Iron Man 3

In 2008, the first "Iron Man" took the world by a bit of a surprise.  With a dynamic plot, humorous moments, and a story that was true to the spirit of the comic, (if not the plot) the film shot new life into the Superhero genre as well as the career of  Robert Downey Jr. Since then, "Iron Man has been the red and gold standard that all Marvel Movies have been compared to.  Most Marvel films (especially "Iron Man 2") had fallen short until the release of "The Avengers" the last year. So you can only imagine the big, Iron shoes Iron Man 3 had to fill.

The film begins with Tony dealing with the after effects of "The Avengers." Despite his smarmy attitude, Tony is having to come to grips with the fact that, without the armor is is only a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. This vulnerable, panicky, worried Tony is a fresh look, and Downey takes in believably. When he's finally angered to act, his overconfidence costs him a lot, leaving him on the run without his wonderful toys to help him. And this is the part that really shines. We see Tony truly redeem himself. We see why he's really a hero, and what it really means to be a super-genius in a superhero world.

Much like "Iron Man 2", "3" has to deal with a flood of new secondary characters. Thankfully, unlike 3, we only really have to see how they interact with Tony. No dwelling on Mickey Rourke brooding over his motivations that really, we couldn't care less about. Guy Pearce makes for a great villain. One that's not simply greedy, or power hungry, but one is willing to take his time to make everything work. In the first film Stane represented the old school, hoping to feed off of Tony's brilliance. In the second, those cast aside seeking revenge for sins of the past (or something, to be honest I was never really sure what was going on there.) Pearce, as  Killian, represents fears of the future; Glossy, and good looking on the outside, but in reality, a monster without a soul.

The special effects are about on par with what you would expect, although I was disappointed to see the final fight take place at Night. While I understand its easier for the special effects budget,  the night, coupled with the 3-D glasses leaves the scene feeling a little dingy. As for the 3D, huge fans of seeing things jump out at you should feel OK about paying the extra bucks, but it's nowhere near a must. if you would rather just watch it in 2D, I don't think you would be robbed of anything.

Parents, "Iron Man 3" is a bit dark at times, like the first two films. You know what to expect. Sex content is mostly leering quality.

"Iron Man 3" may not stand up as tall as the original, or "The Avengers," but it can at least stand proud as a good addition to the Marvel film series, and a pop-corn crunching action flick.