MOVIE OF THE WEEK: Iron Man 3

Well, summer 2013 looks very promising if "Iron Man 3" is any indication. Despite loving both (yes, both) of the previous installments in the franchise, this actually wasn't that high on my anticipation list as far as this year's batch of summer fare. Thankfully, it duly delivered on everything I hoped this film would be.
The plot of the film follows on from the events of last year's "The Avengers", as Tony Stark is recovering from his near-death experience during that ordeal. He recovery is curtailed however as he comes up against a new terrorist in the form of the Mandarin(Ben Kingsley). As you can expect, this villain's main goal in life is to create chaos and the film goes through this usual formula.
Not much new ground is trodden here and I was initially very wary of this "been there, done that" feeling. However, the story does pick up and gave me all the elements I enjoy in the Iron Man saga. Most importantly, we get another great showcase of Robert Downey Jr.'s interpretation of Tony Stark/Iron Man. One of the things that draws me to Iron Man is the "realism" of his superpowers. Unlike superheroes like Superman and Thor, his abilities are derived from mostly believable real-world science and technology. It creates a sense of relatability in Tony Stark and its truly at its peak here. While we do get our usual snappy humour, we also see a vulnerability in this film that sets it apart from other action/comic book movies. I was quite intrigued to see our hero in such frequent moments of crippling fear and anxiety. It's well-played by Downey Jr. and makes for a leading man you truly want to root for.
A lot of this appeal is strengthened by Shane Black's smartly character-focused writing and he deserves a lot of credit. He understands the strangely "endearing douchiness" of Stark and portrays it with witty writing that keeps the proceedings fun and light. In fact, some of the scenes are downright hilarious. Even though the concept of terrorism and Mandarin himself is dark, the film doesn't feel too ominous. It's a strange approach to portraying evil(especially when it comes to Kingsley's character), but it somehow works. Like Stark himself, Shane Black doesn't take the mythology of Iron Man too seriously. Instead, he focuses more on creating an awesome spectacle.
When it comes down to the "nitty gritty" of blockbuster entertainment, this film scores high marks from me. It's action-packed with thrilling setpieces, fantastic visual effects and an entertaining story. I was certainly a satisfied customer.