Stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwenyth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Don Cheadle, James Badge Dale, Ty Simpkins, Jon Favreau with William Sadler, Miguel Ferrer, Paul Bettany and Ben Kingsley Directed by Shane Black Let's see here… Story takes place around, or references, Christmas? Check. Massive destruction of private property? Check. Villain with overly dangerous side-kick? Check. Simple bad guy idea hiding behind outrageous dastardly plot? Check. Highly quotable one liners? Check. It must be Shane Black at the wheel. And for reference, check out Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and the brilliant under rated Kiss Kiss Bang Bang where Black directed Robert Downey Jr. and effectively putting him back on everyone's must watch list. It's come full circle, hasn't it? Minor Spoilers ahoy - so you have been warned. And will be again when we reach a certain point. And while Marvel Studios have been piping this as the start of Phase Two in their grand master plan, it doesn't quite feel that to me. It feels more like a proper epilogue to Phase One that started with the first Iron Man movie. Even Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) pretty much comes full circle as the movie has him deal with the fallout of the events in The Avengers. In a way, it could be said this sets up how the rest of the Marvel movies might head off into Phase Two - whatever that may actually be. As much as Joss Whedon surprised us with The Avengers, Black has done the same on a smaller, more personal, scale focussing primarily on Stark. The movie opens with a flashback to set up the main plot, introducing us to main nemesis, Aldrich Killian (an effectively smarmy Guy Pearce) as well as Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) and the Extremis concept. When we get back to present time, radical terrorist The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is hacking into various broadcasts system to spread his 'lessons' in terror. Stark, in the meantime, has buried himself with his armours to deal with the mental breakdown that has plagued him since New York (see The Avengers). But when Happy (Jon Favreau) is injured in one of The Mandarin's attacks, Stark takes it personally. That's as much as we've seen in the trailers, but interestingly, there is so much more that spelling it out would ruin the surprises. Black's plot (co-written with Drew Pearce) does seem convoluted at first glance, but so much more happens and all the stars pull off what is required of them to convey the story and ensure the flow. The story choices are very smart and it does demand some attention as the plot takes Stark back to his Iron Man origins. When he was in that cave in the first movie, he had to rely on his wits and his smarts to save his own life. Here, even as he pushes his technology to the limits and beyond, he is also thrown back into that same position he was in that cave with the added problem of his anxiety attacks. Hence, the full circle. Downey Jr. does a remarkable job carrying the movie on his shoulders, having perfected his portrayal of Stark over three and bit movies. It is a near flawless performance that should draw no complaints, and lots of praise from the fans who have come to love his Tony Stark. Gwenyth Paltrow does get more to do this time and manages to be a perfect foil for Downey Jr.. Guy Pearce gets to convey Killian at various points in the character's life, and he pulls it off as well. He oozes slime the moment he appears in the present time scenes, making no qualms that he is obviously the bad guy, doing it better than Sam Rockwell did in Iron Man 2. But then there's Ben Kingsley. More spoilers ahoy…. be warned. Kingsley's turn as The Mandarin is a very nuanced and calculated performance. Even in the trailers, we can tell that there is a great theatrical sense in his line deliverance (some of which don't even appear in the movie). While there is a major twist midway through the movie involving The Mandarin. Kingsley still maintains a very deliberate performance that might suggest that he may or may not be the major villain he is in the comics. The idea of The Mandarin being a villain was sort of hinted back in the first movie (referencing The Ten Rings, which in the comics are the source of The Mandarin's power). But even in that moment, it falls to the audience to decide just how much of a villain The Mandarin is. It comes down to Kingsley's performance that would either suggest he really is a patsy, or a truly maniacal and genius villain. I wouldn't be surprise it it's something someone else might pick up, and the producer's decide to bring Kingsley back for another round. He steals every moment he's on screen, even against Downey Jr.. In the end, it's still the double act of Black and Downey Jr. that carries the whole movie, and they do it brilliantly with style to spare. The action is explosive and fun, delivering something different compared to everything that's come before, and that includes The Avengers. The stakes are pushed to the stratosphere, and when the truly spectacular final battle comes, you can't help but cheer for the heroes on screen. The movie delivers on various fronts as well as pulling in various resolutions, putting to rest various bits from the previous movies. By then, there is a sense of closure, even with Stark finally accepting who he really is, and moving on. Despite all that tho, by the time the credits end, we are assured that Tony Stark will return. Which also brings to mind that you should sit through the credits (enjoy Brian Tyler's rocking score) for the closing bit. So, if you've made it this far, did I spoil anything?
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