On Saving The American Presidency-Robert Downey, Jr.’s Iron Man 3 (2013)-A Film Review

DVD Review

By Sandy Salmon

Iron Man 3, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gweneth Paltrow, 2013

Yeah, Tony Stark is up to his old tricks again in this Iron Man 3 production tinkering with the far edges of technology-and off-handedly saving the world, well almost the world, the generic American president (depending on your point of view a question of some import these 21^st century days). But our Tony, I don’t think I have to mention that he is played by Robert Downey, Jr. not after two previous efforts as Iron Man and others as one of the Marvel Comic action hero collective), has been a little off his game since helping save the world from aliens along with his Marvel buddies. In the old days that might not have mattered but now that he living with his paramour, Pepper, who I also probably don’t have to mention is played by fetching Gweneth Paltrow, his post-traumatic stress is getting in the way of their wholesome relationship. Every guy knows how that one feels, and will play out.             

Of course with those personal problems weighing down on him it is an open question whether Iron Man will be able to save the world yet again. That is not a rhetorical question either because another in the long line of villains, alien (meaning from off-planet not some woe begotten refugees from the world’s incessant conflicts) or earth-bound, is raising hell, creating firestorms and all creation falling apart.  A guy who looks very much like an Osama bin Laden character who calls himself the Mandarin is talking big talk about taking the known world, the known Western world, down in flames. Along the way an old nemesis an off-beat edgy scientist named Killian is simultaneous trying woo Tony to his side and to supplant him as the king hell king of the Marvel universe.       

You know the end of that story, you know old Killian will have to take the fall, have to take the big step-off on general principles that bad guys can’t make the pure as gold Marvin heroes’ pantheon. That part is clear but kind of a side issue because this dastardly Mandarin had taken the American President prisoner in order to execute him on world-wide television (nice if evil touch). By the way the Prez was not hijacked from the White House but from a flying in the air Air Force One which should make one wonder about high level air security and what the heck the Secret Service was up to but we will let that slide for another day. What we won’t let slide for another day though is that Tony, okay, okay Iron Man saves the President’s bacon from Mandarin who just so happened to been a cover for Killian. So, yes, Killian took the big step-off from guess who, yes, Pepper. Nice work. And to make it a great success Tony had an operation on that silly pseudo-heart of his and so now he and Pepper can go under the silky sheets without worrying about him going off on some crazy tangent. Good action-packed fun-okay