The Film
Like all good superheroes, Iron Man just will not die. However, in Iron Man 3, our shining star manages to escape something much worse than death. He manages to not be boring.
Because frankly, by the time most film franchises hit the third round, they typically hit a wall. Not everyone mind you, but most. (See Spider-Man 3 -- or don't see it, actually.) If we're getting technical, Robert Downey, Jr. is playing billionaire playboy Tony Stark in his fourth theatrical outing, if you include The Avengers. It's easy to see how some could tire of Tony's schtick. However, Iron Man 3 is still a lot of fun, thanks to RDJ and a very interesting turn by Ben "I was Gandhi!" Kingsley.
Iron Man 3 picks up right after The Avengers, with Stark experiencing some serious superhero problems. He's having nightmares and doubting himself. From there, we get a quick peek into Stark's past. Flash back to 1999, where apparently, our hero was the same jackass pre-shrapnel. However, that jackassery is what sells tickets, people. It also gets him into hot water, because his quick wit manages to humiliate Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce) in a matter of seconds. Killian is notable because he's a very bad man and creator of Extremis, which produces all sorts of super-cool special effects in the movie. However, Mandarin (Kinglsey) is the face of terror here.
It's hard to go into too much detail without giving away the entire movie -- and you really don't want me to do that, because that's one of the best things that Iron Man 3 has going for it. Yes, Iron Man still has some tricks up his metal sleeve. It's a fun movie, but at 130 minutes, it's also a long one. Director Shane Black, who takes the reigns from Jon Favreau, could have shaved off a few minutes and still packed in all of the exposions and all of RDJ's lightning-fast one-liners.
Still, it's a decent end to this trilogy, assuming the studio wants Iron Man to hang up his super-suit. Considering the film's $1.2 billion (!) take at the box office, that's probably not going to be the case. That said, Iron Man 3 shows that's probably not such a bad thing.
Ready to blast off into another peek at this movie? Check out Joe Lozito's theatrical review of Iron Man 3.
The Picture
Often, I use the original Iron Man Blu-ray for demos. It's hard to imagine that could be topped, but here we are. Overall, I found this film's palette to be a bit on the dark side, but that's not a bad thing. Iron Man 3 is still an absolute feast for the eyeballs. There are multiple superhero suits to ogle and explosions happen both in the air and on the ground, all of which look great. Even during some of the film's most chaotic moments, the detail is superb and the colors sparkle. Those close-ups on Robert Downey, Jr.'s face show off a ton of detail, including pores and facial hair. This 2.40:1 transfer is another amazing notch in Disney's utility belt.
The Sound
Disney has outfitted Iron Man 3 with a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track that matches the release's stellar video. Surprised? This track is armed to the teeth with explosions and bullets, as well as tons of clanging and crushing metal. It's a wonderfully immersive experience, which includes a very bold soundtrack. Directionality is absolutely perfect during those action sequences. This track takes full advantage of the soundfield. Of course, Tony Stark is a man of many one-liners, but you'll never miss a word. The dialogue is clear and centered throughout the film.
The Extras
Otherwise, don't expect a supersized collection included with this blockbuster. The best of the bunch is Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter. The mini movie delivers an extra 15 minutes of action, starring Hayley Atwell, Bradley Whitford, Tim Trobec and Dominic Cooper. There's also a trio of shorts, extended and deleted scenes, and a gag reel.
If you're looking for something more, there's audio commentary with director/co-writer Shane Black and co-writer Drew Pearce. However, you can also download the "JARVIS: A Second Screen Experience" app from iTunes. This freebie puts JARVIS in your palm for time and weather reports, as well as voice control and other tidbits for your Iron Man 3 experience. It's cool in theory, but the execution is sort of clunky and quirky. Personally, I had a few problems connecting JARVIS to my Blu-ray player via my iPhone 4 (which never happens), but your experience may vary and it's sort of neat (and free) to put JARVIS (Paul Bettany!) in your pocket.
Final Thoughts
Basically, Robert Downey, Jr. and Iron Man are one in the same. He owns the character and no one will be able to live up to what he's created. It's rumored that this film will be Iron Man's last solo outing, but that's kind of hard to believe, given its success on many levels. Sure, it's not the greatest superhero film ever, but rarely is any film with a "3." That said, Iron Man 3 isn't too shabby. Plus, if you've come this far into the franchise, it's pretty pointless to turn back now. The extras could be a little better on this one, given how much audiences have invested so far. That said, the audio and video make this worth the purchase price alone.
Product Details
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