Iron Man 3
Tony Stark, the man behind the iron mask, is once again played by Robert Downey, Jr. However, we can sense something slightly different about the character, and of Downey's performance. While he's as quick-witted as ever, he seems to be using his humor as a shield to hide a lot of private pain. This is a Tony Stark with the weight of the world on his shoulders. His experiences in The Avengers have made him a shell of a man, and brought on sleep deprivation and severe anxiety. You can't really blame the guy. After experiencing aliens, vengeful gods, a massive wormhole, and the near-destruction of New York City, sleep would be the last thing on anyone's mind. The movie actually opens by flashing back to New Year's Eve in 1999, where we witness the beginnings of Tony's personal demons that will haunt him for the rest of the film.
In this flashback, we're introduced to two different scientists whom Tony encountered that night. One is a beautiful young woman named Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), who is experimenting with new ways to cure illnesses. The other is Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a man plagued with various physical handicaps. Aldrich tries to get Tony interested in his research, but he brushes him off, and spends the night with Maya instead. Both of these decisions will have consequences for him in the future, as we learn when the film flashes forward to the present day. In the present, a terrorist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is staging a series of seemingly random attacks across the U.S. His true intentions and purposes are unknown, but judging by the video recorded messages that always pop up after one of his attacks, his ultimate goal seems to be tied to the President of the United States (William Sadler). When one of Tony's personal friends, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) becomes injured in one of the attacks, the search for The Mandarin becomes personal for Stark, and he must don the Iron Man armor once again.
Stepping into the director's chair previously held by Favreau is Shane Black, the man best known for writing the original Lethal Weapon, and who previously directed Downey in 2005's crime film, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Black's screenplay (which he co-wrote with Drew Pearce) is expertly crafted, mixing the fun and humor of the earlier films, with some new elements. Amongst the new elements is a much twistier plot, filled with revelations that, quite frankly, caught me off guard. Without giving too much away, one of those twists is centered around the character of The Mandarin, one of Iron Man's oldest villains from the comic books. Even though I cannot claim to be an expert on the comics, I do know enough about The Mandarin character that this movie's depiction is likely to create a huge divide amongst comic fans. As for me, I found the interpretation to be quite brilliant within the context of the film itself, and Kingsley's performance to be nothing less than a scene-stealer. 
Another aspect of the script I enjoyed is how it gives us a greatly humbled Tony Stark. After a crucial scene where he loses everything he knows and loves, it allows the character, and Downey's performance, to become much more human. He still has his one-liners and sense of humor, but this forces him to lose much of the arrogance that slightly derailed Iron Man 2. It's right about this point that Tony is also briefly paired up with a young boy (Ty Simpkins), whom the movie is smart in using. He's not annoying, nor does he become Tony Stark's "sidekick" or partner. He does help him out, but he doesn't become the focus of the film, nor does he become a desperate attempt to speak to the younger audience members. They create an interesting relationship. Speaking of relationships, Gweneth Paltrow is back as Stark's love interest, Pepper Potts, and is given more to do this time around. She not only gets to share some great scenes with Tony, but she plays a bigger part in the plot as well.
I actually found all the characters a lot more interesting this time around. Don Cheadle returns as Stark's closest friend, James Rhodes, and gets more action this time around in his personalized suit, War Machine, or "Iron Patriot", as it has been renamed here. Yes, he is pushed into the background for a good part of the film, and I would have liked to have seen more of him. But Cheadle's performance seems more at ease here than in the last film, and he gets to hold his own in a few scenes. Finally, there's Guy Pearce, who makes a fine new addition to the cast. I must be careful to avoid spoilers here, but his presence adds greatly to the film. He's sympathetic in his early moments, and becomes forceful later on. It's a great character, and Pearce is obviously savoring every second up on the screen.
I realize I've spent most of this review talking about the characters, which is odd for a summer blockbuster review. And while this film is certainly full of rewarding character moments, it's the action that left me breathless. These are some of the best action sequences I've seen in a film in quite a while. The kind of white-knuckle, all-absorbing action that makes you want to scream out "YES!!" on more than one occasion. (Pumping your fist in the air as you scream is optional.) Shane Black brings his expertise for writing action here, creating some unforgettable moments that will be hard to top as the summer rolls on. I do want to bring attention to one particular sequence, in which Iron Man must rescue people who have been sucked out of a plane, and are falling. Watching the sequence, I was certain there was a lot of clever CG and green screen work going on. And yet, watching the end credits, I noticed that there were actually professional sky divers employed for the scene. That makes it all the more impressive.
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