I originally intended to do a “Mid-Month Marvel Movie Review” on a regular basis, which is a great idea, but like so many great ideas, smacked full-force into the wall of reality and got completely obliterated. Between working full time, housework, podcast, this blog, and just trying to find a bit of free time for myself, as the song goes, “Somethin’s gotta give.” Monthly movie reviews—only one of many things I wish I had the time to do, but don’t, so this idea has regretfully been deep-sixed in the trash can of “Someday Maybe.” Until I learn to exist on three hours of sleep a night, or reach the magical age of retirement, some things just aren’t going to happen. It’s a cold hard fact of life I often lament.
But I’m not here to talk cold hard facts, or to lament. I’m here to talk about Iron Man 3. Because there is NOTHING lamentable about this movie. Saw it over the weekend and was blown away. Better than Iron Man 2, perhaps as good as the original Iron Man, and running a close second to The Avengers. Actually, Iron Man 3 runs a close second to The Avengers, as far as box office, having the best opening weekend of any film in history, save one—that difficult-to-beat Avengers.
Still, if you’ve got to come in second place, this is the way to do it.
Before heading out to the theater, I read a few headlines about how well the movie was doing, but avoided reading more, not wanting to spoil myself. And I’m glad I didn’t spoil myself, because there were so many surprises in this movie, I would have hated to anticipate. So I’m not going to talk details here. Just trust me. You’ll enjoy this movie.
I will say that I immensely enjoyed that our hero spends so much time out of the armor. There’s a strong human element—it’s not all bang-bang, shoot ’em up, blow ’em up, kill the bad guys. Of course there’s PLENTY of that, but it’s tempered with a deeper look into the complex character of billionaire genius playboy Tony Stark.
Several times, a scene changes with a “wipe” from left to right, which reminded me very much of The Empire Strikes Back. In fact, the entire movie reminded me of my first experience seeing The Empire Strikes Back, because I was amazed at how readily I was drawn into the story, forgetting all about the weather outside, what I planned to eat at the restaurant after the movie, and how Gwyneth Paltrow’s natural diet sure does make her look bright and healthy. In fact, I was so absorbed in the movie, I even forgot to look for Stan’s cameo, and regrettably it went by so fast, I didn’t know it had happened until I realized there had been a old man in the previous scene, and everyone in the theater was now laughing.
Iron Man 3 is peppered (pun intended) with a multitude of humorous moments, which for my money, makes it a superior product to the dreadfully dark Batman films. I hear there will be a new Superman movie in a month or so, and I’m wondering which superhero’s footsteps the director of that one has chosen to walk in. I hope we’ll have at least a chuckle or two.
Not that Iron Man 3 is all fun and games. Some dreadfully serious stuff goes on here—bigger than life issues and plot developments for our bigger than life characters. Continuity references to incidents in The Avengers make this film feel more like a sequel to THAT movie, rather than to Iron Man 2. Somehow, you almost feel you’re seeing another episode in an arc storyline of a favorite TV show, rather than a stand-alone feature film. One thing is certain: the cinematic Marvel Universe is healthy, expanding, and poised for further excitement.
Iron Man 3 pulls you in and doesn’t let go until the roller coaster ride is over. And it isn’t over when the credits start rolling. Oh no! Don’t make that mistake, like 75-80% of the people in our theater did, causing Russ and I to look at each other and ask, “Have these people never seen a Marvel movie? Do they not know what’s coming?” And if they have seen Marvel movies before, and they do know what’s coming, 
and they STILL prefer a hasty retreat and a good spot in traffic to that final bit of movie magic, well then, let them. But it’s hard to believe some people, after 125 minutes of pure entertainment, cannot be bothered to sit still for FIVE MORE MINUTES of heart-thumping rock and roll to see the “bit” at the end.
I won’t tell you what it is. But like all the other “bits,” from all the other Marvel movies, it’s worth waiting for. Some are monumental, some are just amusing. Don’t want to spoil you. Just take my advice: sit through the awesomely retro-stylized end credits and have yourself the full Iron Man 3 experience.
And now, what I call the “Grand Announcement.” Very often, when a new character appears on the scene, someone will shout out their name, frequently with multiple exclamation points. It strikes me as funny, because there’s no particular reason why this needs to be verbalized. Is Thor so shocked by the sudden appearance of “A flame-breathing dragon—behind me!” that the natural inclination is to shout about it? I doubt it. Instead, I think the natural reaction to a shocking appearance would be to exclaim, “Crap!” or something not so polite. Or maybe “Hey!” or “Wow!” or “Great!” But generally, in moments of great excitement, most people don’t become overly verbal. One explanation: superheros are not like “most people.” 
he explained that periods “disappeared” in the printing process they used in the sixties, so exclamation points were used to avoid the appearance of characters speaking unintelligibly or in tremendously long run-on sentences, sort of like this one!
TERRIFIED HUMANITY
In compiling this list, I’ve found there’s a thin line between pseudoscience and science fiction. There’s also a gap between what appears to be science fiction in the 1960’s when these comics were written, and today’s concepts, which, if not yet actually realized, may exist on the cusp of possibility. 
It’s such a lovely touch to have all this taking place in the real world. I especially enjoyed the shot of the Egyptian Sphynx taking a stroll down Main Street. To some degree, these stories probably supplemented their readers’ history and geography lessons; some youngsters may have even been inspired to crack open their Encyclopedia Britannica to get a better idea about what the heck was happening in their favorite comic. 
So join me next time, right here in the Marvelous Zone, when we at last find the creators putting an end to all that “Sugar & Spice” nonsense. You won’t want to miss this groundbreaking tale!
1. Bickering villains. The Wizard is your standard egotistical egghead, and treats Paste-Pot Pete like a servant, to which Pete strongly objects. I kept waiting for the two of them to break out in full-fledged fisticuffs, but it didn’t happen. Still, we do manage a few amusing moments, such as when the Wizard is rattling on about their plan and Pete whines, “Do you always have to make a SPEECH when you do something?” Oh?? Like Pete himself has never made a speech? All good villains make speeches about what terrifically smart and awesome bad guys they are. And…it seems…so do some of the not-so-good villains…
Now. Getting back to business…did I happen to mention what I was really here for? The second half of this book premieres, “quietly and without fanfare,” a new series, introducing a “different kind of super-hero,” the unparalleled mysticism of Dr. Strange, Master of Black Magic!
Who’s reading these comics in 1963, anyway? Still little boys with 12 cents? Do they really care if a magician with gray streaked hair and oversized jewelry metaphysically visits someone who looks like their grandpa, then conquers “all of time and space in its silent flight” to enter the world of nightmares? 
Well, Stan sure did give us something new and strange and different this time around, but don’t be surprised if all your old favorite tropes return for a bit of mischief next time we meet, here in the Marvelous Zone!
discover he’s no taller than your average fountain pen, so they just step on him. Or how about Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who? And let’s not forget the great bit from Douglas Adams’ classic 
plans for the Invisible Girl. At the very least, she could easily serve as a spy. But no, they would rather make her a scullery maid. 
Going out on a limb here? I don’t know. I’ve said before that Doctor Doom has a plethora of angsty personality issues, and in this story we begin to glimpse a side of super-villains, the likes of which the readers of the day had never seen before.
Join me next time, when science fiction and fantasy meander into mysticism and magic, and the Marvel Universe truly does become stranger than we at first imagined. 
