10 Blockbuster Films Made More Interesting Thanks To Their Flaws

8. Iron Man 3

The Flaws: 2013 was a year full of divisive blockbusters, though arguably the most contentious was Iron Man 3, which drew considerable ire and praise in different circles for its depiction of Iron Man's famed foe, the Mandarin. Initially believed to be played by Ben Kingsley, it's revealed half-way through the movie that he is, in fact, an actor, a decoy used to propagate the Mandarin myth, while the "real" Mandarin, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), safely operates from the shadows. This caused considerable rage among fans of the character, who felt that Marvel betrayed the essence of the Mandarin in an attempt to appear more subversive and clever. Why It's More Interesting: Iron Man 3's sly plot twist created a fascinating discussion about the responsibility that movie studios owe (or don't owe) to comic book fans: is it fair for them to do what they like with characters, even if they are in direct opposition to the comic book portrayal? Obviously, some things just don't translate well from the page to the screen, though in the case of The Mandarin, it seemed like Shane Black and Drew Pearce deliberately strayed from the source material. Naturally this wasn't of much interest to those unacquainted with the character beyond what they were expecting from the trailers, but for comic book fans, it was a major point of division.