Memories of Metal

Continuing my long, slow, rewatch of the MCU, I watched Iron Man 3 last night, the first time I'd seen it since it came out in 2013. In retrospect, it's certainly the weakest of the three. It completely lacks the chemistry between Tony and Pepper that was at the heart of the first two.

I did enjoy it. I liked the clever moments, when Tony figures stuff out and pulls out a surprise, like when the woman's chasing him through a kitchen and he improvises with some oil and a microwave.

Guy Pearce's villain isn't terribly interesting. Ben Kingsley is fun but the fake out doesn't quite make sense. I guess it's a wag the dog political plot that borrows from the Star Wars prequels and Watchmen but Pearce's character doesn't have the sensible motives of either Palpatine or Ozymandias.

I gather some people find Tony to be insufferable in this movie. I didn't mind him, I just missed the level of banter he had with Pepper in the first two films. The term "Girl Boss" is starting to get overused but that is the stereotype she settles into in this one. Tony's a dick but I don't need him to be a nice guy the way some people evidently do. I liked the panic attack angle.

Iron Man 3 is available on Disney+.

Less Machine Now than Man

Watching so many MCU shows lately, it occurred to me I hadn't seen Iron Man since it came out in 2008. So I watched it again on Friday and marvelled at what a remarkable movie it is. The film's Wikipedia entry has lots of quotes from cast and crew about the independent film vibe of the production. Which, as a start for a massive franchise, would make it reminiscent of Star Wars. The '70s had a lot of strange, interesting films until one strange, interesting film, Star Wars, made a blueprint. And that's what Iron Man did. Having this in mind, one looks at those first films and wonders why they couldn't just do that again. Do we really need to hear so many stories about directors leaving MCU and Star Wars productions over creative differences? Didn't they learn anything?

Anyway, Favreau had to push to get Robert Downey Jr. cast in the role and everyone was terrified of the fact that actors improvised their dialogue on set during principal photography! That is remarkable. Especially given how golden the chemistry is between Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Two performers who'd already had whole careers behind them, suddenly they created a new starting point for themselves. Just by goofing off in front of a camera for a few months.

A lot of superheroes movies fail because they have enough material to be a good film but make the mistake of trying to be a great film. Iron Man became a great film by just trying to be a good film. There's no massive, overwrought fight scene, just a couple guys duking it out in metal suits in the end. Tony and Pepper don't roll around on the beach. Even the wonderfully underplayed heart-surgery scene zips by while still feeling critical. A lot of it works because Downey Jr. is extraordinarily believable as simultaneously a reclusive engineering genius and a notorious playboy.

Another lesson this movie taught that many subsequent superhero movies forgot is that it puts the protagonist's motives onscreen and believable portrays the steps he takes to his goal. There's real sanctification in watching Tony build his armour through his messy trial and error process. The way he talks to his robots emphasises that he's not he extrovert he seems so we get some extra filling out of this character along the way.

It's such a tightly made film. I want to say little film. And it's a compliment. It's as perfect as freshly cut norimaki.

Iron Man is available on Disney+.