Iron Man Three (2013)

Five years ago, Tony Stark hit the big screen in style. Smart, action packed, and brilliantly acted, Iron Man was the best Marvel Comics movie yet. But the follow up two years later was something of a disappointment. Iron Man 2 was by no means a bad movie, and it certainly had its moments, but it simply didn't capture the awesomeness of its predecessor. Now the third installment has remedied most of its flaws, delivering summer entertainment that's fully satisfying, if not quite equal to the first film.

Iron Man 3 is not the kind of movie to waste much time on set up. From the get go it's clear that all is not well for Tony. He's got his suits and the woman he loves, his company is on stable footing, but there's a shadow looming over him. Because there's a new enemy striking at America from the shadows. A terrorist mastermind who can attack anywhere, anytime leaving no trace but broken bodies and smoldering wreckage. When challenged, he will stretch Tony to his very limits, taking everything that Iron Man can throw at him. And his name is Mandarin.

This is what every fanboy has been waiting for. As great a villain as Obadiah Stane was, the first movie still left one question in the back of my mind; what about the Mandarin? Where is Iron Man's oldest and deadliest foe? This question became more pressing as Tony battled B-list villains like Whiplash and Justin Hammer during the second film. Well now the arch nemesis is here, along with AIM founder Aldrich Killian and a small army of super powered enforcers. And when we finally meet him, he's the absolute last thing you would expect. Purists will no doubt complain about how far the Mandarin has been taken from his source material, but I've got to say that the version they've come up with here is simply brilliant.

The rest of the plot line is also excellent by summer blockbuster standards. Though it draws on key points from the recent Extremis, Haunted, and World's Most Wanted story arcs, the story here is completely new and rarely predicable, even to those who are well read in the comics. The villains' scheme is truly masterful, and there are some excellent twists and suitably shocking revelations towards the end.

And of course there's plenty of action, and it rocks. By now we've seen that Tony can take on nearly anything in his armor, which is why the movie does the smart thing and forces him to go without for an extended period of time. With only bits and pieces of his tech to help him, the tension is greater and Tony has to rely more on his wit and skill than massive firepower. Of course there are some awesome action scenes when he is suited up, particularly the mid air rescue sequence. And the best has been saved for last in a massive free-for-all involving Tony, Rhodes, Pepper, and more than a dozen sets of armor against the Mandarin's forces.

This is a very fun movie. Robert Downy junior is as awesome as ever, and he's been given a lot to work with. That's not to say that Iron Man 3 is perfect. I never really bought the whole panic attack thing, and I'm not sure the movie needed a pint sized sidekick, though I admit he did produce some good comic relief. And it just didn't feel quite as slick or as evenly paced as the original. But it comes very close, and it's definitely one of the better movies you'll see this summer.