"Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang 2," I Mean, "Iron Man 3" Is Pretty Awesome

Directed by Shane Black, written by Drew Pearce & Shane Black, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, Rebecca Hall, Guy Pearce, and Ben Kingsley - Rated PG-13

The humor of this film puts it at the top of the trilogy for me.

The Marvel comic book movies truly began with Iron Man back in 2008.  That film not only introduced us to billionaire playboy turned hero Tony Stark, but also kicked off a series of films that would culminate with The Avengers, last year’s hugely successful superhero team-up movie.  Iron Man 3 is a rebirth in that this is the first Marvel film since The Avengers.  The question is where does Marvel go from here?  How does a standalone film address the events of The Avengers?  Apparently, it has a panic attack.

That is not a put down of Iron Man 3.  Tony Stark literally has panic attacks in the film when the events that took place in The Avengers are mentioned.  It’s almost as if the writers of the film wanted to tell the audience through Stark that this is a movie of its own.  This is not The Avengers 2.  This is Iron Man.  And that’s a good thing. 

I’m not all that into ranking films in a series, but if I had to, I would say Iron Man 3 is the best of the series.  This is, of course, only one man’s opinion.  Many have taken issue with the film (just check the miserable cesspool that is the IMDb message boards for examples), and I actually slightly agree with their critiques.  There are complaints (nitpicks) about the villain, the logic, and the lack of, well, Iron Man.  I understand these complaints, but none of it bothered me that much because I was thoroughly entertained. 
 

Iron Man 3 worked for me more than the first two films for one simple reason: Shane Black.  Marvel has made some interesting, and great, choices when it comes to directors.  Giving Jon Favreau the job on the first two Iron Man movies, hiring Kenneth Branaugh for Thor, and allowing geek-god Joss Whedon to write and direct The Avengers have all been masterstrokes.  Bringing in Shane Black, best known for writing Lethal Weapon and writing/directing Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, might be their best decision yet.  Black may not be known for big budget action, but he has proven himself many times over that he can write witty dialogue.  Team him up with renowned improviser Robert Downey, Jr. and you end up with a very funny, entertaining film. 

In many ways, Iron Man 3 is similar to the earlier Black/Downey team-up in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.  Both films take place at Christmas, feature a witty voiceover from Downey, Jr., and involve the main character solving a mystery.  That is what I liked the most about this third installment; Tony Stark basically becomes a detective for the bulk of the film.  Normally, a sequel to a comic book movie is simply more action as loud as possible.  In this film, Tony Stark is in the Iron Man suit shockingly few times.  As stated earlier, this might bother some people, but I liked it. 

The mystery Tony has to solve involves massive domestic explosions that a terrorist called The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is taking credit for.  The Mandarin is a mysterious figure that no one can seem to track down, which is why Tony must play detective for the most part.  It’s interesting because The Mandarin is such a combination of cultures you really want to know what his story is.  He has a bin Laden beard, Chinese robes, and a southern accent.  He’s brutal and strange.  Thankfully, the promotions for the film have kept him mysterious, and his origin story is quite effective (though comic book fans are up in arms about it). 





These guys?  Don't worry about these guys...

The mystery element of the film does not mean there is no action.  Shane Black proves he has an eye for large-scale action with Iron Man 3.  The big events are spaced out quite a bit, but when the suit comes on, you know something awesome is about to happen.  There are some truly exhilarating moments in the film, most notably a complicated air rescue, and it’s surprising that there is still a fresh way to show the action in the series after so much screen time with the character. 

Of course, the Iron Man series has always been more about the character than the action, and this incarnation embraces that.  With the suit off, Downey, Jr. gets to have a lot of fun.  His interactions with a kid in the middle of the film could have easily ended up being clichéd, but his sarcasm and wit liven the scenes up. 

Robert Downey, Jr. simply makes these films work, but he’s not alone.  Ben Kingsley definitely adds some allure to The Mandarin.  Gwyneth Paltrow continues to make Pepper Potts more than just a damsel in distress.  James Badge Dale is perfectly cast as a villain you would like to punch in the face.  Don Cheadle works well with Downey in their few buddy cop scenes.  And Paul Bettany’s voice work makes the A.I. computer program Jarvis feel like a real character. 

Iron Man 3 is vastly different than what I expected it to be.  Perhaps that why I liked it so much, while others will hate it.  It is the funniest of the three films, features some of the most memorable action sequences of the trilogy, and, more importantly, it surprised me.  And in the land of sequels and big summer blockbusters, it’s rare, and good, to be surprised. 

Random Thoughts (SPOILERS)

Okay, so the Mandarin ended up being literally a joke.  This has the comic fans very angry.  I can't really comment on that since I've never read an Iron Man comic book.  The Mandarin of the film is my first impression of the character, so I can't speak to any outrage.

I did love how The Mandarin said "Amurica." 

 

I honestly felt sad when I saw Dum-E fall into the ocean.  I knew Stark would eventually salvage him, but it was still a surprisingly emotional scene.  Same goes for when Jarvis's voice started to die out. 
 

I loved how the Shamwow guy is a part of the distortion before one of the Mandarin videos.

The after credits scene didn't give any connection to future projects, but I really dug how it explained why Tony was narrating the story in the first place.  I've always been a stickler about first person narration and how it should be explained rather than simply included, so that was nice.

 

"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Directed by Mike Newell, written by Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, (screen story by Jordan Mechner), starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, and Ben Kingsley - Rated PG-13

Prince of Persia is just a bland mess of a film.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the latest videogame adaptation, is not likely to change anyone’s mind regarding the videogame-as-movie genre. I actually enjoy a few of the hated videogame adaptations, but this film was just a bland experience. It’s not terrible, but it’s certainly not consistently entertaining.

Prince of Persia takes place in, you guessed it, ancient Persia. But don’t expect some kind of history lesson with this film, especially since the majority of the cast do not even resemble someone of Middle Eastern descent. This was an issue I had after seeing the first preview. I wondered why an American actor was portraying a Persian prince with a British accent. To be fair, said character, Dastan, is an orphan, so it’s feasible that he is not of Persian blood. But what about Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina, and Ben Kingsley, all of whom are British? Sure, Kingsley played Gandhi, so why can’t he be Persian, too, but it would have been nice to have an actor or two of honest descent to add a bit of authenticity. This may be a petty argument for some, but I know that other people have a major issue with it.

The casting isn’t very realistic and I guess that’s okay because the story isn’t, either. I’ll spare you a lengthy summary. The main points are that a prince, not of royal blood (Jake Gyllenhaal), is framed for a murder. He sets off with the clever Princess Tamina. Along the way he realizes she is protecting a magical dagger that can turn back time (hence the sub-titular sand). Of course, the dagger is a part of an issue that threatens the entire world.

The story wasn’t fantastical enough for me, though. I haven’t played many of the Prince of Persia games, but the ones that I did play featured a more supernatural plot. The Prince was killing strange sand demons rather than regular soldiers and “hasansins.” I wanted to see more creatures, especially since the fight sequences in this film were serviceable at best.

The enemies are not the only game connection that I felt was lacking. The Prince of Persia games have always been about the Prince jumping from ledge to ledge and swinging around as he makes his way through complex architecture. This film features a few moments that showcase the Prince’s abilities, but it’s not part of the film’s focus.

The focus is on the relationship between Dastan and Tamina, which is unoriginal to say the least. It’s the standard adventure love story we’ve been getting for decades. Man is forced to drag woman along for a journey. They seem to hate each other and constantly bicker. Then, against all odds, they realize they love each other. Only this film can’t stick to the formula. There is an overload of “near kiss” scenes and the relationship jumps back and forth from humorous to serious too often and too quickly. I don’t mind the banter between these two, but it should be more focused. Have them crack wise at each for the first half of the film, but get a bit more serious near the end.

Perhaps the inconsistent relationship wouldn’t have been so noticeable if it hadn’t been for the inclusion of Alfred Molina. He is here purely as comedic relief and I didn’t find him funny at all. He’s a sheik who puts on ostrich races (what?) and also goes from funny to serious multiple times and it never seems natural. I heard others laughing at his every word, though. He just seemed out of place to me, constantly spouting anti-government dialogue that felt out of place.

Molina’s complaints about taxes added a modern feel that I thought weakened the film. It didn’t help that part of the plot dealt with an army attacking a city based on faulty information concerning weapons. Hmm, going to war in the Middle East on the assumption of a weapons stockpile? Sound familiar? That’s the problem. I didn’t go into Prince of Persia wanting to see some thinly veiled statement on the war in Iraq. It doesn’t add up that a film that features so much goofy comic relief would have such a serious undertone.

But it truly isn’t all terrible. The production value is great. Persia is created in a visually interesting way and all of the sets were impressive. The camerawork is interesting at moments, as well. The acting is fine. The plot actually has a decent payoff, mainly due to the sequences that feature the dagger. It’s a shame there weren’t more scenes that put the time travel to good use because it is an amusing concept. It’s just that none of these positive points make up for the negative. They just make the film bearable and, occasionally, slightly enjoyable.

The best part of the film, though, is Jake Gyllenhaal. His physical presence alone may be enough for the more obsessive fans (mostly ladies) out there. Regardless of whether or not you find him sexy, it would be hard to argue that he can’t carry a film. He usually plays more awkward, borderline nerdy characters. This film proves that he can play the normal hero. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, though, since his best performances (Donnie Darko, Zodiac) are awkward, nerdy characters.

I wanted a more serious, supernatural action film that was more like the videogame. What I got was an action-comedy that provided merely decent action and, more often than not, annoying comedy. Maybe my expectations were messed up. If all you want from this film is a buffed up Gyllenhaal flirting with a princess, then you’ll come away pleased. If you expect more from this film, you’ll walk out of the theatre like me, saying, “Well, that kind of sucked.”