LogFAQs > #950491940

ScepterOfLove
(No write-up.)

Snake5555555555
A terrific character action film that is the absolute crux of Tony Starks character. The film deftly analyzes how the suit makes the man and vice-versa, all wrapped with tons of little bows that show off Starks genius, frailty, snark, and above all, humanity, all of which make Stark the compelling hero he is to watch. This is Downeys highest point in the MCU, but Iron Man 3 also has one of the most hilarious villain adaptations ever in the Mandarin, which can not be discredited. And sure, maybe Killian is not exactly the right villain this film needed, but what IM3 does with its mainstay hero, important themes and thrilling action is something Im more than willing to celebrate.

Paratroopa1
I'll never understand for the life of me why people don't consider Iron Man 3 one of the classic MCU movies. I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did, given that I was sort of lukewarm about the first two Iron Mans and I expected them to be tired by now, but this one really resonated with me for some reason. I think, as someone who's had a few anxiety attacks in their life, the idea of Tony Stark having them as a result of PTSD felt really real, a really unusually human thing to deal with for a superhero, and it made Tony feel relatable in a way he never had before - even when he was dying in Iron Man 2 it felt kind of silly and contrived, but the idea that someone having to battle space aliens would actually be seriously fucked up by the experience was a really interesting choice. I love how this movie, even more than the first two, is really a movie about Tony Stark and not about Iron Man - some of the most clever, exciting, and emotional stuff comes when Tony Stark doesn't have the suit. This is a much darker movie than the first two Iron Mans, but that serves to make the stakes feel a lot higher, and the final confrontation more deserved. The way they use the multiple Iron Man suits at the end is great, and Pepper Potts getting the killing blow fills me with glee. And I dunno, I kinda love that Mandarin ended up being some dumbass actor? That's hilarious. I guess people were mad about that because he's a real villain in the comics, but I dunno the comics, so I have no expectations and couldn't have cared less about this so it worked for me. I dunno, I think everything about this movie's great and I wish I could have ranked it higher.

VengefulKaelee
Far and away the best of the Iron Man trilogy. This is basically the one time in the MCU I found Tony Stark truly compelling as a character. The ending is just more typical MCU big action scene nonsense, but even so, Shane Black's vision for Iron Man proves a hell of a lot more engaging and nuanced than Jon Favreau's ever was, injecting Stark with more humanity than he had before or since. And no, having not read any Marvel comics at any point I don't give a shit about the whole Mandarin controversy, I thought the twist was funny.

Jesse Custer
Im fairly confident I will be the person who ranks this movie the highest. Im well aware of its flaws, of which there are plenty, but I also feel its a misunderstood film, and it resonated with me in a way few movies of this genre have. In contrast to the typical action movie, we get a hero who is psychologically damaged, experiencing anxiety attacks and insomnia. This is actually very believable when you consider the effect it would have on ones mental state to go through so many near death experiences and have people trying to kill you over and over again. And I dont think Tony has ever seemed this sympathetic as a character, without his usual self-assured smugness. The movie breaks him down to nearly nothing so it can build him back up again, showing that he is more than just a guy in a super-powerful suit (this message especially comes across when he pulls a MacGyver with a bunch of stuff he buys from the store).

Probably the biggest criticism I see of this movie is with the twist involving The Mandarin. But Trevor Slattery added some much needed levity to the otherwise dark tone of the movie, and I personally didnt care if I got to see another generic mustache-twirling villain. Anyway, Im sure most people see it otherwise, but Iron Man 3 is a top 10 MCU movie for me.

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