The mixed bag that is Iron Man 3
In the most recent blog, I didn’t talk about Ablative Armor Iron Man like I usually do. I took a break and started this series showered nothing but praise on Iron Man 3. It’s one of my favorite Marvel movies, but also one that gets a whole lotta hate. And yeah, I can understand why, even if I don’t agree.
But that doesn’t mean I think it’s perfect. Some parts of it are, to put it succinctly, a mixed bag. This blog is all about the stuff that’s sometimes good, sometimes bad about the third Iron Man movie.
The Mixed
The Mark 42
First of all, too much gold!
Second, Iron Man vs. three helicopters wouldn’t be a challenge at all, so they have to nerf him in some way. I get that. But if it’s a prototype, why put repulsors on it at all? Why have access to the hand repulsors but leave the boot jets offline? A prototype means that it’s just the first of something better to come; there’s really no reason to weaponize it. (Why give Pepper a shoulder massage with a wrist rocket inches from her head?)
But the Prodigal Son idea as a whole was brilliant, especially Tony’s reaction when it breaks apart at the oil rig. Whatever. Plus, using it to trap Killian was a pretty good move on Tony’s part.
Clean Slate
Positive: It works for the story. Negative: I hate to see all those beautiful suits blow up. (Yeah, I know they’re just digital creations.) Also, all that arc-reactor material falling into the ocean can’t be good for sea life.
Here’s a side note that I always like pointing out. Igor didn’t accept the Clean Slate, because he couldn’t without disastrous consequences. Tony called him in to make sure the rig didn’t fall over. Since we don’t see that happen, he’s obviously still jacking the place up.
The Destruction of Marks 1-7
Look, I have no problems with the armors blowing up. It raises the stakes and serves as a metaphor for Tony’s life falling apart (mentally and physically). But I really hate how they blow up one by one, at perfectly timed intervals. It looks good, but I can’t think of any real reason this would happen.
The Communications Van
Lots of people don’t like this scene, and I get it. It would certainly be the one on the cutting room floor if I had to trim a few minutes. But I think it’s funny, a nice little scene that shows how Tony — and probably RDJ — reacts to fans that go too far.
Prodigal Son vs. the Semi Truck
Okay, it’s unexpected and gets a surprised laugh out of the audience. But Tony/Iron Man always seems aware of his surroundings. It’s how he survived the Battle of New York, it’s how he avoided and destroyed dozens of Vanko’s drones. He has sensors to avoid collisions. (Heck, some modern cars have this safety feature.) The sudden incapacitation of the armor is simply a story necessity to ensure Tony and Rhodey are at a disadvantage when they get to the rig.
However, it does mean it’s the last suit to arrive at the oil rig, which leads to a funny gag and a clever way to wound Killian. Still, what was it doing for those hours between getting struck by the truck and heading to the rig? Just laying in the road? You could argue that the Prodigal Son was slow because it was damaged, but when it arrived it was certainly moving faster than the speedboat that got Rhodey and Tony to the Roxxon oil rig.
Pepper’s Death and Transformation
I can’t remember what I thought the first time I saw this scene. After all, it’s Iron Man 3 and probably the last one, maybe Pepper will die. That would be ballsy.
Today it feels like kind of a cop-out when she comes back and is the only person who can defeat Killian. How she does it is cool, taking the Mark 9’s gauntlet and all. But it’s also weird how she’s suddenly the perfect fighter. The fact that there was no arc reactor to power the Mark 9’s repulsor only makes the scene more problematic.
The Posters
Some are great, some are not. I’m not a fan of the busy ones, the one where he’s on his knee and the one where he’s holding Pepper. You can just feel that RDJ isn’t in the suit and that he had it in his contract that the helmet would be off.
On the other hand, I really like the one where he’s falling. It’s a compelling image that goes beyond the “armor is battle-damaged” idea. I feel that it conveys the danger and hopelessness of a failed suit nicely.
My favorite is the Hall of Armor teaser poster. While it doesn’t have much to do with Iron Man 3, it’s a good “I like Iron Man” poster. In fact, it’s the one hanging on my wall right now, and the one I have behind my custom Ablative Armor 12” statue.
Next: The Bad
We’ve talked about the Good and the Mixed. Unfortunately, as much as I like it, I have to admit that there are some bad aspects of the movie (no, not the Mandarin, that’s back in the Good section). Stop by in a few days to find out what’s up…well, down with Iron Man 3.
In the meantime, enjoy this menagerie of Iron Man 3 posters. Most are official, some are alternate collectible versions, and a couple might be fan creations.
