About an hour into “Iron Man 3,” my excitement over my assignment to see all of this summer’s blockbusters and write about the experience had dimmed considerably. That couldn’t have been further from the case early last week, when I pored through the summer movie schedule, circling what looked dumb and fun or at least like it would make for a pleasant distraction on a sweltering summer afternoon. But as Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark traded friendly jabs with his newest partner, a precocious, wisecracking middle-schooler named Harley, I remembered why I only saw two of last year’s tent pole features in theaters (“Avengers” and “Dark Knight Rises,” if you were wondering). The sudden friendship made no sense, like pretty much everything else in the Shane Black-directed movie.
It’s not that all blockbuster movies are bad — just look at this for proof — but they tend to be focus-grouped-to-death productions lacking in personality or inspiration, instead consisting solely of beautiful actors inhabiting slick sets while things around them explode. That’s why a cute kid gets squeezed into the third entry in the “Iron Man” franchise, when really, you’d think Stark would call on Captain America or Thor to aid him in defeating the Osama bin Laden-like Mandarin (played wonderfully by Ben Kingsley). It’s a blatant, and completely unnecessary, grab for younger audiences, and something that makes it next to impossible to engage with what’s occurring onscreen. (And yes, I realize I am complaining about the lack of logic in a superhero film. That’s not lost on me.)
Therein lies the problem with “Iron Man 3.” There’s an overarching plot, but stare at it for too long and it crumbles. That’s not surprising when it comes to summer movie fare, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating — especially given the talent involved in the film. In addition to Downey Jr. and Kingsley, there’s Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and the much less annoying than you’d expect Gwenyth Paltrow. It’s an impressive cast, but the actors don’t have much to work with.
Which is a shame, because I thought “Iron Man 3” would be able to rise above its cape-wearing brethren due to the presence of director and co-writer Black. Once one of Hollywood’s most in-demand screenwriters, Black helped create the blueprint for the modern action film with 1987’s “Lethal Weapon.” There were some high-profile flops after that, but his directorial debut, 2005’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” which also starred Downey Jr., was one of last decade’s overlooked gems. No, it wasn’t a perfect movie, and there’s probably more misogyny and homophobia than you’d expect from such a fondly remembered film, but the exceedingly clever neo-noir has become a cult favorite for a reason. I’d hoped that Black would inject the “Iron Man” franchise with some much needed wit and energy. But aside from some quippy exchanges, there’s nothing about the film that feels remotely fresh. There are some new Iron Man armors flying around, but that’s it.
It’s here that I should point out that despite its numerous flaws, “Iron Man 3” isn’t a complete failure. There are some visceral thrills, a requirement of any blockbuster, and the audience around me was fully checked-in from beginning to end (there were audible gasps during what I thought was one of the movie’s more predictable scenes). There’s also a wonderful scene with Kingsley that I don’t want to ruin, but it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in any superhero movie. For five minutes it feels as if Black is going to turn his film into something gleefully wicked, but then nothing’s done with it. Despite that scene, and a complete willingness to tap into the emotions connected to terrorism — the villain starts things off by utilizing human bombs — the movie never tries be anything more than crowd-pleasing fluff. Summer blockbusters don’t need to say something intelligent about the times we live in, but the fact that “Iron Man 3” exploits serious issues in this context feels gross and manipulative.
Regardless, I suspect that Marvel and Disney are thrilled with the resulting film, especially since it grossed $175.3 million last weekend and has already amassed more than a $700 million in global ticket sales. Audiences want to watch pretty people doing cool things, and there’s nothing wrong with that. These movies are supposed to be entertaining, but that doesn’t make the experience any more satisfying. Which is a feeling I’m guessing I’m going to have to get used to this summer.
“Iron Man 3”
Director: Shane Black
Writers: Drew Pearce and Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Ben Kinglsey
Opening Weekend Gross: $175.3 million