After watching Iron Man 3 thrice –once each on the first showing,  just last week, and this morning– I’m pretty confident in saying that I’ve a good grasp on the quality of the film. And my verdict is A++ (I wouldn’t have gone for seconds otherwise).

Rating: 4.9/5

Details: Directed by Shane Black, produced by Kevin Feige and scored by Bryan Tyler, the third installment to the Iron Man franchise and the nth to Earth-199999 features the comeback of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Col. Rhodes (Don Cheadle) as they handle a new terrorist threat after the events of New York. 

Review: The .10 rating deduction sums up the few problems I saw with the movie. I wasn’t very confident about the villain twist –Mandarin’s reveal as an “act-or” was unexpected and really kind of mind-blowing. I seriously thought he’d be one of the big villains of the movie, but I suppose the foreshadowing was clear enough (in hindsight). The more I watch it, though, the more I realized the value of the film’s theme on anonymity and appearances. The real villain is a subtler and more intelligent threat than a real Mandarin could ever be; at this stage in the franchise the villain required more depth than theatrics. Ben Kingsley also cracks me up. I also disliked the development of Maya Hansen; there was very little exposition on her character and “moral psychology” in 1999 beyond dialogue her own words. The ending was somewhat frustratingly inconclusive; I can’t imagine what direction the next movie would take. Also I’d like to know what happened in ’83. 

The question “Where the hell is Captain America?” also kept ringing in my ears. I could rule out Banner and Thor, since their brand of subtlety probably wouldn’t cut it for terrorists. Maybe Romanoff and Banner were off hunting other terrorists in Budapest. But asking for a patriotic counter and not asking for the avenger? Really questionable. Rogers might have done even better than Rhodes, in the hypothetical situation that Mandarin actually existed.

So excluding the Avengers without explanation added a crack in the plot’s integrity. Tony Stark brushed the encounter off and panicked.

But my whole rant on negatives and confusing things doesn’t even measure to the rest of the awesomeness that is Iron Man 3. There’s a good reason why it’s heavily anticipated and praised. 

There’s Tony Stark. Or RDJ. Either way, he was still perfection in this movie. His charisma positively exuded through the screen; he’s fictionally 44 and all of us still fell in love with him. The scenes of him being his egotistic self continued to be endearing instead of annoying; his quips with Harley, another notable and adorable character, were funny to watch. The little bits that make him human really shone throughout –those moments with Happy, his relationship with his robots.

Oh, the robots. The tech and Stark’s genius continued to be enviable. The CGI and effects were incredible. But it was the robots’ personalities that were unbelievable. The presentation, uniqueness and charm of each suit made me sit up, even though we get to meet so few of them by name. JARVIS, Dum-E, Butterfingers… They were a whole other breathtaking story. JARVIS and Mark 42 proved that there is a dependent side to Tony Stark. The armbots proved Tony Stark’s soft side (he came back for them in the end!) 

Don Cheadle’s Rhodes was also entertaining and kick-ass. The score and music inspired by were equally lovely. I’m getting a copy as I write. 

But the real highlight of IM3 was one Ms. Pepper Potts. She was already a favorite from the first film, but now she showed the ignorant part of the population who the real boss of the Marvel Universe was. Just. I love her competence and capability. She’s so adaptable, and her brand of bravery is the one I most relate to. She has no superpowers beyond her intimidating management skills, but she saved the day anyways. Her posture, her presence. I am in love. She doesn’t flinch away from the perils that come with being in the same life as Tony Stark. Her abs didn’t do any harm either. 

So in conclusion: if you haven’t watched it, I pity you. Also, I need another movie soon. Or more fan fics.

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Watch it if you’re interested in: superheroes, science fiction, pseudo-deduction, humor, sass and witty remarks, action, suspense, a healthy dose of WTF.