@GusGorman said:

This is pretty much a standalone movie

This is one of the reasons it is terrible and probably the worst of the MCU films I have seen (although maybe the first Thor film would have something to say about that).

I know how popular the MCU has been right from the start, but for me this was the point where I started to like the films a lot more. I'd been kind of indifferent to them till then. It's here that I felt they took things up a notch in terms of budget, effort, identity and quality. This feeling was cemented pretty soon after by the release of The Winter Soldier. Both these films just felt like they had a little bit more to them that made them stand out thanks to the presence of Shane Black and the Russo Brothers.

Iron Man 3 is just a really fun, unpretentious film.

@Midi-chlorian_Count said:

@GusGorman said:

This is pretty much a standalone movie

This is one of the reasons it is terrible and probably the worst of the MCU films I have seen (although maybe the first Thor film would have something to say about that).

I'm not quite sure how being a standalone movie could make it terrible. That would make for quite a lot of terrible movies out there. Perhaps you could expand on that. Just curious. You're not the only one who doesn't like the film.

I just meant that coming post Avengers it's a bit like trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle and image that it's even feasible he'd have to act alone at the end. That kind of loomed over proceedings for me...

Tbh, I don't particularly remember the details of the film, mostly that point and the stupid twist with the Mandarin character. I'm not a big Marvel fan or anything so I didn't have anything invested in that character to be annoyed about (or even know him), as I read some were, but it came across as pretty lame imo.

@Midi-chlorian_Count said:

I just meant that coming post Avengers it's a bit like trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle and image that it's even feasible he'd have to act alone at the end. That kind of loomed over proceedings for me...

That is a problem, yeah. But surely that's gotta be a dilemma that has loomed over almost every issue of a Marvel super hero ever since the very first issue of The Avengers was released. It's something you just gotta accept I guess. It is just a comic book really. And like I said, Iron Man 3 is just fun. I don't see it as French New Wave or anything. If we went over every element of stupidity in the MCU we'd be competing with the phone book. This is a series where a god of thunder from mythology teams up with an inventor who builds his own robot suit and uses that suit himself to fight evil rather than y'know, a trained military pilot using it.

Oh yes, appreciate we aren't dealing with films of real stature here but they can be fun. Only problem is it's kind of funny how the MCU was praised for its amazing linked narrative, e.g. the small cameos, post credit scenes, etc building up the Avengers but then in the very next film you're supposed to forget that's happened for the story to have any credibility. Can't cut it both ways.

I do think the marvel characters do work best in ensemble pieces though - and credit to them for progressing the story past a film or two before rebooting, unlike some other superhero efforts...

It's a lame movie with a bit of toilet humor in it (which I don't especially care for). My favorite part of it is, if I recall correctly, a post-credits scene where Banner falls asleep on Tony, whom he's supposed to be giving "therapy" to. Banner wakes up and explains that he's not a therapist... that amused me.

@CelluloidFan said:

It's a lame movie with a bit of toilet humor in it (which I don't especially care for). My favorite part of it is, if I recall correctly, a post-credits scene where Banner falls asleep on Tony, whom he's supposed to be giving "therapy" to. Banner wakes up and explains that he's not a therapist... that amused me.

You made it to the very end, that's a positive!

It's always my intent to watch a film through to the end, even if I don't fully get it. And especially since Marvel puts all those fun scenes amid their films' credits, it's a no-brainer.

After watching Shang Chi I can now add that it is also the first part of the Trevor Slattery trilogy (with All Hail the King being the middle part).

What a story arc he had!

@GusGorman said:

There's another thread on here where I say that this is the best Iron Man film. It still is!

Random thoughts;

Loved The Mandarin twist.

Having a hero get help from a kid in a movie is usually something to worry about, especially if it's a Disney film. But this is a Shane Black film and it turns out there's nothing to worry about at all! Great relationship between the two characters.

Happy Hogan's mullet! 👹

This is pretty much a standalone movie so those unnatural creatures that hate it can skip over it and miss none of the bigger MCU picture.

I still hate Eiffel 65.

Of course you loved the Mandarin twist.

@Adammm said:

@GusGorman said:

There's another thread on here where I say that this is the best Iron Man film. It still is!

Random thoughts;

Loved The Mandarin twist.

Having a hero get help from a kid in a movie is usually something to worry about, especially if it's a Disney film. But this is a Shane Black film and it turns out there's nothing to worry about at all! Great relationship between the two characters.

Happy Hogan's mullet! 👹

This is pretty much a standalone movie so those unnatural creatures that hate it can skip over it and miss none of the bigger MCU picture.

I still hate Eiffel 65.

Of course you loved the Mandarin twist.

I don't trust anyone who doesn't love it, there's something dubious about those people.

@mechajutaro said:

It's a lame movie with a bit of toilet humor in it (which I don't especially care for)

Not following you here, 'Loid. In another thread, you admitted to being an admirer of KRS-1 and the like. Only difference between stuff like that and IM3 is that in the former's case, the toilet humor is unintended

mechajutaro, I will bite: Did you mean anything by that statement, other than a contemptuous diss of rap music ?

And what type is that?

I have seen that quote by him before....

@mechajutaro said:

@CelluloidFan said:

I have seen that quote by him before....

There have been more overt forms of toilet humor, to be sure. Whatever their intentions though, the moronism we hear of KRS-1 and so many other rappers, the minute they start trying to sound smart, places their yammering firmly in this category of comedy

I won't be clicking that link, and I won't pass judgement on Kris or your quote of him either. I will simply offer up that years ago while at university, I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing the man by telephone for a piece that I wrote. And he came off, as he does in virtually all of his music, as a very intelligent person.