By and large I am not a fan of superhero movies. En masse they are colorful, action-filled entertainments, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But few of them, for me, elevate themselves to something greater. I suppose that is why I was so happily surprised by the first Iron Man (2008), which introduced and unleashed brash billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) on the world. While the climactic battle between Stark as Iron Man and Obadiah Stone (Jeff Bridges) as a bigger, badder villain was unexceptional, I really, really enjoyed the earlier parts of the film. Tony Stark is a wonderfully flawed character, crackling with irony and brilliance, and I cannot imagine any other actor in the role. Whatever Downey does for the rest of his career, he will, I think, always be known as Tony Stark / Iron Man first and foremost.
Iron Man 2 (2010) was interesting but more depressing than exhilarating, and I feared that the series was heading the way most movie series eventually go — into the proverbial toilet. Then came Marvel’s The Avengers (2012), which was great sloppy fun, and now Iron Man 3, which, in its way, is almost as good as the first one.
First off, Shane Black’s film is seriously funny. The fate of the free world may be in the balance, but one of Tony Stark’s trademarks is to laugh off the danger, and he does so here with élan. His badinage with an adolescent boy in Tennessee (Ty Simpkins) is clever, cruel and hilarious; his banter with girlfriend / business partner Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is ironic, tinged with remorse and yet still funny, too. Even the bad guys get great lines. One henchman, facing death or serious injury at the hands of Stark, yells “Don’t shoot! Seriously, I don’t even like working here! They are so weird!”
Even when the plot thickens into syrup when people who can burn things by heating themselves to extreme temperatures go after Stark, and the U.S. president, the film revels in having fun and not taking things super-seriously. There are enough off-the-cuff lines, in-jokes and pop culture references that multiple viewings (or hearings) may be required to catch all of them. Perhaps they dampen the film’s timelessness, but they make audiences pay attention and reward viewers at opportune moments.
Ultimately the film works because of the Tony Stark and Pepper Potts characters. They continue to evolve, both singly, and within a meaningful relationship, and witnessing that evolution is a treat when staged within an action-oriented movie. Other superheroes will come and go; I hope the Iron Man franchise will continue as long as it can deliver movies as good as the first one, The Avengers, and Iron Man 3. Long live Tony Stark! ☆ ☆ ☆. 16 May 2013.