MovieChat Forums > Iron Man Three (2013) Discussion > Tony Stark Is The Weapon NOT Iron Man = ...

Tony Stark Is The Weapon NOT Iron Man = Brilliant

posted 11 years ago by DUKEJBM
118 replies | jump to latest

First off, I must say this really is a great number three film. Second, I'm one comic book fan who enjoyed almost every minute of this film. Despite a few whines, IT DOES STICK TO THE BOOKS where it counts.

9/10

I had high expectations going in to this film and it managed to hit or exceed almost all of them. I simply loved that nothing held to any type of cliche. Nearly every interaction delivered something unexpected and fresh. Stark was shaken to his very core by the events of Avengers and further more by the events early in this film. Make no mistake, this movie is all about Tony Stark’s struggles both external and especially internal. Choosing to focus on Tony out of the armor is a wonderful decision. RDJ is as brilliant as he’s ever been as Stark.

Fans of the books (of which I’m one) may complain about certain character translations but I really have no complaints. Flexibility has always been a Marvel strength over the years and I liked how they flexed and twisted certain ideas here. The thing they get so right from the books is the ingenuity of Tony Stark. He’s so much more than a man in a metal suit. It’s his brain and his wit that are the true weapons. This movie goes out of its way to illustrate that brilliantly.

The armored adventure scenes do thrill but are spaced by gritty old fashion action and a movie filled with a lot of heart and humor. Again, it was well played and I found it to be genuinely refreshing while bold all at the same time. No one can accuse them of playing it safe.

As for the supporting cast, the results were spotty. Pepper is given her due and Killian is an amazing villain. The rest of the supporting cast is barely seen and underutilized. Despite one very cool hero moment, Rhodey isn’t fleshed out at all. I can’t say much about The Mandarin.

Overall, it’s a well crafted, funny and refreshing number three film that wraps up the trilogy beautifully.

[–] zorakirby 11 years ago

How much did Marvel pay you to type up that shlock?

[–] Insomniatic102 11 years ago

Butt hurt fanboy.

[–] DUKEJBM 11 years ago

So being a douchebag is the only response you have? I was quite clear on why I thought it played on the best part of the character in the books. Either state where you think I'm wrong or go to bed because it must be past your bed time.

[–] assman200 11 years ago

Look around this board, there's not one real fan making those hate-filled remarks. It's all troll activity and it holds no truth at all. Most people love this film.

[–] DUKEJBM 11 years ago

Trolls are trolls but other than that from what I've read, the negativity is a small minority but it's a VERY vocal minority and I understand it. Some comic book fans will be agitated by how they crammed what was really three different storylines in to one film. (Mandarin, Extremis, Five Nightmares.) Other non-fans may have expected all armor action and wall to wall Avengers adventure. Personally, I enjoyed what they delivered because the focus was on a Tony Stark character study. To me, that's the best part of the books and what they got oh so right.

Tony Stark is the true weapon, not Iron Man. His mind, wit and courage are what has made the character special over the years just as much as the cool tech and armors he makes. Again, this movie goes out of its way to illustrate that brilliantly. Tony kicking ass after a trip to the hardware store using household items and Christmas bulbs was just one example that I loved! I also loved how he took out the two Extremis soldiers with no armor.

I loved the witty dialogue, humor and RDJ's performance. The finale was exceptional. Pepper was used well and Killian was superb.

What I didn't like was the use of the rest of the supporting cast.
Maya Hansen really was wasted and not fleshed out at all. The Mandarin, well that's been talked about to death. I also thought they wasted Rhodey.

I didn't like was how easy Rhodey was taken down. An Extremis chick burns his arm and he falls over??? What? Next we see him he's hanging up (with power?) being worked over by Killian's goons??? That's lame.

A few hang ups aside, this really was a bold and fresh take on Iron Man that played out very well. Again, a character study or character exploration first and a superhero movie second. It also rounds out the trilogy nicely and points him toward Stark Tower and NYC and Avengers 2...

[–] Rorujin 11 years ago

OP, the title of your thread adresses one of the most seen complains here about IM3: Armors break apart easily because they don't have Tony in them. Because he defines Iron Man, not the other way around.

"There you go Harry, you weren't being thick after all--you were just showing moral fiber!" Ron

[–] SpanishRicky 11 years ago

Anyone seeing this film with an open mind will see the same things mentioned here and love it. That's the key, open your mind.

[–] StarkTech 11 years ago

Time to celebrate a summer victory for the man of iron!

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] sacflyzone 11 years ago

"Wake up, son. It's time to go to school." "But why, Mama? I don't want to go to school." "Give me two reasons why you don't want to go to school." "One, all the children hate me. Two, all the teachers hate me." "Oh! that's no reason. Come on, you have to go to school." "Give me two good reasons why I should go to school?" "One, you are fifty-two years old. Two, you are the principal!"

[–] CognitionLoop 11 years ago

Thats not true. Tony had to quickly step out of the suitS, several times, just before it got destroyed by fire boys. If he remained inside, he would've died. Weird as hell.

[–] squa97 11 years ago

To your second point about Rhodey. AIM had reprogrammed the suit on behalf of the Pentagon, so I assumed Rhodey just had no control, although, if they did have control of the suit, I'm not sure why they couldn't just open it.

The Iron Patriot armor was far underutilized and turned into the most expensive taxi cab ever. It only got unleashed on Air Force One by the bad guys. Sad. The suit needed a redemption scene, ala the Millennium Falcon in ANH, not just flying away with the President.

----------------------
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
http://www.cafepress.com/yojay/1486817

[–] McGrit 7 years ago

What about you squa... fight this shut down.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man."

[–] masterron1 11 years ago

Thanks for this thread, DUKEJBM. It seems everyone just wants to tear the film apart for some reason. There's a fine line between not being overly nitpicky and liking a bad movie. Despite, what many say here, this is NOT a bad movie. It has flaws, to be sure, but to say that it's a horrible film or the worst in the series seems like nothing but hyperbole to me. I can see some fans being disappointed with The Mandarin twist, but as you said:

Again, a character study or character exploration first and a superhero movie second.

This is, apparently, the problem many fans have with the film, but, beyond a certain point, strictly following the source material doesn't necessarily yield a good movie. It doesn't hurt to be faithful, but a film doesn't have to be a slave to it. By focusing on Stark as a character, this film is faithful to the spirit of the comic...IMHO.

[–] assman200 11 years ago

This thread right here is the bottom line on this wonderful film and why it works so well for those smart enough to appreciate quality cinema.

[–] sidfargas 11 years ago

It's the second weekend, you just knew the trolls would try and make a dent. What a waste of time for them to even try at this point.

[–] StarkTech 11 years ago

Forget the trolls and watch it again and focus just on Tony's arc for the entire three films. It's an amazing journey.

[–] shacklefort 11 years ago

When it crosses $400 million maybe then they will shut up?

[–] sidfargas 11 years ago

You really said a mouth full.

[–] McGrit 7 years ago

I'm saddened and stunned by IMDB's choice to nut punch loyal visitors and shut these forum pages down.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man."

[–] Dash1969 11 years ago

"Some of the nitpicks here I find strange but maybe I either pay more attention or cut it more slack because I'm passionate about the franchise?"

How about just being a smart movie fan? Any intelligent fan of film in general enjoyed Iron Man 3. It's probably a new gage to measure true taste.

[–] Diagoro 11 years ago

"How about just being a smart movie fan? Any intelligent fan of film in general enjoyed Iron Man 3. It's probably a new gage to measure true taste."

That would be perfect pristine sarcasm if you didn't actually mean it.

----------------------------------------

"Another brilliant post Steinberg..."

[–] sacflyzone 11 years ago

Three contractors are bidding to fix the White House fence. One from New Jersey, another from Tennessee and the third, Florida. They go with a White House official to examine the fence. The Florida contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. "Well," he says. "I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me." The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, "I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me." The New Jersey contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers: "$2,700." The official, incredulous, says, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?" "Easy," the Jerseyian explains, "$1,000 for you, $1,000 for me and we hire the guy from Tennessee."

[–] shacklefort 11 years ago

Smart films likethis one really piss off the haters doesn't it?

[–] sacflyzone 11 years ago

Indeed the trolls are getting frustrated and it's started to show more now.

[–] assman200 11 years ago

Remember why everyone is saying that on this day of all days.

[–] mh-newressistance 8 years ago

Smart films likethis one really piss off the haters doesn't it?

This "smart film" seems to affect your orthographic skills. Don't worry, it's okay to admit that Iron Man 3 was a big, dumb, loud, unintellectual slugfest with zero integrity and no ambiguity. MCUtards like to ascribe the imaginary brilliance to every mediocre MCU movie that they liked. They defend their mediocre taste that way.

NOLAN>SHAMELESS HACK (Shane Black)

[–] shacklefort 8 years ago

The picket fence (111) says otherwise.

A lot of love for a great movie.

[–] TheSilhouette 11 years ago

Finally, some common sense on this board!

Good post, OP.

IRON MAN 3 is a great film - truly the first film in Marvel Studios' stable that I think can be called that.

This is up there with Nolan's first two Batman movies, Spider-Man 2, Donner's Superman and X2.

They thought they were alone...

[–] MovieMystro 11 years ago

Finally, some common sense on this board!

Good post, OP.

IRON MAN 3 is a great film - truly the first film in Marvel Studios' stable that I think can be called that.

This is up there with Nolan's first two Batman movies, Spider-Man 2, Donner's Superman and X2.

There are more people with common sense here than you know but the trolls somtimes draw all the attention. It's what they do.

IM3 will be talked about as one of the best sequels of all-time by any true movie fan. The critics are already doing so.

[–] DUKEJBM 11 years ago

Finally, some common sense on this board!

Good post, OP.

IRON MAN 3 is a great film - truly the first film in Marvel Studios' stable that I think can be called that.

This is up there with Nolan's first two Batman movies, Spider-Man 2, Donner's Superman and X2.

Just a fan who doesn't feel the need to engage in pissing contests. I enjoyed this film because it reached past the common and delivered something fresh and cool. Let's not compare to anything but itself. I've even been guilty of doing that in the past.

[–] SpanishRicky 11 years ago

It looks like the concept to feature Tony Stark over all CGI Iron Man worked:

Iron Man 3, which topped the box office for a second weekend with $72.5 million, but it’s impressive nonetheless. Ah, the summer movie season: when films actually make money! (Provided that they’re not called Peeples.)

Iron Man 3, which had the second best opening of all time last weekend with $174.1 million, fell 58 percent in its second frame — a slimmer drop than Iron Man 2 managed (59 percent), but a heftier one than The Avengers scored (50 percent). Iron Man 3‘s gargantuan $72.5 million weekend gave it a sizzling $17,400 per theater average from 4,253 locations and lifted its domestic box office total to $284.9 million after just 10 days. Internationally, the film is proving even more invincible. The $200 million Marvel title has now earned $664.1 million overseas, led by massive business in Asia. Iron Man 3′s top two international markets are currently China ($95.3 million) and Korea ($54.1 million), and it has become the highest grossing film of all time in both Indonesia and Malaysia. Worldwide, Iron Man 3 has grossed a truly jaw-dropping $949 million, guaranteeing it will surpass $1 billion sometime this week.

[–] gljbradley 11 years ago

I agree completely, DUKE. I don't care what some people say. This film was great and near perfect. I love the brilliant twists and unique concepts in this film. I love how it kind of broke away from the usual superhero formula.

[–] sacflyzone 11 years ago

Marvel Fan: I Think You Are ABCDEFGHIJK...
Nolanite: What Does That Mean...?
Marvel Fan: Adorable, Beautiful, Charming, Delightful, Elegant, Feisty, Great, Humble
Nolanite: What does The IJK stand for?
Marvel Fan: I'm just kidding!

[–] StarkTech 11 years ago

First off, I must say this really is a great number three film. Second, I'm one comic book fan who enjoyed almost every minute of this film. Despite a few whines, IT DOES STICK TO THE BOOKS where it counts.

9/10

I had high expectations going in to this film and it managed to hit or exceed almost all of them. I simply loved that nothing held to any type of cliche. Nearly every interaction delivered something unexpected and fresh. Stark was shaken to his very core by the events of Avengers and further more by the events early in this film. Make no mistake, this movie is all about Tony Stark’s struggles both external and especially internal. Choosing to focus on Tony out of the armor is a wonderful decision. RDJ is as brilliant as he’s ever been as Stark.

Fans of the books (of which I’m one) may complain about certain character translations but I really have no complaints. Flexibility has always been a Marvel strength over the years and I liked how they flexed and twisted certain ideas here. The thing they get so right from the books is the ingenuity of Tony Stark. He’s so much more than a man in a metal suit. It’s his brain and his wit that are the true weapons. This movie goes out of its way to illustrate that brilliantly.

The armored adventure scenes do thrill but are spaced by gritty old fashion action and a movie filled with a lot of heart and humor. Again, it was well played and I found it to be genuinely refreshing while bold all at the same time. No one can accuse them of playing it safe.

As for the supporting cast, the results were spotty. Pepper is given her due and Killian is an amazing villain. The rest of the supporting cast is barely seen and underutilized. Despite one very cool hero moment, Rhodey isn’t fleshed out at all. I can’t say much about The Mandarin.

Overall, it’s a well crafted, funny and refreshing number three film that wraps up the trilogy beautifully.

Proof that there really are smart people that post here after all.

[–] Ramboman24 11 years ago

Man^^^^

Gotta be honest. There are a lot of smart people on this board. Everybody just holds dear their favorite movies. They will defend whatever they like and talk down the competition till the day they die. It doesn't mean they're necessarily stupid. Just stubborn.

[–] blackdoug 11 years ago

There are NOT a lot of smart people on IMDB. Trust me, there are some people that have juvenile intellects and most of them are the ones that didn't like this film.

[–] Kia00 11 years ago

Don't worry about being worried. This movie was to great for that.

[–] assman200 11 years ago

This is something that the "honest" trailer didn't get. I know it's their job to be morons but really?

[–] StarkTech 11 years ago

In terms of Iron Man 4 seeing someone else besides RDJ as Stark, ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don't really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren't really an ending; some things are never-ending.

[–] shacklefort 11 years ago

RDJ will be back. Everyone is worrying for nothing. At least for Avengers 2 and 3 and then after that will it even matter?

[–] Cronball 11 years ago

The man makes the suit, the suit doesnt make the man

Many people trolling this film just dont get that stark has been in similar situations in the source comics many times. Most famously demon in a bottle when he was forced to deal with trouble as tony without the armor

The whole point of the film is stark IS Iron Man. He is the hero. Not the suit Its just as much fun for me to read a comic or watch a film where tony is the main character in or out of the suit.

Bruce banner doesnt have to be the hulk to be interesting

Bruce wayne doesnt have to be batman

"Yes, yes, so you blame me for your horrible life, blah, blah, blah, BIG DEAL!" -Invader Zim

[–] sagan900 11 years ago

This is stupid, yeah i get the whole romantic idea that Tony is really the weapon cause everything comes from his mind

but what super weapon is he by himself? none! thats the freakin point! he's a normal human being, his superpower (what puts him in the SUPERHERO category, instead of clever inventor) is the IronMan armor

remember in avengers when tony was irritating captain america and the latter told him "Put on the suit, lets find out..." cause he knows that without his weapons he's no match for any superhero, captain could knock him out in one blow, hell i bet any martial artist can beat tony stark the man

i dont buy that thing that "tony stark is iron man, not the suit" that's at best a jack bauer type as we saw in IM3, you gotta give him a couple days of prep time so he can build something to defend himself

Tony Stark INSIDE the Suit = Iron Man

[–] assman200 11 years ago

Something you may not know: the practice of laying beef kidney suet (a raw beef fat), butter and marrow on cooked steak to enhance the steak’s flavor happens all the time at steakhouses. While traditionalists might feel cheated, some find no harm in using suet and other fats to improve taste.

[–] IronBallsM 9 years ago

Tony now knows that quality trumps quantity like so many other posts have pointed out.

[–] sagan900 11 years ago

This is stupid, yeah i get the whole romantic idea that Tony is really the weapon cause everything comes from his mind

but what super weapon is he by himself? none! thats the freakin point! he's a normal human being, his superpower (what puts him in the SUPERHERO category, instead of clever inventor) is the IronMan armor

remember in avengers when tony was irritating captain america and they were about to punch each other in anger, caps tells him to "Put on the suit, lets go a few rounds..." cause he knows that without his weapons he's no match for any superhero, captain could knock him out in one blow, hell i bet any martial artist can beat tony stark the man

i dont buy that thing that "tony stark is iron man, not the suit" that's at best a jack bauer type as we saw in IM3, you gotta give him a couple days of prep time so he can build something to defend himself

Tony Stark INSIDE the Suit = Iron Man

[–] StarkTech 11 years ago

Was this movie too smart for certain DC fans and certain people? Watching them strain themselves here is kind of painful.

[–] The_Proprietor 10 years ago

Although you have to ask why will Stark continue to use the suits if without them he's Iron Man?

If impersonating a Police Officer is an offence, shouldn't actors be imprisoned?

[–] IndianDude 11 years ago

tony stark + iron man = superhero
tony stark himself isn't a superhero

people went to see this movie to see rdj being in suit as iron man not rdj being tony stark the spy

i am sure tony stark from iron man 3 would have handle whiplash without putting on the suitcase suit ,he would have even put up a fight against loki instead of being thrown out of his own building

this movie just lost the continuity of the character which was set up nicely with his three previous outing

[–] MovieMystro 11 years ago

Many people trolling this film just dont get that stark has been in similar situations in the source comics many times. Most famously demon in a bottle when he was forced to deal with trouble as tony without the armor

The whole point of the film is stark IS Iron Man. He is the hero. Not the suit Its just as much fun for me to read a comic or watch a film where tony is the main character in or out of the suit.

Exactly right and it's much more interesting to everyone, including the non-comic book reader.

[–] sacflyzone 11 years ago

I saw this last night and it was a true event movie. Seeing it in a packed house was like attending a very cool athletic event. Maybe that made the experience even better but I guarantee that this movie generates great word of mouth. This thread is proof of that.

[–] Coneydogg 11 years ago

That really is as smart as it gets when you think about it.

[–] Kia00 11 years ago

Just know, when you truly want success, you'll never give up on it. No matter how bad the situation may get.