Watched on Blu-Ray

What was already foreseeable in "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" and "Zodiac", the whole world knew in 2008 at the latest. After years of drug problems and negative headlines, Robert Downey Jr. had regained his footing in show business as a character actor with "Iron Man" and "Tropic Thunder" and can count himself among the best in his field. It was through the first "Iron Man" (and the upcoming Marvel films) that the New York native experienced a huge surge in popularity with the public. Whether this boost is the product of his near-perfect embodiment of the narcissistic Tony Stark, or whether his fantastic acting and obvious fun in the role of the Man of Iron is the result of the positive response, is hard to say. What should be indisputable, however, is the fact that the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark is a prime example of perfect casting. While "Iron Man 2" seemed a bit overloaded with its character and action density, "Iron Man 3" returns to the reason for the existence of superhero films. To the superhero himself.

"The Avengers" in 2012 had pulled out all the stops possible action-wise (superheroes, alien portal, aliens, aircraft carrier plane, etc) and fortunately Shane Black doesn't make the mistake Jon Favreau started with "Iron Man 2". The second adventure of Tony Stark wanted to appear even bigger, more bombastic and fatter, but unfortunately seemed rather stuffed and sluggish in the end. Shane Black does not follow this path, which would have inevitably ended in a lousy third part, "The Avengers" was impossible to top with only one hero. Instead, director and screenwriter Black puts the focus on Tony Stark, who after the events with the superhero co-op and the aliens, has trouble falling asleep. Along the way, the Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley) launches a series of attacks in the U.S., which the laconic billionaire hardly seems to care about, after all, he didn't give Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) his own suit (which has since been renamed from Warmachine to Iron Patriot) for nothing. It's only when lovable bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is injured in another attack that he takes up the cause. Shortly after making a fuss in front of the press and promising revenge, he pays for it with his house, his suits and also almost with his life. Wounded and equipped only with a barely functioning junk tank, he is stranded in a small town in Tennessee....

The reason for the superhero's dyssomnia is his realization that he is not the only big shot at superhero level and actually the only one among them without real superpowers, which results in panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to the sleep disorder. Getting out of this state of misery is virtually Tony's mammoth task in "Iron Man 3", however this reason is hardly explained well enough. Only allusions are found, much is left to the viewer. Beyond that, though, Shane Black and co-writer Drew Pearce have come up with an intelligent, inventive and enormously funny script. "Iron Man 3" is far more intelligent and multi-layered than "The Avengers" was, which is already clear from the choice of subject matter. "Iron Man 3" is not a simple sequel with a new villain, but a clever analysis of Tony Stark. Throughout the film, the writers pose the question: does the suit make the man, or does the man make the suit? Later, when Tony Stark is stranded in the middle of nowhere after the attack on his home, it is his own abilities that he must turn to: Ingenuity, instinct, improvisation and enormous intellect. The fact that the hero "Iron Man" is a product of his brain, and that he can actually be a hero as a normal human being as a result, is the realization he must come to.

Even though it would have been interesting to see a dark Iron Man, as he was announced after the first trailers, "Iron Man 3" is also characterized by his humor (or Tony Stark's humor). More than that, "Iron Man 3" has arguably the highest gag density of any Iron Man film, firing off one excellent joke after another, all of which ignite wonderfully. Shane Black (screenwriter of all "Lethal Weapon" parts) manages to incorporate his humor of an action comedy in a precise way. Also represented are wonderful pop culture references, from "Terminator" to "Downton Abbey" to "The A-Team" and, of course, "Lethal Weapon". Contrary to expectations, however, the true comedic highlight is Sir Ben Kingsley in the role of the villain, which is preceded by a little twist. True, "that twist" is a relative shame, as Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) is hardly a match for the Mandarin's fascination. In the end, however, this is a whole new interpretation of Mandarin on the part of the screenwriters that you can either condemn (any comic book fan), or accept with a shrug (everyone else). Because it wasn't that bad.

As always, it is Robert Downey Jr. who completely carries the film with his charming narcissism and black-humored wit. While Gwyneth Paltrow finally gets to play an action scene, albeit a short one, it is surprisingly Jon Favreau who is completely convincing in the first quarter of the film. While Ben Kingsley plays an almost radically different role than advertised in the trailers, it's Guy Pearce who mutates from mega-nerd to sleazy entrepreneur. It's a shame that his role remains a bit lacking in profile and motive. Of course, being a Marvel movie, the effects are the best of the best and really not worth mentioning and the action is always fantastic to watch. The plane scene in particular is wonderfully staged and as exciting as ever. Unfortunately, the finale falls a little out of the pattern and comes across almost unimaginative.