“Since that big dude with the hammer fell out of the sky, subtlety has had its day”.
Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 – a direct sequel to The Avengers - may not be understated. However, it’s far less self-indulgent than Iron Man 2.

Still shaken by the alien attack of The Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is spending his panicked, sleepless nights obsessively working on his suit. But ironically, it’s become less a part of him. Employing only parts of it when he needs to, Stark is, literally and figuratively, less guarded than ever – resulting in a very human performance from Downey, and some great effects as Stark dons only an iron arm or leg. His vulnerabilities come to the fore as he’s forced to face down terrorist Mandarin (a brilliant Ben Kingsley) and sinister geneticist Guy Pearce.
Iron Man 3 is screenwriter Black’s first directorial effort since his debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, another Downey Jr love-in that featured fire-tipped dialogue and a neo-noir edge. As ever, Downey Jr has some cutting one-liners, particularly when indulging in sarcastic banter with precocious child side-kick, Ty Simpkins. There are also intelligent points about America turning terrorists into comic-book celebrities and a brilliant, unforeseeable revelation that’s both satirical and side-splitting.
However, Black’s inexperience with the genre occasionally shows. Though the effects are incredible, the director fails to create any sense of menace in the final act. Great fun all the same.