Too bad about
Iron Man 3. I mean, it certainly seems to be popular. But I found it disappointing, and I've been liking pretty much all the "official" Marvel movies since the first
Iron Man. I think the problem is that the "pros" are starting to take over. By "pros," I mean a guy like Shane Black, who directed the new
Iron Man. He was a writer on the Lethal
Weapon series, which was also popular and also pretty tedious overall. Pros like Black know how to make super-violent action flicks that appeal to a certain kind of moviegoer, but they lack the light touch (and an understanding of the distinctive appeal of comic books) that guys like Jon Favreau (who directed the first two
Iron Mans) or Joss Whedon (
The Avengers) has. Has anyone noticed, for example, that IM3 is basically a zombie movie? Yes, Ben Kingsley is great in this film in a totally unexpected way. Yes, there are a few other nice touches. (The post-credits gag isn't bad.) But there's about an hour in there that's a long, dispiriting slog. I hope that Black is the first and last of the pros to get a hold of a modern superhero movie, but somehow I doubt it.
I understand and respect your take on the film. I disagree for a couple of reasons. First, I think Iron Man 2 turn off many people because it lacked the personal moments found in Iron Man 1 and Iron Man 3. At some level, IM3 brings the focus back to the personality peaks and valley in Tony Stark. This is a smaller movie in many ways. The scope is narrowed on Tony Stark and his troubles. This is a showcase for Robert Downey Jr.'s skills. The distinction between Stark's adventure in and out of the armor makes sense in that regard. His relationships to everything and everyone make this film work. Second, I think there is a question about how the Marvel Cinematic Universe will evolve in Phase 2. Iron Man 3 answers this question in grand fashion. We see that Marvel Studios is willing to challenge the print mythology in big ways. So, I think it did a lot in service of fans of Robert Downey Jr. and for hopes of the next phase of Marvel movies.
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