Iron Man Three

I’m not a fan of Iron Man movies, despite the fact that I am a big fan of Robert Downey Jr antics, and I especially like his megalomaniac, playboy superhero persona in these films. The films themselves are not really great, with flying robots battling flying robots in the sky, or whatever. I did not like the first film at all, though I saw it in the theatre and it was great to look at. I liked the second film in patches, especially the beginning, till the Iron Man suit takes over.

Despite this, I was looking forward to seeing Iron Man Three, after seeing the character of Mandarin, played by Sir Ben Kingsley, in the trailers. He was a magnificent villain in the trailer.

So, imagine my surprise when the reality of Kingsley’s Mandarin turned out to be something else altogether. Yet, without doubt, he is the best part of the film. Apart from playacting his villainy, he has just two scenes, and he is magnificent in them. His comic timing is impeccable. I think it is his best comic work since ‘Sexy Beast’, that film was something else altogether.

Other than Kingsley, another thing I liked about the new Iron Man film is that, as the Tony Stark feels more and more venerable after the New York Incident (as depicted in last year’s ‘The Avengers’), he is more and more outside his Iron Suit. Which, of course make more interesting, even during the action sequences. There is a whole extended sequence of him in Tennessee sans the suit, which was good. And Stark is quite resource defending himself even without his armour.

Apart for that, it’s the usual fare. The main villain of the piece Guy Pierce gets to show off his abs at the end and combusting himself, and he could breathe fire, literally. I am actually a big fan of Don Cheadle, but his presence in Iron Man is really underwhelming. Even here, he doesn’t do anything exciting. Another of my favourite actor, Rebecca Hall, too have nothing much to do here, and to die at the end, trying to save the hero.

And the climax! All those flying Iron Men! Thanks heavens they are all finally gone. As the film ends, I have a hunch that this is it for the Iron Man standalone movies. Three times the charms, I guess. But, when it’s Hollywood, you never know.