Iron Man 3 *** (PG-13) Here’s what you need to know about the third installment of this wildly successful franchise from the Marvel Comics superhero stable. If you haven’t seen the first two flicks, don’t start here. You’ll be missing too much backstory to get into the flow.
For veterans of the first two blockbusters, Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow are back as the leads, with Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau reprising their supporting roles. Guy Pearce and Sir Ben Kingsley come aboard as the mega-villains du jour. William Sadler, after a long career of mainly crook, thug or mercenary soldier gigs, has finally been rewarded with elevation to the White House, playing our beloved POTUS. The whole planet is in peril, and only Tony Stark/Iron Man can save us.
The proceedings are dutifully heavy on epic-scale action sequences, enhanced nicely by 3-D technology. The plot is somewhat darker and more complicated than the first two. More importantly, everything that has mesmerized legions of devotees worldwide is still at hand, from the dazzling array of f/x pyrotechnics to Downey Jr.’s comedic gifts that make his throwaway lines such keepers.
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I was a bit thrown by some aspects of the ending, though Iron Man’s hardcore fans may appreciate it more in context with their hero’s complete history in print as well as the big screen. There’s also a little gem after the lengthy credits, rewarding those who stay in their seats to bask in the afterglow. (5/3/13)