Preview 2: Ironman 3

Preview 2: Ironman 3

With as many as fourteen comic book films due out this year I’ve decided to do a series of previews. Each one of these previews will be entirely devoted to one of these releases. With each article I hope to convey what I think could be the gasp-inducing highs as well as the cringe-inducing lows of each film. In the second installment in a series of previews for upcoming comic book movies, I’ll be looking at Ironman 3 which is due out this May.

In hiring Shane Black as director and co-scriptwriter for Ironman 3, Marvel has once again, in my opinion, shown how highly they value their comic book properties. Black has a wonderful talent for writing punchy, gripping and most importantly entertaining scripts that are highly valued within Hollywood. Among his contributions are Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight. As a scriptwriter he has continually given audiences value for money. But with the highly under-rated Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, his directorial debut in 2005, Black proved unequivocally that he could make the often faltered step-up to directing duties. He created a film that showcased the dirtier, seedier side of Los Angeles, the side that Tinseltown would rather you didn't know about. Along with a quick-witted, tit-for-tat script, he also got the best performance for years out of the extremely talented Val Kilmer and can be credited with being the first man (long before Jon Favreau) to realize that Downey Jr. was too good an actor to be flippantly thrown by the wayside. Although I think Favreau did an excellent job with the first Ironman film and should be wildly applauded for bringing the property to the big screen, I do think the second film felt a bit stale and never really brought Tony Stark's story forward enough; it felt like the film existed simply as a lead-in to The Avengers. It was time for a new director and I believe Kevin Feige and co. got that difficult decision right with Shane Black.

While watching the impressive trailer for Ironman 3, the first thing I noticed was the heightened emotional tone. Much like the first film it seems Tony Stark has been forced to question his place, not just in the world, but in the universe. At the end of The Avengers he caught a glimpse of something that was far more powerful than he could ever have imagined and that has led to his once unshakable self-confidence and bravado being shattered. Stark is left doubting his own usefulness, a shadow of doubt has crept in to his psyche and for the very first time he is left wondering is he strong enough, is he powerful enough, is he smart enough. There seems to be a need there to become more than a man in a suit and the pressure of these lingering thoughts is taking its toll on him. The smug and cocky billionaire has been overtaken with desperation to truly go beyond his human limits and find a way to protect the world from the inevitable onslaught. Ultimately this will create a far more interesting film for the audience to watch as the heightened emotional tension will be an adequate counterweight to all of the manic, sky-bound action we’ve come to love about Ironman films

I couldn't write this preview of Ironman 3 without mentioning the villain of the piece, Batman has The Joker, Superman has LexLuthor, Captain America has The Red Skull and Ironman has always had The Mandarin. For years fans of the comics have hoped and prayed for the character's inclusion in the franchise. He has long been Tony Stark’s ultimate opponent and in Ben Kingsley Marvel has found a world-renowned character actor that can bring some weight and credibility to a part that could have easily become a bit of a joke. The Mandarin of Marvel's film universe has been propelled in to the 21st century and become a more believable incarnation of the fan-favorite. Although we have only had a glimpse of Kingsley's version of The Mandarin, there is definitely a sense that he has reveled in the part. There is an aura of menace and doom surrounding his few short words in the trailer and it certainly whets the appetite for a more fleshed-out villain for Tony Stark to encounter.

Ironman 3 is obviously one of the most anticipated movies of the year and for good reason, with a new director to rejuvenate the established cast and a story that potentially could top any of Marvel’s films to date, the future looks bright for the first of Marvel’s post-Avengers slate. Personally, I can’t wait to see the planned phase 2 up and running and in Ironman they have the perfect base from which to start.

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