Reviews

They took what worked so well in Iron Man and even Iron Man 2 to a degree and ran with it in an extremely gratifying way with this third installment. The complexity, depth, heart and action were even more off the charts than the first film. I totally agree with most of the film critics who are raving about Iron Man 3. It's is not just a great comic book movie but a great movie period. They took the complexities of Tony Stark that they established in movie one, developed in movie two and built upon it masterfully. We get a reformed and guilt ridden weapons manufacturer mixed with an anxiety ridden celebrity who is having trouble living that celebrity life after the events of Iron Man 2 and Avengers. His playboy ways are over but everything else in his life makes little sense to him now. I love that they haven't forgotten where the character has been. It's what makes Marvel really sing and why they have an edge that most other movies don't have or care to cultivate. They also upped the action but the storytelling never suffers for it. Like in 2008, the evolution and growth of the characters is of paramount importance. I was stunned at how they managed to deliver a better film than the last and I'm one that enjoyed Iron Man 2. Anyone wondering why Tony didn't just call his new Avenger/SHIELD buddies that's answered in the film. Also, there's going to be a LOT of talk about certain plot twists but I hope people see it before certain twists are on the Net. Anyway, everything fits together wonderfully and in a moving and exciting fashion.

When I was done viewing this movie, all I could think about was how it instantly stacks up to the all-time great sequels. What I said about classics like Spider-Man 2, X2, Empire Strikes Back, and even Godfather 2 holds true for Iron Man 3. Notice anything about that last sentence? Not many films with the number three are called great. Iron Man 3 will certainly work towards changing that from here on out. It's a great film with or without a number.

I absolutely loved this movie. It's VERY accessible to non-fans. The only reason I even saw this is because I think Joss Whedon has done remarkable work on the Astonishing X-Men comic series. I never saw Firefly (but I will on DVD now!). The character River and this storyline really drove this film. Without her, does Firefly work as well? Were the characters of Shepherd and Mr. Universe a staple from the show? I'd be interested to hear how Firefly fans feel.

Star Wars: ROTS was interesting spectacle but Serenity is actually a far greater film in my opinion. The character exposition and emotional depth of Serenity really impressed me. I NEVER thought I'd get a sci-fi instant classic like this. Truly the most pleasant surprise of the year.

Do you happen to own Braveheart or the Patriot? Well if you do watch those first before you go spending your money on this movie. Both of these movies have a much better plot as well as much better visuals and fighting sequences. King Arthur is based off of new facts that some dismal writer saw on PBS on lonely night. He took these so called facts that are based on what a team of archeologists and historians glued together from the fallen pieces of the past, and glued together his own weak plot. A plot in which only the names are the same, but the age old story has been changed to protect the innocent. Personally I think that the names should have been changed also. As I shudder to write this, the words of one who has seen evil in the face and lived to tell about it, do not see this movie. Do not be tricked into thinking that this is to be passed off as good. Do not tell Hollywood that this is the garbage that you want them to feed us the public. I want a new story that has a real plot and does not steal action sequences from those of the past. As a matter of fact I am going to cleanse my senses by watching some PBS and the Discovery Channel, to see the real story, that the so called real story of King Arthur was based on.

The Punisher put my faith back into revenge movies. The action in this film is unbelievable and grim. I found myself not wanting the story to end. Many of the movies based on superheroes in a comic book tend not to sticks gritty and real. This one was and then some. The movie has surpassed my expectation and I certainly look forward Punisher 2.

The next film sets itself up for a kick butt start. They should take a page from X2 or the Lethal Weapon series and just open the next film with a wild battle. You can grab the viewer right away and still tell your full story right after. I hope the entire cast as well as the director returns because they crafted one quality origin story here. In summary, I enjoyed everything about this dark tale.