What are Reviews, Critics Saying about 'Iron Man 3'?

'Iron Man 3' is showing at the Movie Tavern in Suwanee. For show times, click here.

---

Having bested the aliens who invaded in "The Avengers," Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), aka Iron Man, finds himself unable to sleep and feeling anxious. His girlfriend, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), is miffed because he spends so much time building his Iron Man suits. Tensions around the world are rising because of terrorist bombing by an Osama bin Laden-ish villain, the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). When an official with Stark Industries is killed in an attack, Tony vows revenge. As the plot unfolds, he battles a geekish techno genius, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), and encounters a women he knew years before, Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall). 

Here's what the critics are saying: 

“Iron Man 3,” by contrast, at once invokes Sept. 11 and dodges it, and does so with a wink and a smile...But the proximity of its highly publicized release with the Boston Marathon bombings simply makes it the latest, most conspicuous example of how profoundly disconnected big studio movies of this sort are from the world in which the rest of us live. The point isn’t that movies like “Iron Man 3” don’t have any business taking on tough issues. The point is that, if they are to be worthy of the art, worthy of the audience and its time and its money, worthy of the legacy of those Hollywood movies that comforted and cheered Americans through world wars and bleak times, they should take on the toughest issues — not just exploit them. Manohla Dargis, New York Times

There are surprises in “Iron Man 3” but they rarely come from the action sequences — with the exception of a free-falling air rescue late in the movie that had the preview audience applauding. Instead, they come from Kingsley’s delightfully multi-leveled performance, a general disrespect for macho theatrics, and the knowledge that a superhero with all his powers is never a match for a man in full possession of his wits. Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Downey, too, has quips on quick-draw, and is utterly at home in the part of Stark. (And Gwyneth Paltrow, as his peppy paramour Pepper Potts, has not been this likeable in 10 years.) At this point, Downey is as important to the franchise as Sean Connery was to Bond: you wouldn’t want to be the producer in charge of finding Iron Man’s George Lazenby. Robbie Collin, The Telegraph

None of this may ultimately matter when audiences sit down in theaters this weekend. There’s great pleasure just in watching Robert Downey Jr. play this role — he’s so good it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re just watching the real Downey riff — and in terms of summer blockbusters even one great performance can be a luxury, much less the assortment you’ll find here. Iron Man 3 is a fun ride that’s executed well, and there’s celebration to be had in that alone. But the original was that rare film that moved beyond the confines of genre to offer all audiences something to love. Iron Man 3 doesn’t quite get there. It’s entertaining, but it feels like something’s missing. Then again, the bar was set pretty high coming in. Brian Bishop, the Verge

A strange detail: In "Iron Man 3," Stark no longer needs to be in the Iron Man suit. He's able to operate the thing remotely when needed. The movie's like that too. It's decent superhero blockbustering, but rather remote and vaguely second-hand. At this point, even with Black's flashes of black humor, the machinery is more or less taking care of itself, offering roughly half of the genial wit and enjoyment of the first "Iron Man." Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

"Iron Man 3" is rated PG-13 and runs 129 minutes. 

It's playing at Beechwood Stadium Cinemas 11 and Carmike Cinemas 12.

You may also enjoy reading:

Oblivion Trailer & Reviews

Olympus Has Fallen: Trailer and Reviews

Oz The Great and Powerful: Trailer and Reviews

Jack the Giant Slayer: Trailer and Reviews

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation': Trailer and Reviews

"Admission" Trailer and Reviews

Subscribe to the Athens Patch Newsletter, like us on Facebook,  follow Athens Patch on Twitter