As I've mentioned in a previous post, the Iron Man franchise isn't my favourite in the MCU but that doesn't mean in any way that it's bad. The third Iron Man installment I believe to be the best out of the franchise but that could be due to the advancement in CGI, the story development through The Avengers or other aspects. Iron Man 3 follows Tony after the events of The Avengers and there are many good things about this movie but at the same time many low points.
After Tony sacrificed himself to destroy the Chitauri ship at the end of The Avengers although everything seemed to be working out for the group, Tony himself was rather damaged. Tony is left traumatized and suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I really enjoyed this part of the story as rarely do you see a superhero suffering from a mental issue or seeing how their heroic gestures take their toll on them as a person.
It is a great conclusion to the trilogy as we also get to see further character development as he has progressed from being self centered to putting others needs ahead of his own. The majority of the secondary characters we have previously met for example Happy, Rhodey and Pepper so we get to see his relationships with them develop more.We particularly see this in his relationship with Pepper and in the end he finally separates himself from his suits and even gets his arc reactor removed. One of the new characters to the franchise, Harley who becomes Tony's assistant whilst he's stranded shows us Tony's relationship with kids which we have never seen before. It's a great dynamic as Tony's doesn't treat him like a child but talks to him as an equal.
When it comes to the villains in Iron Man 3 this is where the movie loses me. In the beginning when we see Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin it seemed like a perfect portrayal. He was menacing and intimidating whoever with the twist of the Mandarin actually being a hired actor is what I really disliked about the movie. It seemed like a cheap cop-out and angered a lot of comic book fans. Aldrich Killian didn't interest me enough as a villian as he seemed like a newer version of Obadiah Stane and Justin Hammer. The only difference is that they tried to make him a more sympathetic villain by giving him history with Tony where Tony just insults and humiliates him
I enjoy the fight scenes in the movie especially when Tony infiltrates the Mandarin complex with equipment he made whilst on the run. I also enjoyed the fight with War Machine and Iron Man and in particular the scene where Tony blows up his Iron Man suits. Although it really doesn't make a difference to his relationship with Pepper as he continues to be Iron Man and as revealed in Civil War him and Pepper are 'on a break'. However at the time Iron Man 3 had came out and I didn't know any better, I really enjoyed it.
Another gripe I have with the movie is it didn't live up to expectations after The Avengers. It also fails to move the story of the MCU forward. We can see with the Mandarin situation the government want to prove they can hold their own by handling the situation with Iron Patriot however that doesn't work well. It certainly isn't the strongest movie in the MCU but at the same time it's not the worst movie either. The character development is the strongest part of the movie and makes up for the lack of an interesting villain. Although it was never going to be on the same level as The Avengers, it still has good action and makes for a good watch.
Easter Eggs
#1 Dr Yinsen
In the opening flashback, Tony Stark is seen being introduced to Dr Yinsen at a conference in Switzerland. Dr Yinsen of course is the same guy who saved Tony's life at the beginning of the first Iron Man movie in 2008. Back in the first film, Dr Yinsen actually makes a reference to meeting Stark previously at a conference in Bern.
#2 AIM
Aldrich Killian's company in the movie is called Advanced Idea Mechanics, or A.I.M. In the comics, A.I.M. is a terrorist company evolved from HYDRA that acts as an evil opposition to S.H.I.E.L.D.
#3 Tony Stark's hand prints
During the scene outside the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles when an explosion occurs, one of the villains sits down next to Robert Downey Jr's hand prints in concrete.
#4 The Mandarin's tattoo
As the Mandarin takes off his hood we get a glimpse of his tattoo on the back of his neck. It is a Captain America shield with the symbol for anarchy at the center of it and serves as an anti-establishment symbol.
#5 Stan Lee cameo
Stan Lee's cameo in the third Iron Man installment is as a beauty pageant judge and gives an enthusiastic 10.
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