Movie review: Suiting up against the Mandarin in 'Iron Man 3'

In the two previous movies, you saw Tony Stark build the armor out of nothing, and you saw him build better armor and a better arc reactor. But here you’re going to see Stark stripped down. No, not literally—calm down, ladies—but devoid of the fancy cars and high-tech toys. Stark is even stripped of Jarvis. "Iron Man 3", starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley, opened in Philippine theaters on Wednesday. If you’ve watched the trailer, then you know that there will be explosions, the Mandarin is terrorizing the world, Tony Stark is angry, there are flight attendants falling out of Air Force One. Tony Stark has also been building many, many suits of armor, and he’s been working on pretty cool upgrades. James Rhodes is wearing the War Machine armor that has been repainted and re-branded as the Iron Patriot. Somehow Pepper Potts gets dragged into a skirmish. And where’s Happy Hogan? If you’re a fan of the comics, then you probably have a pretty good idea of the particular story arcs that are being used in the movie. “Extremis” by Warren Ellis is the one you’re thinking about. The other characters and armor that appear in the trailer will probably have you squealing with excitement too. But whatever you’re expecting, you’re in for a surprise. Does the man make the suit? Or does the suit make the man? It’s not a new concept in comics (see Wolverine's conceptualization with claws retracting into Logan’s gloves), so that begs the question, could anyone else really wear the armor and be Iron Man? Comic book fan or not, the answer is a resounding “no.” It seems the premise of “Iron Man 3” really goes back to Tony Stark’s press con statement at the end of the first movie: “I AM Iron Man.” This installment proves that Tony Stark isn’t just a rich boy with expensive toys. He’s resourceful and inventive, and deep down he really just is a mechanic tinkering with really complicated machines. In or out of armor, Stark fights to survive and to protect the people he cares about, like Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan. Iron on Of course, you’re not going to the theater to see a humanist commentary on the deconstruction of a modern hero. No, you’re there to see the armor. Those really complicated machines are beautiful pieces of CGI. Anybody with an affinity for design and engineering will appreciate the work by production designer Bill Brzeski and special effects supervisor Dan Sudick, seen in how Tony Stark works on his own inventions, and that the suits of armor are technologically superior but also beautifully made, like sports cars. While everyone admires Stark’s brilliance in designing and building the suits, a lot of the movie’s high points happen when the armor glitches and malfunctions. It’s like the armor has a mind of its own. It’s like Stark has to argue with himself whenever he exchanges witticisms with Jarvis or struggles with the Mark 42 face mask. The armor pieces, Jarvis, the robotic assistants in the workshop—they’re not just Stark’s creations, but extensions of himself and his thought processes. And just like Stark and his blunders, his machines stumble along the way too. Regardless, those stumbling, bumbling machines, plus one Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, make for an impressive army. And that’s going to come in handy against a pretty formidable villain. Scum and villainy In most stories, a hero is only as good as his nemesis. Here, we finally see the Mandarin, Iron Man’s longtime enemy from the comics. The Marvel cinematic universe has been hinting at him since the first movie, with the terrorist group calling itself the Ten Rings. In "Iron Man 3", the Mandarin is indeed wearing 10 rings, but they don’t seem to be the source of his power. Instead, the Mandarin sounds more like a fundamentalist who wants to teach America a lesson, much like most terrorist groups. But then there’s Aldrich Killian. In the movie, Killian is yet another villain of Stark’s making. The first movie showed terrorists using Stark Industries weapons, while “Iron Man 2” had Whiplash modifying Stark Sr.’s research for vengeful means. Here, Killian is a brilliant scientist driven to devious means. Inevitably he comes up with a few nefarious plans that involve impressive 3D presentations, kidnapping and experimentation. Oh, and don’t forget the evil henchmen. In this case, they’re more like foot soldiers in a Joss Whedon flick, because they’re pretty awesome scene-stealers. Watch out for their witty exchange with Stark. As villains go, Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce were excellent choices. Ben Kingsley is a gem, especially in the Mandarin’s big reveal. When Killian is unhinged, Guy Pearce’s performance leaves you with a gnawing unease. A shirtless Pearce is also a treat for the ladies. With a kiss, a bang, and a lethal weapon The storylines were skillfully intertwined, the hero humanized and the villains subverted. Most of this is the work of director Shane Black, who also wrote the screenplay. Black wrote the screenplay for “Lethal Weapon”, as well as “Lethal Weapon 2”, “Last Action Hero” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight”. In 2005, he wrote and directed “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”, which brought Robert Downey Jr. back into the limelight. That’s a pretty impressive resume, and the wit and humor of those previous films surface in "Iron Man 3". Stark’s scenes with Rhodey are very reminiscent of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. In “Iron Man 3” and in Black’s previous films, the heroes are plagued with self-doubt and hesitation, impulse and determination, but they cope with humor and instinct. Black’s heroes are very human, very flawed, and these characteristics make their actions heroic indeed. Consistent with Black’s prior films, the dialogue is hilarious, with puns flying back and forth at the speed of a Mark 42, and if you blink you’re bound to miss something. There’s also less of the tiresome bickering that plagued “Iron Man 2.” With jokes, puns, tropes turned topsy-turvy, and respectful nods to the comic books, Iron Man 3 is a must-see for Marvel fans, and a good rollercoaster ride that pretty much anybody will enjoy. See it in 3D if you can!  -- KDM, GMA News Iron Man 3 is currently screening in all major theaters. Photos courtesy of Marvel Studios/Disney Pictures