Marvel Cinematic Universe: IRON MAN 3

 In eager anticipation of Marvel Studios' AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, I'm re-watching every entry in the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" (MCU) thus far, from IRON MAN to GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, and then sharing my views on each one as a film and within the context of the MCU and movie landscape.  At the end of each essay is a list of "Easter eggs" that connect the pertinent film to other films in the wider MCU, and a "Top 5" of the best five parts (a scene, concept, actor, character, etc.) in each movie.  Following MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS, the end game of "Phase 1", IRON MAN 3 opens Phase 2, to prove that there's still places to go even after the biggest battles have been fought.  [Please note, this review contains spoilers].

IRON MAN 3
Released 3 May 2013
Directed by Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Paul Bettany (voice), William Sadler, Ty Simpkins, Dale Dickey
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content.
130 minutes 
Merit: 3/4
A year after the Battle of New York, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, faces his personal demons as his past catches up with him.  When a terrorist kingpin tears Tony's world apart, he is forced to rediscover himself, stranded in rural Tennessee and naught but his wits to rely on, while fighting off a series of super-powered soldiers linked to a terrorist conspiracy.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe feels different with IRON MAN 3.  It's the beginning of what Marvel Studios calls "Phase 2" (the six movies that came before comprising Phase 1), and with the previous goal of building to MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS already accomplished, IRON MAN 3 is more responsive in its storytelling than the heavily expository IRON MAN 2.  IRON MAN 3 is more complex and stylish than the previous Iron Man films as well, but despite plenty of humor and sharp wit in the trademark director/co-writer Shane Black style, it lacks the sense of fun that Favreau's direction had.
Released a year after THE AVENGERS, the same amount of time has passed in the timeline of the events in IRON MAN 3, but Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is still shaken from the experience of coming so close to death in the Battle of New York.  He rarely sleeps, spends most of his time working, building a vast array of specialized Iron Man suits, and he has anxiety attacks at the very mention of New York.  During this time, a terrorist called the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) has been claiming responsibility for random violent explosions all across the United States.  When one such blast lands an old friend in the hospital, Tony issues a personal threat to the Mandarin, who responds by destroying Tony's Malibu mansion.  Tony narrowly escapes but is left stranded in rural Tennessee with only a damaged armor suit, his wits and a few clues to uncovering the mystery to the Mandarin's randomized and untraceable attacks.
The best part about IRON MAN 3 is also, arguably, the worst part about it.  The primary antagonist of the movie is presented as the Mandarin, Iron Man's arch nemesis from the comics, played by legendary character actor Ben Kingsley.  The Mandarin is to Iron Man what the Joker is to Batman, but the character who first appeared in 1964 is a dated, politically-incorrect caricature left over from the cold war.  In IRON MAN 3, the Mandarin is not actually Chinese (Kingsley himself is British of Indian/European descent), but his wardrobe is assembled from a variety of Eastern motifs, including Chinese.  He is poised to be an apex villain, an amalgamation of modern terrorist warlords to be Iron Man's greatest challenge ever.  About halfway through the film, Tony discovers the source of the Mandarin's broadcasts in Miami.  Storming his headquarters, Tony discovers a series of scantily-clad women when none other than the Mandarin comes out of a bathroom using his ornate cloak to fan the air behind him, saying "I wouldn't go in there for twenty minutes!"  Like that, the illusion is destroyed.  The supposed Mandarin reveals himself to be Trevor Slattery, British actor and drug addict, who Advanced Ideas Mechanics (AIM) founder Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) has hired to be a fictional terrorist to claim responsibility for the unplanned explosions caused by AIM's experimental Extremis virus, Extremis being yet another Super-Soldier attempt, but one which has explosive results when the body rejects it.  Trevor Slattery is the kind of plot twist that makes me question the spoiling nature of "spoilers", because sometimes a twist in a movie is so insane and unpredictable that it leaves the viewer scrambling for the remainder of the movie.  Once you know the twist, on repeat viewings, it goes down a lot smoother.  It took balls though.

[In a "Marvel One Shot" short film called ALL HAIL THE KING attached to the home release of THOR: THE DARK WORLD and directed by IRON MAN 3 co-writer Drew Pearce, continues Slattery's story in prison and provides an opening for a more sincere incarnation of the Mandarin to make an appearance in later films.]
The thing about IRON MAN 3 is that it likes to thrill-kill your expectations, not always for the worse, and not always for the better.  There are at least a few "pulling the rug out from under your feet" moments, and while Marvel continues to avoid killing off any noteworthy characters, this movie has some very substantial developments for the Iron Man character (although no IRON MAN 4 is currently in official development, Downey is currently filming a substantial part in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, due out in 2016, and is contracted to appear in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR PART 1 in 2018 and AVENGERS INFINITY WAR PART 2 in 2019).  As per the Extremis-inspired plot line from the comics, Iron Man's armor is now considerably more powerful, with remote control capabilities such as Tony being able to bring it to him remotely from great distances, and to operate the unmanned suit remotely.  The unmanned armor possibilities are troubling, potentially removing Tony from threat to easily, but the remote suiting-up is a fun advance to the tech.  An even bigger progression, and more frustrating, is Tony finally having the shrapnel, and arc reactor that keeps it from entering his heart, removed.  I'm not against the notion at all, but method is hugely dissatisfying.  It's merely addressed in narration over an epilogue montage, leaving us to wonder if it was possible and as easy as all that, why the hell didn't he get it removed before?  An exclusive four minutes of footage was included in the Chinese version of the film, featuring Chinese actors Xueqi Wang (who appears very briefly in the regular release as the doctor operating on Tony) and Bingbing Fan (who later appeared in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST as Blink), along with some Chinese product placement, includes a moment between the doctors discussing the risk of the operation.  This at least acknowledges the significance of this development, but even then fails to set up why this option that we were led to believe was nonexistent is suddenly open.  In voice-over narration, Stark almost spitefully remarks, "Some people say progress is a bad thing, but try having a magnet in your chest keeping you alive."  The problem isn't the change though.  The problem is lacking an established explanation for this change.

Directed by Shane Black from a script co-written with British TV comedy writer Drew Pearce, IRON MAN 3 is one of the few movies of the MCU that resembles the product of a director.  The MCU has become noted for downplaying directorial influence, for better or worse, in favor of a more far reaching vision on behalf of the studio.  Director Louis Leterrier and star/co-writer Edward Norton clashed with Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige over editing THE INCREDIBLE HULK, and director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey, Jr. collided with Marvel over the plot direction of IRON MAN 2.  THE AVENGERS, written and directed by Joss Whedon, marked an increase in directorial authorship of a Marvel film, and remains one of the few "director films" of the MCU, but Whedon isn't quite as distinct a voice as Black.  IRON MAN 3 is only Black's second film as a director, following the excellent but largely overlooked 2005 crime-comedy-noir KISS KISS BANG BANG (which also starred Robert Downey, Jr. in one of his first major post-rehab leading roles).  Black's career as a writer is more prolific, including his breakthrough screenplay LETHAL WEAPON, as well as THE LAST BOY SCOUT and THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT; noteworthy for his tongue-in-cheek style of buddy action movies.  Among the more prominent trademarks he brings with him to IRON MAN 3 are the Christmastime setting (also used for LETHAL WEAPON and KISS KISS BANG BANG), and the unreliable narrator device, with IRON MAN 3 being the only MCU movie to date with narration.  The clever justification for Tony Stark's narration within the context of the MCU is given in the form of a post-credits stinger where Tony has been unloading the whole story on Bruce Banner, a cameo by Mark Ruffalo, continuing their friendship from THE AVENGERS.  IRON MAN 3 is a much more independent film than the majority of the MCU, functioning largely outside the context and style of other installments, an interesting turn after THE AVENGERS proved how exciting the interwoven Marvel universe could be, but also refreshingly intimate.  IRON MAN 3 doesn't have the rock soundtrack of the previous two, and in Black's fashion, it's hard-boiled, notably darker in tone, but never fully committed to that, which works for good and bad.  Black has a tendency to distance himself from any real sentiment, which he does through his tongue-in-cheek humor, and although it gives the darkness a sense of levity, his acerbic approach often serves to evade emotional weight.  He teases with a little bit of feeling and then dumps a dollop of cynicism on top, lest the audience get too comfortable or invested.  It's also the substance of his wit, and while it's usually intellectually stimulating, it can be emotionally alienating.

The change of pace, not only for the MCU but superhero blockbusters in general, is refreshing though, and most of the film is differentiated by Black's style and a more intimate journey for it's hero.  I'm a little iffy on the glowing Extremis monster people, it feels a bit like low-rent horror visuals to me, but I can live with it.  Toward the conclusion however is where the story really struggles, descending into bombastic mayhem in the climactic action, which feels unfortunate in light of what came before, but in comparison to the dreadful MAN OF STEEL which followed the same summer, it at least has some finesse to it.  The "Clean Slate" program is strange, suggesting a permanence that obviously won't last into Iron Man's next big screen outing, but I like the fireworks-style display.
As far as we know, IRON MAN 3 is the conclusion of the character's solo arc in the MCU, with Downey having just turned 50 this month.  IRON MAN 3 marked the end of Downey's original contract with Marvel, but following prolonged negotiations, Downey was signed on for AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and a third Avengers film, although with the third Avengers, titled AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, now being made in two parts, it's unclear if Downey is on board for both parts.  However, last fall it was announced that Downey will reprise the character in a major supporting role for CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR in May 2016, which is an extremely exciting prospect.  No solo outing for Iron Man is expected again anytime soon, but he'll be around for at least a while longer in the wider MCU.

Easter Eggs to Look for:

• Reference to MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS: Being the first follow-up to THE AVENGERS in the MCU, of course there are going to be some references, but they're largely obvious and even part of the IRON MAN 3 plot, including Stark's PTSD symptoms following the Battle of New York, with brief archive footage from THE AVENGERS.
• Reference to MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS: The post-credits stinger features a cameo by Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner, alter ego of the Hulk, reprising the role from THE AVENGERS, in which Banner and Stark became friends.
• Reference to THOR: Aldrich Killian refers to events in THOR when he says, "Ever since that big dude with a hammer fell out of the sky, subtlety's kinda had its day."
• Reference to CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER: Extremis is briefly identified as yet another attempt at creating a "Super-Soldier", like the serum that made Steve Rogers in Captain America in THE FIRST AVENGER, and like Bruce Banner was trying to create in the accident that made him the Hulk as recounted in THE INCREDIBLE HULK.  The Mandarin, aka Trevor Slattery, also has a tattoo on the back of his neck of Cap's shield, but with an anarchy symbol at the center.
• Reference to IRON MAN: The symbols in the Mandarin broadcasts appeared in the first IRON MAN as symbols of the terrorist organization called the Ten Rings, intended as a reference to the Mandarin character noted for his ten rings from which he derives his supernatural abilities in the comic books.
• Reference to IRON MAN: Shaun Toub makes a brief cameo reprising his role as Yinsen, who performs a life-saving operation on Stark and helps him construct the prototype Iron Man suit in the first IRON MAN film, introducing himself to Stark in the 1999 New Year's Eve party.  This calls back to line from IRON MAN, when Yinsen tells Stark, "We met, you know, in a technical conference in Bern." 
  

Top 5 of IRON MAN 3 

1. "I wouldn't go in there go twenty minutes!"- In the process of absolutely murdering our anticipations, for better or worse, IRON MAN 3 also has the most insane bait-and-switch ever in blockbuster filmmaking.  Later, when Tony orders Trevor Slattery's bedmates to go hide in the bathroom, in the background you can hear a disgusted "Ew!"
2. Tony Goes MacGyver- Stranded with a malfunctioning armor suit low on power, Tony storms into the Mandarin's headquarters using homemade explosives made with Christmas ornaments.
3. Ben Kingsley- Just everything Ben Kingsley does in this film, from the flamboyant think tank-designed terrorist warlord to the goofy washed-up actor, is wonderful.
4. Prologue in Switzerland, 1999- The drama, the setup and the nostalgia of regretted events on New Year's Eve 1999, a fresh start started all too wrong, with Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" blaring on the soundtrack.
5. "Walk away from that..."- Iron Man takes down Killian's main henchman, Savin (James Badge Dale), by removing his chest.

Images via Marvel Studios