Rank - 17/23 || Iron Man 3

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall
Director: Shane Black

Iron Man 3 was a game-changer. It brought Marvel Studios to its knees and we are better off for it. Robert Downey Jr had become the face of the Avengers and also the MCU. His initial contract was ending with this movie. And he wasn’t willing to play Marvel’s ball. The media was filled with news of how this would be the last of RDJ’s Marvel movies, how no one was indispensable, how all roles could be recast, how Marvel could afford to keep most of the money to themselves. Future Avengers movies could have other heroes. After all, if they could make an obscure character like Iron Man a world-wide phenomenon, they could do anything. 

Then Iron Man 3 released. And just didn’t stop making money. The next day (or thereabouts) Marvel threw in the towel. The age of film stars headlining movies may have ended. But that doesn’t apply to RDJ in a Marvel movie.

Tony Stark (Downey Jr) realises he is more human than he thought. He is having panic attacks. To compensate he puts more efforts to work, which in turn affects his relationship with Pepper Potts (Paltrow). And when an old one-night stand Maya (Hall) and Pepper’s old acquaintance Killian (Pearce) reappear, things were not bound to go well. If this were not enough a terrorist calling himself the Mandarin (Kingsley) is wreaking havoc. 

When matters came too close to home, Tony issued a direct challenge to the Mandarin, one that ends in him losing his home and comfort zone. He becomes a stripped-down, back-to-the-basics version of the Tony Stark we know. The Mechanic, as he calls himself. With the help of Harley (Ty Simpkins), the most irritatingly precocious kid this side of the Bermuda Triangle, Tony gets ready to conquer his insecurities and confront the Mandarin.

IM3 will forever be despised and/or adored by hardcore comic fans for that twist involving a major character. I firmly belong to the latter camp. No one could have seen it coming. I am sure part of the reason Marvel agreed to this was because they thought this would be the last appearance of Iron Man. 

Robert Downey Jr continues to be in his element. Even in his most vulnerable moments, he retains a bit of his bravado, but you then know it is his nature, rather than a mask. In Ty Simpkins he gets a foil for the ages. We wonder why there are not too many child actors playing major roles in the MCU. Guy Pearce has a lot of fun going well and truly overboard, while Rebecca Hall is thoroughly unused. Ben Kingsley. I can only imagine the glee Shane Black and his friends felt when Sir Ben agreed to be part of their Machiavellian plan.

Time has been kind to IM3, as I recently found on a re-watch. I loathed it when I first saw it. Didn’t even find Shane Black’s signature dialogues funny. But now I revise my feelings to a degree. I admire the decision to bring Tony Stark out of his wheelhouse. Then again, there is only so much you can hold yourselves back when the plot involves the US President being kidnapped. 

The movie is partly based on what is probably the best-known standalone Iron Man stories - Extremis. But that is just a plot point and the screenplay embellishes it quite a bit. 

The huge budget allows for a lot more action. The scenes involving the fighting suits are goosebump-inducing at first. Then they become tiresome. The climatic fight is probably 20 minutes too long. Also, the fact that the Extremis effect is rather irritating to the eyes. I still have issues with the movie, but it has softened around the edges.

But the end is a full stop. We are not expecting Iron Man again. It was the end of a trilogy. Marvel was ready to move on. But, as was proved, the audience wasn’t. They defeated Marvel. And having seen Endgame again a couple of days ago, I can categorically say that paying whatever Downey Jr wanted was the smart thing to do.

Stan Lee cameo: Lee as a beauty pageant judge. Couldn’t think of anything better for the Man, Shane?

Post-credits scene: The post-credits scene suddenly explains the narration that we have been hearing from the beginning. Sure, it is Tony Stark talking, but not to the audience. Also, no tie-in to future movies.