Iron Man 3

When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

The Marvel universe in cinema these days is extensive, taking in a number of characters. By and large, you have a rough idea of what you're going to get when preparing for the latest addition. Iron Man 3 doesn't mark a major departure and offers precisely what you'd expect of both a Marvel film and the franchise so far. Wall-to-wall action and pithy one-liners are the order of the day and make for pure popcorn entertainment, though its real strength arguably lies in its star. However, this is not to say it's without its flaws. 

I'm unsure of how many Robert Downey, Jr. haters there actually are out there, but I've always been a huge fan. For me, his sense of comic timing, delivery, and reaction are some of the best in the business and, given the right material, can raise a laugh almost at will. This film revels in his ability and contains more than enough to keep the mood fairly light whilst emphasising the character's best known traits to the full.

The performances range from average to very good indeed, with Ben Kingsley being a particular highlight. His range in the film is not only one of the most memorable aspects of the picture, but also of his recent career. Much like Christopher Walken, he doesn't appear to be a man who says 'no' that often when chosen for a role, which can result in some decidedly dodgy credits to his name. Guy Pearce also stands out in a few scenes, but on the whole it doesn't come close to his best work like Lawless, or Memento.

As far as the action is concerned, it's impressive, and noticeably ups the ante from the first two films in the series. Effects too are superb and not as CGI-heavy as one might expect. Suit animations are obviously going to be rendered digitally, but some skillful use of both miniatures and truckloads of pyrotechnics avoid the awful video game look that has befallen some of the other big franchises of late (Die Hard, I'm looking at you).

The movie's most pronounced weaknesses are to be found in the evil scheme that is central to the plot. The minor twists that overlay it do a lot to distract from its run-of-the-mill nature, but never cleared my mind of it completely. It's more than reminiscent of narratives that you will have come across many, many times before. Though this was a constant source of slight discomfort during the film, it largely serves to propel the action sequences (as is usual for the genre), and doesn't drastically detract from the enjoyment factor.

The Verdict:

7/10
Delivers exactly what you would expect of the franchise, upping the ante in the action stakes and providing for pure popcorn entertainment.