Iron Man Three: A Review

There's no denying that Favreau's Iron Man was single-handedly responsible for not only resurrecting the Marvel franchise (after Spider Man 3 and Fantastic Four 2, it was kinda bleak) but also responsible for the success of Marvel's cinematic Phase One  endeavour.

Iron Man Three is set post The Avengers and incorporates a few sub plots and background stories from the ensemble super hero flick. Primary among them being the anxiety that Tony experiences quite frequently all through the movie. We are introduced to a menacing Bin Ladenesque terrorist leader, The Mandarin, played masterfully (on many levels!) by Ben Kingsley. Guy Pearce plays a scientist colleague from Stark's past who seems to have a hidden agenda.

Comic book readers will already know that the first two movies were partially based on the Extremis storyline. The threequel exploits a huge portion of the same storyline including characters and the virus itself. Although with a few cinematic adaptations and modifications.

It's worth noting that IM3 isn't directed by Favreau, but instead by Shane Black. Now that may not be a huge cause for concern for most viewers. However the movie does echo his style and does become a tad different in terms of style and execution as compared to the preceding two flicks. This may be a good or bad thing based on our affection for them.

There are some truly cool moments in the movie such as the Iron Man suit being donned by none other than the oh-so sexy Gwyneth Paltrow and the kick-ass army of Iron Men being summoned by Stark. But I'll be honest. Overall I wasn't blown away by the movie. The main storyline almost delves into a Fringe/ X-Files kind of procedural investigative drama when Tony sets out to uncover the true perpetrators of the so-called terrorist attacks. And for some reason a few of the anxiety attacks that our protagonist experiences were a tad underplayed and comical IMHO. I understand this isn't Shakespeare, but maybe they could have done something about it.

Another complain I had was with the entire Mandarin storyline, or rather the lack of it. Mandarin is the arch-nemesis in the original comics and fan-boys were probably expecting a substantial plot with the Mandarin being involved, especially since there was an allusion to his existence right in the first movie. So yea, if you're planning to witness some major Iron Man - Mandarin showdown, you'll be sorely disappointed.

The story does put a logical conclusion to the cinematic rendition of Iron Man, which may also mean that we may not see him appear in Avengers 2 (set to be released in 2015). Although the conclusion could have been a tad more full circle if elements from the first movie were used to wrap things up.

Despite it's flaws, I still enjoyed the movie simply because of RDJ. He's the Jack Sparrow of the Iron Man movies. The plot and story may be under performing, but they're bearable simply because the talented RDJ is in the movie portraying the protagonist. It is almost impossible to imagine anyone else donning the Iron Suit for future instalments of this highly successful super hero franchise.

Is this the best Iron Man movie in the franchise? No. Should you watch the movie? Absolutely! Especially if you loved the first two movies and are a comic-book/ super-hero fanatic such as myself.

Why I wanna wait another few years for the next Avengers Movie!

To say that The Avengers movie was a success would be a gross understatement. The ensemble cast super-hero extravaganza proved to be one of the biggest success stories for the comic-book to silver screen adaptation genre. To the extent that other studios have begun working full steam to replicate the success with their comic book properties

Studio heads at Disney obviously intend to milk this cash cow to the fullest, especially since there is so much more material in the Marvel Universe to fuel another movie. Official news of the sequel has already been confirmed and has fans of the movie and the comic books on an excitement high. But as an avid fan of the Marvel Universe (I have read tonnes of the comics and watched a LOT of the animated series), I am willing to wait for another 3-4 years for the sequel to hit the screens. Here's why...

It's no secret that the first Avengers movie was a carefully planned super-project by the studio heads. Inkling of the movie began with the post credit scene in the first Iron Man movie way back in 2008. This trend of giving away hints continued with each new Marvel Superhero motion picture in the following months; The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Captain America and most recently Thor. Apart from building up the (absolutely justified) hype, these post credit-scenes and the movies themselves served the important purpose of getting movie audiences familiar with the vast and myriad Marvel universe. Imagine watching (or reading) the final installment in the Harry Potter saga without ANY knowledge of the back-stories of the various characters. You'd walk out of the movie hall with an unmistakable feeling of "What The Eff!". Simply put we need some more super hero movies from the Marvel Universe (backed by Disney of course) to establish some more back-story and get a better insight into the Marvel universe.

If you stuck around (of course you did!) for the post credits scene of The Avengers, you definitely caught a glimpse of the sinister being grinning as the screen switched to black. The being in question is the celestial villain (not always) Thanos who is touted to be the villain in the sequel. Marvel fans will tell you that the most memorable and popular comic book story arc associated with Thanos is The Infinity Gauntlet, which is an epic story on its own. However TIG is one in a series of six story arcs in the Infinity Saga that spans across multiple realities and involves almost every single Marvel Superhero and Villain (and there are a LOT!). And the entire saga takes place AFTER Thanos has been resurrected from his death. There are other story arcs prior to his demise. So you see, movie audiences would need some sort of back story to get a feel of the true nature of the (supposedly) new baddie for the upcoming sequel. 

A rushed sequel would most likely also suffer from the usual shortcomings. Almost always sequels have very little fresh appeal for the audiences and seem almost formulaic in their plot and story. The adage "If it ain't broke why fix it" tends to get used a lot when scripting sequels resulting in half-baked clones of the first movie. The writers for the next Avengers movie should patiently skim through the various story arcs, pertaining to their characters, available in the Marvel universe. This may also require stand-alone movies with hints scattered throughout the flick or a simple post-credits scene. Introducing new characters, minor or major, is always a good move, but they'd need to pick the right mix to ensure they don't affect the familiarity established with the audiences by the first movie and the preceding movie tie-ins.

Also, if the head honchos at Disney are smart, they'll realize the benefit of spacing out their comic book blockbusters. Apart from piquing the audience interest and building a stronger fan-following, the gaps would keep the franchise fresh. Striking the iron while it's hot may not be the best option. The Avengers has garnered very high praise and has cemented its place in the hearts of movie audiences globally ensuring a firm fan-base for a sequel no matter how long the wait.

Having said that, I have to admit I am highly anxious to see how this franchise moves forward on the silver screen as well as how other comic-verses are brought to the big-screen. For now, I'll keep a keen watch for the upcoming sequels and new movies for other superheros in the coming months.

Movie Review-Spiderman-3

Here comes your friendly neighborhood Spiderman!

The third installment in the Spiderman Trilogy has been perhaps the most anticipated of the lot. Does it live up to the hype? Well not entirely.

This Spiderman movie primarily deals with the relationships that Spiderman’s alter ego, Peter Parker has with the people in his life, foremost being his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). However the movie primarily deals with Parker’s own demons.

Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco reprise their roles as Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn respectively. Topher Grace as Eddie Brock aka Venom seems a little out of place, but is bearable. Thomas Hayden Church as the Sandman is great, his look and build are exactly the way I remember him from the anime. Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacey is wasted (In the comics, Gwen is supposed to be Parker’s first love. Here she is present for less than fifteen minutes!).

The third movie begins sometime after the last one ended, with Spiderman now accepted as a well-loved superhero of New York City. His personal life is great with a loving girlfriend in the form of Mary Jane Watson, who is aware and accepting of his dual identity and he’s doing great at school as well with good grades and a knockout of a lab-partner! But there are still a few thorns in Parker’s rosy life. Harry Osborn (who discovers the secret identities of both Peter Parker and his own father, the Green Goblin) still blames Parker for his father’s death. At work, Parker faces competition in the form of Eddie Brock, a slimy new freelance photographer who is willing to do anything to make that extra buck.
Things begin to spiral out of control with the introduction of a new villain, Flint Marko aka the Sandman, which forces Parker to confront his past once again.
The premise of the third movie is of course, the battle Spiderman wages against himself, rather his dark side. The concept isn’t very original as the theme is present in the Spiderman comics. An alien symbiotic life form merges with Parker’s Spidey suit rendering him more powerful and agile than before. However, the life form also amplifies Parker’s darker emotions, namely arrogance, spite and vengeance.
The movie introduces a new dimension in the Parker-Osborn relation, which makes for good viewing.

Spiderman has always been synonymous with vulnerability and very realistic human angst and social problems. In that sense, Sam Raimi has been true to the essence of the Spiderman comics. However the movie script is incoherent, which renders the story-telling weak. But, what the movie lacks in story telling, it makes up with a very provocative plot.

There are many sequences in the movie that make a mark, not all of them for the right reasons! The sequence where Parker displays his egotistical self is rather silly. With John Travoltaisque dance moves form Saturday Night Fever, and Tobey Maguire comes off as a complete weirdo!

J. Jonah Jameson, the editor of the newspaper The Daily Bugle, provides some much-required comic relief for the movie and is fabulous in the scene inside his office.

The action sequences are awesome. I especially loved the crane sequence where Spiderman rescues Gwen Stacey (Bryce Dallas Howard). But some sequences seem a bit too rushed, with so much happening so fast, that my head started spinning!

As a follower of the comic book and the animation, I was very disappointed with Raimi’s rendition of the villains in this movie. Eddie Brock is given very limited screen time as Spiderman’s nemesis, Venom (moreover the movie does not even give a name to be used for Eddie Brock’s alter ego!) Ditto for Sandman aka Flint Marko. Although, Marko’s story is well highlighted.
Venom is considered as a major character in the Spiderman series, both comic and anime. But in the movie he is treated as just another character. Raimi could have done so much more with his character, but I guess it didn’t fit the script.

What was surprising was to see both Tobey and Kirsten put on some weight, which made them seem a little odd. Compared to Tobey’s Peter Parker, Topher’s Eddie Brock seemed more athletic! A little less flab could have been a good idea for both of them!

Spiderman-3 is a movie that will probably be enjoyed by avid fans of the franchise but may fail to deliver in certain aspects. Over all I would recommend the movie to all of you who have enjoyed the first two installments, since this one provides a suitable conclusion (or maybe heralds a new beginning!!??) to the Spiderman Trilogy.

My verdict ** ½ stars.