“Iron Man 3″ Is The Superhero Film Quentin Tarantino Would Direct, If He Had Directed A Superhero Film”

The biggest problem I had with with Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man 2” was that the filmmakers decided to pit Iron Man against another armored character, just like in the first film (though there was also the way that they turned Justin Hammer into a Tony Stark wannabe, when in the comics he was far more threatening and a much better foil to Stark).

Shane Black seemed to learn from their mistake, because other than Iron Man himself and War Machine – now known as Iron Patriot – there are no other armored characters in the film.

What struck me as odd about the film is that it plays more like something by Quentin Tarantino, in that you get what feels like tons of dialog, with a few set pieces strategically placed to remind you why you’re there in the first place.

Shane Black is a writer who is known primarily for the ‘Lethal Weapon’ films, though he also wrote thrillers like “The Long Kiss Goodnight” and “The Last Boy Scout.” Black’s writing isn’t quite as engaging as Tarantino’s – the movie sags a bit around the middle, which is why it feels at bit longer than it actually is, despite being only four minutes longer than “Iron Man 2” and three minutes than the first film.

The threat Iron Man faces comes from a terrorist who calls himself the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and a process called ‘Extremis,’ which endows users with enhanced strength and speed as well as an annoying tendency to explode if they don’t take a regular dose of the drug that begins the process.

Robert Downey, Jr. is the heart of the film, and he plays the character with an effortlessness that is remarkable, which I suspect has more than a little to do with Downey essentially being Stark.

I should also mention that “Iron Man 3” is a Marvel Studios production.  This means that you should get comfortable because you’re going to be sitting through the credits.