Iron Man 3 Movie Review 0 1083

Iron Man 3 movie review
There’s little denying that Joss Whedon set the bar for Marvel movies, perhaps even all superhero blockbusters, when he brought together the heroes from the previous films for The Avengers. Combining a near-perfect mix of action and humour – giving at least the major characters their due as far as screen time goes – it was a blistering blockbuster that ticked a lot of boxes.
So how could Shane Black, taking over Iron Man directing duties from Jon Favreau, possibly top that Avengers triumph with the third film? The truth is he hasn’t but it pleases this reviewer greatly to say that it’s not that far off.
Picking up not long after the events of The Avengers, we follow Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) as panic attacks caused by those events hinder his ability to get on with life with his now-girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). At the same time he is faced with a dangerous new foe in the form of The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley), the tyrant head of an international terrorist organization wreaking havoc wherever he goes.
Much of the success of this third Iron Man outing – the series’ most ponderous, meaningful and weighty installment – is how Black and co. treat it as its own beast. Unlike Iron Man 2, which felt rather like one huge set-up to the big team up movie, this is a singular affair with a point.
It still carries things on from what’s come before, with even repeated mentions of what happened in New York and how the wormhole Tony fell through may have affected his well-being, but is very much focused on its own plots. You might wonder why he doesn’t just call on the help of his newfound super-powered buddies but that would be missing the point – this is Iron Man’s story, not The Avengers 2 (that comes later!).
The presence of Black (well-loved for the Lethal Weapon franchise and the quick-witted Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) is extremely evident on both a directorial and a script-writing front. While a serious, even solemn feature at times, his action sequences are inventive, exciting and genuinely awe-inspiring with each one there for a purpose rather than just as spectacle in the way that was detrimental to the second film. An aerial rescue just about steals the show while a fairly early sequence involving Tony’s idyllic, high-tech home getting attacked by the tyrannical Mandarin is as visually fantastic as it is genuinely threatening. Rather surprisingly you feel like Tony just might not get out of this one intact.
Speaking of which, a big theme of the film is Tony’s mental state. To paraphrase, he is a billionaire who has the perfect life keeping people safe with his super-powered suit – so why can’t he sleep? He’s a reflective, damaged hero completely out in the open, quite literally bringing danger to his own doorstep because of his showiness. Much of why the film pulls off this rather bold move is Downey Jr’s performance, who really steps it up from the first two to go beyond the simple quips and cocky charm that have become his trademark.

Iron Man 3 movie review2

Nevertheless the film never forgets to have fun both with its action sequences and dialogue infused with just the right amount of humour and references (including a running gag about Downton Abbey of all things) without going overboard. Along with co-writer Drew Pearce, Black has delivered a rather brilliant superhero script that finds the right balance between a lot of things; humour and action, (soap-opera) drama and spectacle, continuing the larger story and making it feel a film all its own. Even the potentially cheesy inclusion of a boy who acts as a sort of sidekick to Tony for a chunk of the movie feels justified – on paper that shouldn’t work but it does.
The film is also pleasingly free of predictability. Even in its seemingly straight-forward villains and the inevitable twists-and-turns thereof it has the amazing ability to catch you by surprise. That’s no easy feat considering this is the third in the series and the umpteenth Marvel sequel, including the follow-up to what was the superhero movie to beat all others. It’s not the best Marvel effort but it comes a close 2nd.
Filling its supporting cast with genuinely great actors, it rarely skips on giving the characters a meaningful reason to be there. Kingsley is something of a wonder as The Mandarin, menacing and charismatic as a character prescient if not entirely realistic (but hey, who needs realism?). Superhero movies are almost always only as strong as their villain and on that front this is a rousing success.
You can just tell that Guy Pearce is having an absolute ball playing the half charming-half slimy Aldrich Killian, a rival scientist who enters the story in flashback as a weedy man trying to get Tony to help his company. Don Cheadle is a lot of fun as Colonel Rhodes-turned-War Machine (or Iron Patriot as he now likes to be called), donning a stars-and-stripes version of the Iron Man suit. Even Paltrow, relegated to light-hearted scenes with Tony in the previous films, gets a lot more to do here and the film is all the better for it. Only Rebecca Hall, playing one of Tony’s former associates, doesn’t serve as much of a purpose as you’d hope. It’s not Hall’s fault, who is fine, but rather a case of her character getting lost in the shuffle. But this is ultimately a minor quibble in an otherwise brilliantly realized superhero adventure.
Marvel continue their winning streak and stay on the Avengers high with an Iron Man installment that is as fun as it is dramatically mature. Black’s presence is felt in every aspect of the slick, polished sequel even managing to carry on the astute mix of humour and spectacle so perfectly conjured by Whedon last summer. Iron Man 3 is loud and bombastic but also measured and lean, making for a thoroughly entertaining romp with a lot of meat on the bone.

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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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Tolkien Biopic to Be Released in May 0 5291

10th May, 2019 is when Tolkien will be released to the world, an autobiographical film that will revolve around the early days of legendary author J.R.R. Tolkien before he became the literary giant that he is today.

Here on Thoughts on Film we are big fans of his work and the recent films made by Peter Jackson. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), are responsible for originating a universe that has gone on to inspire movies, animation, fiction, and modern media interpretations.



This is why Tolkien is regarded by many as the greatest fantasy author of all time. His creative stamp can be seen nearly everywhere in modern media. There’s the direct reinterpretation of his work in the recently released action roleplaying game Middle Earth: Shadow of War, where players are thrust into a major role in Tolkien’s literary canon. George R.R. Martin, who originated the now globally-popular Game of Thrones series on HBO, openly reveres LOTR as the inspiration for his work, citing the early death of Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring as having a profound effect on his “own willingness to kill characters at the drop of a hat.” On the web, more Tolkien-inspired work can be found on leading slot portal Slingo and its many online titles dedicated to the fantasy genre, including Amazon Queen, Fae Legend Warrior, and Magic Castle, all of which feature elements that can be traced back to the author’s massive body of work. Technically speaking, the same can be said of nearly every major fantasy brand out there today, from Dungeons & Dragons to Magic: the Gathering. In short, almost every type of entertainment that features western fantasy can be traced back to the works of Tolkien.

In the upcoming Tolkien movie, the man will be played by Nicholas Hoult, whom is best known for Mad Max: Fury Road and Hank McCoy in the most recent X-Men movies. And now, the actor’s versatility will be tested as he steps into the shoes of the most iconic fantasy writer of all time. Starring alongside Hoult will be the actress Lily Collins as Edith Bratt – the woman whom Tolkien loved above all and is reportedly the inspiration for all “elven princess characters” in the LOTR series.

Helming the film is director Dome Karukoski whose CV includes 2017’s Tom of Finland, a critically acclaimed chronicle of the life and works of the controversial artist of the same name. And while media outlets haven’t yet heard from either the cast, director, or crew of the film, an official synopsis of the movie has been released via Collider. “Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the “Fellowship” apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.” It sounds like a real treat for film, literature, and Middle Earth fans.

Feature: 2019 Oscar Predictions 0 4031

I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.

The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.

Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.

The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.

Best Picture

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Green Book

Lead Actor

Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Lead Actress

Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Supporting Actor

Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Supporting Actress

Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Director

Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Animated Feature

Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Adapted Screenplay

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: BlacKkKlansman

Original Screenplay

Want to win: First Reformed
Will win: The Favourite

Cinematography

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Documentary Feature

Want to win: Free Solo
Will win: Minding the Gap

Foreign Language Film

Want to win: Roma
Will win: Roma

Film Editing

Want to win: BlacKkKlansman
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Editing

Want to win: A Quiet Place
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Sound Mixing

Want to win: A Star is Born
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Production Design

Want to win: Roma
Will win: The Favourite

Original Score

Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Will win: Black Panther

Original Song

Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)

Makeup and Hair

Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots
Will win: Vice

Costume Design

Want to win: Black Panther
Will win: The Favourite

Visual Effects

Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War
Will win: Ready Player One

Animated Short

Want to win: Bao
Will win: Bao

Live Action Short

Want to win: Marguerite
Will win: Marguerite

Documentary Short Subject

Want to win: Black Sheep
Will win: Lifeboat

Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.

Roll on Sunday!