Year: 2013

Director: Shane Black

Production Company: Marvel Studios

Leads: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow

Well, we went to see it. We pretty much had to, of course; after watching Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2 and Thor (good movie, Thor), Little Satis would’ve probably considered patricide had we not. It was a surprise, then, to find that it was significantly different to the previous two Iron Man films. In fact, different I think to all of the Marvel films to date.

It was dark.

I don’t want to give too much away of course, it being new, but I can safely say that the storyline quickly veers away from “Iron Man” and bears its full focus on Tony Stark. We learn a lot about Tony in this movie. And what we learn isn’t all that pleasant.

The nutshell version is that a new villain, the Mandarin, is claiming to be responsible for a series of terrorist bombings across the United States; bombings that leave no bomb pieces behind. But before the ass kicking can really get into full swing, we suddenly find ourselves with Tony in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter with no suit, no Jarvis, and no help.

This leads us to a journey of self-discovery for Tony, and the center of the film is dominated by this, whilst the world meanwhile cowers before the Mandarin. And it’s this that really turns the movie on its head. Robert Downey Jr. suddenly has a reason to show his acting talent, and stop being so incessantly…Robert-Downey-Jr.-ish. As I’ve discussed the movie with friends and family, I’ve discovered not everyone appreciates this turn of direction. If you are looking for an all-out guns-blazing action movie in the style of Iron Man and Iron Man 2…I won’t say that you’ll be disappointed, but you might be surprised. If you’re looking for a superhero movie with a surprising amount of depth, this is for you.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★