Because I’m both a loud geek and a professional entertainment writer, plenty of people ask my opinion on superhero movies. When folks ask what my favorite MCU film is, though, they are always shocked (like wide-eyed, genuine surprise) to hear me say Iron Man 3. It’s a movie that’s been downright crucified by the fandom, but here’s the thing: the haters are wrong, and this is one of the best Marvel movies ever made.
When Iron Man 3 came out, fans generally agreed that it was better than Iron Man 2 (which is a very low bar to clear) but worse than the first Iron Man. Professional critics agreed: Iron Man 3 currently has a 79 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Iron Man 2’s 27 percent. The first Iron Man, however, is sitting pretty with an impressive 92 percent critical score (Tony Stark built that freshness rating in a cave… with a box of scraps!).
The Problems People Have With Iron Man 3
What did people dislike about Iron Man 3, exactly? The biggest thing the fandom hates is the reveal of “The Mandarin” as a drugged-out charlatan who was hired by someone else to serve as a very high-profile distraction. The twist that the big, scary villain isn’t who we thought he was rubbed some fans the wrong way, while others hated how much the portrayal of The Mandarin differed from the portrayal in the comics, where he is Iron Man’s oldest and scariest nemesis.
Destruction of the mansion in Iron Man 3
Other criticisms include the fact that the movie features plenty of Tony Stark out of his suit, which disappointed those expecting plenty of CGI-powered battles. Additionally, some disliked that the movie gestures towards Tony’s PTSD from the climax of The Avengers, but doesn’t really integrate this development into the movie as a whole.
Speaking of Tony, some fans hated that he destroyed all his Iron Man suits at the movie’s end. It was symbolically fitting at the time (this was originally going to be Robert Downey Jr.’s last MCU film). Still, considering Tony suits up again in later movies, this gesture seems unnecessarily wasteful.
Iron Man 3’s Weaknesses Are Its Strength
These criticisms baffled me from the beginning because fans complained about some of the stuff that made Iron Man 3 so special. For example, it would have been nice if the script had developed Tony’s PTSD plot a bit more, but I’m just happy that we have a single movie acknowledging the psychological toll that comes from saving the world. And the revelation of this weakness ironically makes Tony a stronger character because we get to see what he must overcome to save the day; isn’t that better than movies like Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Tony mostly makes generic action hero quips?
Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts in Iron Man 3
As for Tony Stark destroying all of his suits in Iron Man 3, this is admittedly a very wasteful act considering how much time and money it takes to create a suit. But remember that he was doing this as a big, romantic gesture to win over Pepper Potts, and Tony spending a small fortune to make his girlfriend smile is completely in character.
This controversial moment is just further proof that writer/director Shane Black really understands Tony Stark, as is the hilarious scene where our hero responds to a child’s story of parental abandonment. The kid is trying to emotionally manipulate Tony with a tale of his dad leaving when he was younger. Instead of responding with sympathy, Tony blurts out a brisk “Which happens, dads leave; no need to be a p***y about it.
Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 3
As for the criticism that Iron Man 3 has too much Tony Stark and not enough Iron Man, I have to question what these fans expect from their Marvel movies. Those who want to watch a computer-generated superhero destroy some computer-generated enemies should just cut out the middleman and play a video game. Iron Man 3 takes Tony out of the suit for so long that we get plenty of great character development scenes, and it’s very rewarding to see our hero improvise his way through battles without his super suit.
Revealing The Mandarin As A Fraud Is Perfect
Finally, the reveal that “The Mandarin” is just a paid actor reading scary lines fits perfectly into the themes of Iron Man 3 and the franchise. In the film, Tony must face demons from his past even as America faces a modern terrorist who cites the country’s atrocities against Native Americans. But “the Mandarin” is just a mask hiding the real threat, just as Tony’s fancy technology temporarily masked the fact that he’s Iron Man even when he’s out of the suit.
Destruction of the Iron Man suits in Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3 has a smart script from Shane Black that explores Tony Stark better than any movie before or since. It does so through a well-paced movie filled with satisfying twists and turns. From beginning to end, this movie delivers far beyond your wildest expectations. For fans still reeling from superhero fatigue, rewatching this movie is the perfect way to revisit the glory days of the MCU.
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