A Grand Blockbuster for the Whole Family, Though It Shares Little with the Unforgettable First Installment
Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) suffers from insomnia, works himself to exhaustion, and, as a result of a careless public statement, becomes the prime target of a new terrorist mastermind (Kingsley). After narrowly escaping a helicopter attack on his seaside residence and almost losing Pepper (Paltrow), he heads to the northern states to uncover the superweapon possessed by his adversary.
The AC/DC chords have faded, the jovial Jon Favreau has been replaced in the director’s chair by “Lethal Weapon” screenwriter Shane Black, yet our billionaire, playboy (and so on) is still very much alive. Last year’s “The Avengers” predicted an increase in attractions for ten-year-olds, while the serious trailers, on the contrary, suggested a Nolan-esque tone. In the end, both were right. What we have is a rather dark and, at the same time, utterly childish “Iron Man 3.”
Initially, the role of Maya was offered to Jessica Chastain, but the actress had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
Shane Black’s Touch
Black, tasked with breathing new life into the franchise, immediately shifts into high gear, making the plot imperfections inevitable in such a film barely noticeable. He has Stark causing mayhem, then suddenly empathizes with his physical suffering, and then completely ventures into Spielberg territory. Any attempt to understand what’s actually happening is interrupted by another fireworks display or the death of a likable character. But just as you’re about to lament the intrusion of Nolan’s ubiquitous legacy into someone else’s film, a joke from Mel Brooks’ arsenal follows the death.
This is the first Iron Man movie in which Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) does not appear.
Appealing to Everyone
The new “Iron Man” tries to please absolutely everyone. Here, flying suits are parked in motorcycle parking spaces, and there are two jokes about “Downton Abbey.” Especially for fans of nostalgic vignettes, Downey Jr., like some Michael Dudikoff, storms a bandit villa with fountains, and towards the finale, a natural Terminator appears with characteristic musical accompaniment. And, of course, the author of “Lethal Weapon” couldn’t resist a showdown on a docked tanker.
One of the Mandarin’s rings could be seen in the first installment on a bald terrorist named Raza.
The Evolution of Tony Stark
Everyone seems to have gotten used to the fact that Downey, no worse than Johnny Depp, has learned to churn out movie hits simply by raising an eyebrow. But when an entire superhero blockbuster starts playing the fool, all that’s left for the creators is to tip their hats. Black’s sharp turn towards family values, so boldly trampled upon in the first part, cleverly coincided with an increase in overall idiocy in terms of gadgets and quasi-scientific conversations. A little more, and not only aliens but also “Spy Kids” would organically fit into Tony Stark’s universe. Characteristically, a technically advanced boy is already present.
Speaking of the technical side: if in the first installment we admired a lousy genius who twisted ropes out of such terrible but such stupid villains, now our hero does nothing but gets punched in the face by ubiquitous superhumans. The number of brilliant scientists has also noticeably increased, and Stark has suddenly become the most defenseless (he was always the most human), the most ordinary Avenger. The former arrogance has evaporated, the hungover haggardness has been replaced by a frightening weariness of life, and at the mention of the incident in New York, he begins to panic, almost like Agent Johnny English at the word “Mozambique.”
