Iron Man 3 divided audiences and critics alike earlier this year when it reduced one of Marvel's most iconic villains to a mere buffoon, but to obsess over the neutered version of the Mandarin is to miss the point: Iron Man 3 is a comic book flick in every sense - a freewheeling, hilarious, and ultimately satisfying movie that isn't afraid to be anything but a good time at the movies. Sure, maybe we expected a little more in the wake of arguably bombastic and more seriously-inclined post-Dark Knight pictures, but it's hard to argue against Iron Man 3's giddy enthusiasm. Directed and co-written by Shane Black, who penned Lethal Weapon and was for a time the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood, Iron Man 3 is - in its most basic form - a buddy comedy, which sees our hero Tony Stark (embodied once again by a note perfect Robert Downey Jr.) teaming up with a variety of companions to prevent global disaster. Part espionage movie in the Tom Clancy vein, with aspects of extensional drama thrown in, Iron Man 3 was exactly what Marvel fans needed in the wake of the Avengers: kick ass stand-alone action spectacle.
