With Marvel Studios entering phase two of their bid for cinematic world domination, the first entry out of the gate is Iron Man 3. Starting where Avengers Assemble left off, this sees billionaire superhero Tony Stark desperately trying to cope with the psychological impact of events that took place in New York. But Stark soon begins to realize that extra-terrestrial threats are the least of his worries, as he finds himself the target of a mysterious terrorist known as The Mandarin. Following a series of unexplainable acts of terror and a string of televised threats, The Mandarin sets his sights on wiping out the clearly agitated and fragile Stark before turning his aggressions onto the President of the United States. Stark has to set aside his demons, and readjust his life to accommodate weary girlfriend Pepper Potts, before it is too late and everything is lost. That is the premise Marvel set out to establish in their advertising campaign for Iron Man 3, and on a base level it is true. However, Tonys journey is nowhere near as well, stark... as we expected. In fact, Iron Man 3 is possibly the most irreverent and jovial entry in the Marvel film universe to date. Sophmore director and legendary screenwriter Shane Black has taken over the reigns from Iron Man alumni Jon Favreau, and with this has injected his own distinct take on Marvels golden goose. The end result has been fairly well received, but it has also created a new divide; those who think it is the best Iron Man film yet, whilst others (like myself) who felt it is lacking a certain something. There is much merit in Iron Man 3, and it would be much better if it were set in any other realm of creation. However, there is a very clear model of what Iron Man should be, and this sadly is a mere shadow of what we had hoped for. Nobody is to blame, and it is hard to find any real fault with those involved. It is quite simply a case that Marvel Studios and Shane Black have made the wrong movie. Here are 4 reasons why...
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET, MAJOR SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW