There can be many reasons why the original director of a franchise may decide not to return for a sequel, though they all usually have in common that they're very Hollywood-politically-correct. So exactly why Jon Favreau decided not to helm the third instalment of what is, for all intents and purposes, 'his baby' Iron Man, I can't be sure. But I can tell you one thing: something definitely changed.

Everything about IM3 feels different from its predecessors. The atmosphere is darker, which is not to say it's really just a lot less humorous (which is – let's be honest – precisely what we love... read the rest.

This was probably the first time a movie has made me this angry in the theater. It pissed me off then and it still pisses me off when it's on television. If I could summarize this film in one word, it would be: obnoxious. I wasn't really hyped for this film but I was expecting to have some fun since I did enjoy the previous Iron Man films. This was the movie that made me start to dislike the character of Tony Stark/Iron Man (RDJ is still the man though). Stark's narcissism had charm in the previous films but here, it made him into a complete idiot, dick, and coward. The Mandarin had potent... read the rest.

I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by this third instalment of the Iron Man series of movies. Sure Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark is quite funny (not always but a lot of the time) and there are plenty of nice special effects and things being blown up.

However, the story is just crap. The premise of Killian using the Mandarin for terrorism to cover up the fact that his experiments occasionally fails is just ludicrous. The Mandarin himself is a joke and another good example of how ignorant script writers just pick names out of existing material and uses them not caring how much th... read the rest.

A long form review originally posted in 2013

Iron Man 3 brings us into the so called “Phase 2” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But it does so in a flawed way. I’ve said it before and reiterate it here, there is no such thing as a perfect film. But since The Avengers set the bar so very high, following that up proved to simply be too much for Black’s entry to handle.

There are a great deal of inconstancies, plot holes, stupid moves, illogical choices, and weak moments (though less than much of the internet would have you believe). These issues are not enough to lead to _Iron Man... read the rest.

I don't understand the hate for this one. The fact that Tony Stark is barely in the suit makes for an interesting take on analyzing the humanity of the character. I also found the villain plot twist halfway through the movie to be quite clever and surprisingly satisfying.

It certainly feels more like a Shane Black movie than an Iron Man movie, but that's a great thing. It shows Marvel is willing to give their filmmakers a voice and the room to take risks in their storytelling. Iron Man 3 is a very risky movie, and to me it paid off.

When I first saw this in 2013, strongly disliked it but decided to give it another watch during my re-visit of the MCU and... kind of enjoyed it, quite a bit. Still not fond of the twist wasting a great actor in Ben Kingsley to be a decoy Mandarin and instead having a cheesy one with Guy Pearce's Aldrich Killian and his lame "I AM THE MANDORIAN!" line. But all in all, a good step up from Iron Man 2. 3.75/5

Very good.

'Iron Man 3' offers an entertaining 130 minutes. I enjoyed seeing the plot unfold, it isn't anything revolutionarily fresh but it's done in a way that's interesting to watch. The score and effects are great.

Robert Downey Jr. continues to be a lot of fun as the lead, while Don Cheadle is more enjoyable than he is in 'Iron Man 2'. Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley are good to watch too, the latter amused me more than I thought he would.

I'd rank this higher than the 2010 sequel, though it's still a fair distance off the original. This 2013 film leaves a positive i... read the rest.

Worthwhile, but a bit of a letdown compared to the snappy "Iron Man 2"

Released in 2013, "Iron Man 3" stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in this third installment where Shellhead takes on the so-called Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), led by Killian (Guy Pearce). After Stark's personal world is destroyed, he is left to survive by relying on his ingenuity and instincts to rise from the ashes and protect those closest to him, like Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). In the process Tony seeks to answer a question that has haunted him: Does the suit of armor make the... read the rest.

It's a substantially weaker film than its two predecessors.

After two frankly good films, I was curious to see what this film would bring to the public, who immediately set out to fill the studio's coffers with their tickets money. Marvel has discovered an excellent financial lode by transposing most of its characters to the cinema, and this film is destined to be a box office success, although the quality is much more questionable.

I'll start with what I usually leave for last: the technical aspects and production values ​​are really excellent and constitute the strongest and most so... read the rest.

While the deeper dive into Tony Stark and his past is welcomed, the execution came up a little short compared to Iron Man’s MCU entries.

Iron Man 3 might be my least favorite of the Iron Man franchise, but it's still a great movie. Iron Man 3 focuses much more on Tony Stark and his trauma following The Avengers rather than on Iron Man and the suit. A large portion of the film and even some action scenes explore who Stark is without the high-tech suit or fancy technology in general. Stark grapples with the fallout of past decisions and has to decide who he is at his core without the money... read the rest.