IRON MAN 3 kick-starts the summer...big time!

Just saw Iron Man 3 for the second time in the space of 5 days and I enjoyed it even more the second time around. Mainly because it was not as crowded as it was a Thursday showing and I could actually hear all the wonderful snappy dialogue that kind of got drowned out the first time with so many people laughing and cheering. 

Tony in his spare time

The sequel starts with a voice over by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr for the 4th time..five if you count his appearance at the end of The Incredible Hulk) who speaks gravely about the events taking place. He flashes back to 1999 on New Year's Eve as he and his bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) party it up in Switzerland and Tony romances the lovely biologist Maya Hansen (new to the Iron Man universe Rebecca Hall). She is working on a new project that can hack into the hard drive of any living organism and upgrade it's DNA. Flash forward 13 years and her idea is being used by Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) who Tony rebuffs at the same party those many years ago. Well his project Extremis uses ex-soldiers and grants them the ability to regenerate severed limbs and project intense heat along with super strength. These are the weapons utilized by the terrorist called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who threatens the world with his random acts of violence.

Rebecca Hall as Maya

Guy Pearce as Killian

When Happy gets injured in one such incident, Tony calls out the bad guy for a little one on one. Meanwhile Tony is having relationship issues with his girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) as she wants him to give up the super hero business a little and take it easy. Easier said than done as Tony has had trouble sleeping ever since the New York incident involving him and The Avengers. So he is constantly working on gadgets as his latest armor, Mark 42, can now adhere to his body magnetically from a distance which is very cool.

Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin

He will need all his smarts to take down Killian and his Extremis cronies. The Mandarin is an all different issue that I don't want to spoil here. You will never see it coming though. There is also a cool sub-plot when Tony crashes in Tennessee and is befriend by a very wise kid named Harley (Ty Simpkins). Their scenes together are the funniest bits in the whole movie. The whole cast in very engaging. RDJ can now play Tony Stark in his sleep and he does not coast on his laurels as he is just as good and sharp as he was the first time he suited up back in 2008. Paltrow is even more fiery as Pepper as she refuses to take a back seat to Tony's technology. Don Cheadle returns as Rhodey. And this time he is working directly for the President as Iron Patriot. Pearce makes a suitable villain that definitely will get your attention. Kingsley is pretty good too as The Mandarin but I really can't say too much about him without spoiling the movie.

Yep..trouble is coming

This shot reminds me of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang so much...

makes sense..Shane Black directed both films

As far as the action goes, director Shane Black goes all out for this one. The attack on Tony's malibu home by The Mandarin's forces is awesome! If that doesn't get your adrenaline going, then nothing will. Another great scene has to the Air Force One attack and then rescue of the passengers who are falling from the sky. That is one of the best film sequences I have ever seen! The snappy dialogue is still there and the plot never gets convulted or heavy. And the movie never drags. It is a great film and a great start for the summer movie season. And it improves on Iron Man 2 big time. I'm up for seeing it a third time for sure.
B+

Tony loves Pepper!

Review: Iron Man

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This is my original review of Iron Man when I saw it back in 2008.

One word to describe this movie: AWESOME! I saw it Thursday night with some friends with a packed audience and this movie did not disappoint. Robert Downey Jr is perfect as Tony Stark, the wealthy industrialist who makes weapons for the US government. When he gets captured by some insurgents in a foreign land who force him to build a weapon of mass destruction, Tony resolves to start helping the world by taking down bad guys like these. This movie takes the essence of the comic book Iron Man and brings it to life wonderfully. Downey Jr never takes a wrong step in this role. No one else could have pulled it off. The supporting cast is also solid with Jeff Bridges as his rival Stane, Terrence Howard as his friend James Rhodes, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Tony's assistant Pepper Potts. Paltrow is terrific. This movie weaves incredible visual effects with a solid story that mixes drama, action, and humor effectively. I already claim Iron Man as the second best comic book movie, right behind X2. And I plan to see it again. Oh and stay for the scene after the end credits when Tony receives a special visitor. It was that scene and others throughout the movie like when he dons the red and gold armor that made all my fanboy dreams come true. A great way to start the summer movie season.
A

Robert Downey, Jr. rules in Tropic Thunder

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I laughed my ass off at this movie. Mainly Robert Downey Jr steals the show. He is hilarious from the word go. Ben Stiller is not that good acting wise. But he does a great job directing, mixing comedy and action quite well. Jack Black is ok, he gets in a few good lines. The supporting cast though is solid from Brandon T. Jackson's Alpa Chino to Nick Nolte's gruff ex-vet to the hilarious Danny McBride's explosion expert Cody. If you get easily offended, this might not be your type of movie. But the laughs come very fast and frequently. And the action is top notch. And the buzzed about cameo by Mr. Tom Cruise is hilarious. You will see Tom like never before. But back to Robert Downey. He kills in this movie. I can't praise him enough. Coupled with Iron Man, this was truly RDJ's year.
B+