Iron Man 3 - 3 1/2 smiles

I like “Iron Man 3” as much as I liked the original Iron Man. The problem that keeps 3 from being the best movie in the series is the credibility issues that result from 3 being a standalone adventure, taking place in the Avengers universe. Although Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) refers to events in The Avengers (aliens and the black hole that he flew into to save the world), the absence of SHIELD is puzzling, especially since Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury was a presence in Ironman I and 2.  Nonetheless, Downey is as funny and effective as ever, if not more so and he is the main reason to see “Iron Man 3.” If this is Downey Jr.’s last as Iron Man in a solo movie (as he has indicated in interviews), it’s a solid way to end the series. However, 3D adds nothing to the movie except to inflate the ticket price.

The movie begins shortly after the events depicted in The Avengers and Tony Stark has returned to Malibu where he and Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow) live together.  Tony has a case of insomnia and also suffers from anxiety attacks. Unable to sleep, he tinkers with new versions of The Suit. When an attack from a terrorist known only as ‘The Mandarin’ (Ben Kingsley) puts Stark’s faithful bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) in a coma, Tony vows revenge. This puts him in the crosshairs of The Mandarin and his henchman, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). Tony met Killian, a brilliant scientist, in 1999 at a New Year’s Eve party along with Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), another brainy scientist. He doesn’t think much about either of them until now. Circumstances transport Tony to rural Tennessee, where he is helped by an 8-year-old boy (Ty Simpkins). Adorable Simpkins is a good match for Downey’s cynical Tony. There are a couple of satisfying twists, one of which is hilarious and an encounter with a fan boy is also funny. Tony must rely on his wits as much as his Iron Man suit although the when the suit reemerges, it does so in varying (and humorous) degrees. Director Shane Black includes the requisite big action scenes, blowing up a lot of everything. Even Don Chile’s Col. James Rhodes gets into the action. “Iron Man 3” is definitely worth seeing. 5/3/13