of it.)
(Kym: All the money?)
(Rob: Yup, every country in the world is owned by Disney now.)
(Kym: Neat!)
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