This third installment of the Iron Man franchise soars to new heights and reaches bold dimensions in 3D. Robert Downey Jr. and “Gooper” Gwyneth Paltrow are back as the only couple who can save the world from an evil force known as The Mandarin.
4.5 Stars: Perfect for superhero super fans
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has shacked up with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) in a glorious futuristic mansion sitting on a hill in Malibu. But as in love with Pepper as Stark is, nearly all his time is spent perfecting his science-inspired armor.
Pepper is desperate to spend more quality time with her superdude, but when Al-Qaida-style videos from someone calling himself The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) begin to highjack America’s news networks, Pepper and Stark stop bickering and take action.
Meanwhile, a geneticist named Killian (Guy Pearce) reappears in Pepper’s life, now with a slick makeover that may be more than skin deep. He asks Pepper if she and Stark would join his brain-trust organization that is experimenting with “hacking” human DNA to improve brains and bodies. She declines, saying his work could too easily be weaponized, but Killian has plans to get them involved, whether they like it or not.
Iron Man 3 boasts some spectacular action sequences, one in particular involves skydiving (and sky-rescuing) out of Air Force One that is brilliant in 3D. A wonderful new character named Harley (Ty Simpkins), is a 10-year-old kid who bonds with Stark and inspires him to reach deeper and take control of his bad situation.
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While Robert Downey Jr.’s dry wit provides big laughs and a true source of fun, it’s Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin who steals the show. Kingsley is hilarious in the scenes at his Florida mansion. Kudos to the filmmakers for adding such a clever, unexpected character to a superhero movie.
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