Iron Man 3
Directed by: Shane Black Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle Rating: Not Yet Rated Release Date: May 3, 2013
Trailer Score: 8/10
Thoughts by TSR: The folks behind the Iron Man 3 trailers are three for three. Back in October we saw two very promising minutes. Then the Super Bowl spot’s focus on the Air Force One set piece impressed me. This third one seals the deal. I’m still more excited about other Marvel Phase Two entries – Guardians of the Galaxy especially – but I’m really looking forward to Tony Stark’s third solo film.
The music over the first minute and 15 seconds creates a nice momentum, and I love the way the entire trailer is put together. While it shows plenty of thrilling and enticing stuff, I don’t feel as though I’ve seen the entire film. One of the biggest takeaways remains the darker tone. After what the character went through in The Avengers – and what it looks like he will be going through in this – it makes sense that he’d be having some trouble. It can’t all be eating shawarma with Thor and Captain America, you know. I just hope there will be time for a healthy dose of Shane Black’s witty dialogue. Robert Downey Jr. speaks it so well – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, you guys – and it would be a shame if it’s missing.
Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin is a big standout. I can’t decide if his accent is the goofiest or the greatest, but I’m fairly confident I love it. The way he says, “You’ll… never… see me… coming,” is so weird, yet kind of chilling. Same with, “Do you want an empty life, or a meaningful death?” Jeff Bridges’ Obadiah Stane and Mickey Rourke’s Ivan Vanko were rather ho-hum villains. What we’ve seen of the Mandarin’s villainy looks much more promising. Lastly, while I haven’t been one to get too excited about Stark’s various armors, his boys showing up is an undeniably cool finish. The different models don’t mean much to me having never read the comics (one of them could be useful for busting Hulks, though). Still, seeing them lined up ready to fight is a strong way to end a strong trailer.