Big Screen Breakdown: Iron Man 3

Next time I post joke spoilers about a movie, I think I'm REALLY going to have to up the hyperbole. All that stuff I said? Lies. Filthy, filthy lies. So, since I haven't shared my real opinion of Iron Man 3' I'll do it now.

• The action sequences come fast and frequently, to the point where I seriously could not remember on the way home how the movie actually started. It hit the ground, man, and it was OFF.
• As in the other Iron Man movies, the real joy comes from watching Robert Downey Jr. do his thing, and he's at the top of his game here. It's funny how much sympathy he's able to milk in a role that's completely unsympathetic. Pretty excellent stuff.
• Gwyneth Paltrow may have been my favorite part of the movie. I always thought the role of "Pepper Pots - Love Interest" was a little underwritten, but... it still is. That said, Paltrow does an excellent job with what she's given, and she gets a couple of real kick-@$$ moments.
• I think there must have been something added to RDJ's contract stipulating that his face needs to be seen more, because he's, like, almost NEVER completely covered up by the Iron Man suit. And that's not really a bad thing.
• So... the villain of this piece is called "The Mandarin." It struck me as a little too "yellow peril" for a perfectly PC 2013 filmgoing audience. But Ben Kingsley totally nails it. The whole thing totally works, and the Mandarin may actually be my other favorite part of the movie.
• Iron Man 3 is doing the whole superhero shared universe thing RIGHT. It acknowledges the events of The Avengers while standing on its own legs as a story. The previous movies add flavor, but the dish is satisfying without knowing where it came from.
• My third favorite part of the movie? DIY-ron Man.
• There's a couple of throwaway lines referencing the Roxxon Energy Corporation. Most people will see Roxxon as a fairly obvious analog to Exxon-Mobil; however, in the comics, Roxxon is owned by a man named Aleksander Lukin, one of the primary antagonists in the Captain America story The Winter Soldier. And guess what the next Captain America movie's called?
• No AC/DC songs? Hm...
• My other OTHER favorite part? I can't really talk about it, cuz it's kind of a spoiler. Let's just say I frickin' love it when superheroes get to act like superheroes and save the day, even if they do so with the squishiest of soft-sciences. Rule of cool applies here, people.
• Yes, there's a stinger after the credits. No, it doesn't spoil Avengers 2 Yes, it's worth it... but the credits themselves are actually pretty fun. There's a stylish roll-call sequence that recalls some of the more enjoyable parts of the James Bond franchise. Loved it!
• Verdict: Highly Recommended (maybe even better than The Avengers.) (Yeah, I said it.)