Iron Man 3 – Comic reality in a suit

If you don’t have a sense of humor, this movie is not for you. You will need a lot of it. Plus if you didn’t love the comic books as much as I did, and you don’t have the sort of girlfriend I have, see this movie alone.

Finally, if you are going to watch this movie at the Silverbird Cinema in Accra, get a good seat; preferably somewhere in the middle of the hall where you feel you are the centre of the world.

Now to the review (of sorts)

A great action movie with enough flicks, guns, stunts and near impossible and yet expected one-liners to last you a lifetime.

So in the third installment of this childhood comic hero movie, Tony Stark, played once again by Robert Downey Jr., returns after helping to defeat the enemies of earth in the Avengers. (Tony Stark is a weapons manufacturer who learns to give back to humanity after an electromagnet is plugged into his chest.)

This edition of the famous movie franchise however shows the frailties of the man in the iron suit. It shows a man suffering from panic attacks which almost takes the life of his dear wife Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Palthrow. It shows a man who more than once, doubts his own abilities as a super hero and as provider for his home.

There are a few surprises however, that you almost wouldn’t see coming in this movie. First of all is the role played by Sir Ben Kingsley as the famous Mandarin. Whatever you do, ignore the obvious truth that will hit you once his true identity is revealed. Secondly, try not to be amazed by his eccentric and ‘super villain’ role. He plays it superbly. For the record, The Mandarin is a mash-up of Western fears. Part al Qaeda, part anarchist, he does one thing extremely well: he hates America.

The second is the fantastic setup that makes the movie. Tony Stark is taken out of element and he is free to veer away from the swagger-like playboy self. You would love the mano-a-mano confrontation as well and the fact that he gets beaten up pretty well. You see him taking matters into his own hands and ditches most of the hi-tech machines and gets dirty the old-fashioned way.

The action sequences, on the other hand, are a master class in execution. From the Malibu attack to the moment when a fleet of Iron Man suits show up ready to tussle, the battles and visual effects are crisp, visceral, and most of all fun.

 The Other Side

The movie look and feel like an action movie, but one from the 1980s or early ‘90s. If anything, the biggest problem with Iron Man 3 is the issue of the villain.

Make no mistake: Sir Kingsley is one of the best parts of the film. You will love him. The film never really ends up delivering on the promise the initial setup makes, and though you will be left flustered sometimes, you might be left wondering “what could have been?”

Guy Pearce, who plays think tank founder Aldrich Killian, is both a slick businessman and angry geek, and though all through the movie he tries to be the part, you almost feel something is missing with him.

The jokes get old as well in this one and so stay on the alert all through.

All in all, just remember to have fun in the cinema when you eventually go and see it.