After the solid achievement that was "Iron Man," many hoped that the follow-up would not only exceed expectations but prove to be a transcendent follow-up the way "The Dark Knight" had been for the Batman series. Unfortunately, "Iron Man 2" was a bust in every possible way. The central villain was one-dimensional waste of Mickey Rourke's talent. The story was a lazy excuse to setup "The Avengers." The action sequences were trite and generic. And Tony Stark's character development was non-existent.
Under the new direction of Shane Black, the expectations are once against heightened for "Iron Man 3" with hopes that the sequel would correct the errors of its predecessor. Does it succeed? Barely.
First off, credit must be given where it is due. "Iron Man 3" is lots of fun. From the opening moment where Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) flubs his voiceover before restarting to the post-credit reveal, the film is an adrenaline rush that will keep the viewer glued to the screen. The CGI action sequences are enthralling and the never-ending one-liners are delivered to perfection. Black shows an ability to subvert the viewer's expectations at every turn (including a well-executed twist on the Mandarin) and keeps the audience constantly wondering in what direction the film will head.
Unfortunately, "Iron Man 3" never really gets anywhere. All of the glitz of the visual effects and the brilliance of the comic timing ultimately becomes little more than fluff when the viewer comes to realize that the entire story is full of convoluted plot holes and manipulation.
Stark suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and at a few points in the film he goes into a physiological crisis at the mention of "New York." What does that mean you might ask? If the viewer has entered the theater without watching "The Avengers" then he or she will NEVER understand or connect with this emotional crisis. The dialogue throws a few hints about the "aliens" and the "man coming out of the sky with a hammer (Thor for those who don't know)," but if the viewer has not seen the film, then forget about making any sense of Stark's big problem. Anyways, the mogul has locked himself away in his basement building Iron Man suits, presumably to prepare for another alien invasion. His obsessive work has caused him to lose sleep and has estranged his relationship with his beloved girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).
Suddenly, a terrorist called The Mandarin appears and threatens to continue bombing American cities unless... he never really says what he wants. He just states that he hates Americans and presumably wants what all Middle Eastern terrorists want; he's really little more than a stereotype in this regard. In any case, Stark stays out of the fight with the Mandarin, until a reporter asks him about his thoughts on the murderer. In a split moment, Stark threatens the man and tells him his home address. A few scenes later, Stark's home gets blown up and the hero hits his low point. This development actually feels rather rapid and sudden; almost as if the writers realized that the story was going nowhere and needed a major earth-shattering turning point to pump life back into its sagging narrative. The sense of empathy for Stark's "downfall" feels empty as a result despite the fantastic visuals of the house crumbling. After much CGI panache, Stark winds up in a rural American town with a malfunctioning suit; the world supposedly thinks him dead. Then he meets a young boy and starts building himself back up to stop the Mandarin and save the world.
The story progresses as one might expect with a few twists (including the aforementioned Mandarin sequence) but a number of major plot points are glossed over. The film's MacGuffin is a new biological creation known as Extremis. It enables a part of the brain to heal wounds of its hosts in seconds, seemingly making them immortal. As utilized by The Mandarin, Extremis essentially creates super-soldiers than can breathe fire and have all sorts of advanced physical reflexes. Black and fellow screenwriter Drew Pearce are excruciatingly inconsistent with this plot device. If a host's body cannot withstand the insertion of Extremis, then they blowup. Presumably, they need some sort of "medication" to continue with the process; this is hinted at in one scene, but is never fully developed. If the host accepts the Extremis than any assault on his/her body will be null and void. In essence, if someone chops off the arm of the host, then the Extremis will automatically regenerate the amputated limb within seconds. More interestingly, a few of the hosts survive explosions late in the film; this prompts the question of how to "defeat" or kill them? The inconsistency lies here as there is never any really comprehensible portrayal or depiction. Iron Man blows one up one host in one scene and shoots another in the chest in a latter scene. The climax provides an unsatisfactory resolution to the entire problem and makes the conclusion to this conflict hollow and frustrating.
Then comes the issue of the film's other central antogonist Killian Aldrich (Guy Pearce). Early in the film, the viewer watches him get rejected by Stark in a business proposal. He eventually rises to power and seems to be after Stark's money to help with his initiative. Later on, he does not seem to need it anymore. More importantly, the reveal of his master plan winds up being as one-dimensional as any super villain: world domination. The motives? None are really given; it is almost as if the writers took the viewer for granted in this regard and simply expected him/her to accept anything without comprehension.
Fortunately, Robert Downey Jr. brings his A-Game and continues his unpredictable turn as the eccentric Stark. The deliveries of the one-liners are always unpredictable and his clumsiness keeps the film light and energetic. Ben Kingsley clocks in less than a half-hour of screen time, but he is electric in every second he is present. It is hard to really elaborate on the brilliance on his performance without giving away the entire film, but his switch from the dark and dreary to the comic is fascinating. The supporting cast members including Paltrow, Pearce, Jon Favreau, and Rebecca Hall bring solid performances despite their often undeveloped nature.
Those looking for sheer escapist entertainment will find a lot to savor in "Iron Man 3." The film is far superior to "Iron Man 2" thanks to its blend of engaging comedy, inventive action sequences, and standout performances. However, those hoping to see Hollywood improve upon the solid storytelling foundation started by the first "Iron Man" will be disappointed that the mistakes of its immediate predecessor remain unlearned in this film.