Movie Review - Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 (finally) releases in the US in two days. It's about time. The rest of the world has seen it already. Are you excited?

I was blessed to be able to see a special pre-release screening in Imax 3-D. I thought I'd give you my take on the movie to amp you up a little more ... which, if you're anything like my husband, you don't need. And if you're anything like me, you won't particularly care. But, for what it's worth, here are (some) of my thoughts ...

Intense. That was the word I used to describe Iron Man 3's first trailer, and it's a description that stuck through the rest of the previews as they were released. It also aptly fit the movie itself. My poor husband was a sweetheart and let me squeeze the life out of his hand throughout the movie.

For being an intense film, there was a lot of humor neatly tucked in. It's always nice to be able to break a smile and chuckle, even if the next moment you're on the edge of your seat again.

Going into the movie I was particularly interested in Tony's character development. In Iron Man we see playboy, egotistical, billionaire start his transformation into something more. In Iron Man 2 we still have a narcissist who doesn't play well with others, but he has made improvements (after all, he is in a stable-ish relationship now). In Avengers he actually takes one for the team. I mean, the guy's come a long way! Honestly, I wasn't sure -- where do you go from here? where would they go?

The one thing that couldn't happen was for Tony to stagnate. We couldn't have the Iron Man, Iron Man 2, or the Avenger's Tony. We needed more. And we get more. Tony's still Tony - there's no question, but he certainly does not disappoint in his character development.

Another key point I was interested in was the relationship between Tony and Pepper. There's a lot in the previews to keep you wondering what happens here, and I think the scriptwriters did a pretty good job of not letting things get stale. They're in a different place in life than before, and we get to see how they react to current challenges and how that affects them as a couple. When an old wanna-be suitor and a former one-night stand show up, it's bound to effect something.

I didn't miss Rhodes in Avengers. He didn't belong, but I know a lot of people did miss him, and it was nice to see him back and him and Tony working so beautifully together, as always. One man can't go up against the Mandarin (a formidable and surprising villain) alone, and even a genius-soldier team need back-up.

Oh, for all of you who are dying to know about the special effects and explosions and what not... don't worry. There's definitely enough to go around and make you very happy. I won't say I didn't think some of it was over the top, but I didn't find it so excessive that it detracted from the rest of the movie.

I think this is the best Iron Man movie yet, but it's strength lies in the fact that its number 4 (watching Avengers before you see this film is a must). For Iron Man 3 to shine, it needs the other movies.

My review in one sentence? I'm glad we get to see less of the iron, and more of the man.

3.75 of 5 stars
(For comparison, most movies don't get above 2 stars in my book.)

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