I thought this movie was a lot of fun, and I may have enjoyed it even more than the first two. The two big criticisms I see people making about it are that the Mandarin wasn't the same as in the comics, and that Tony didn't use the armor much. I consider the Mandarin to be a boring villain in the first place. The comedy was worth not having an iconic super villain. As far as not using the armor enough, I did want to see more of Iron Man tearing stuff apart. But again, I liked what we got in place of it so much, it was an agreeable trade off. Seeing how resourceful Tony can be with none of his technology was just as fun, and the stuff with the kid was full of great humor. Guy Pearce's sleazy bad guy in a suit wasn't nearly as much fun as Justin Hammer from #2--I would have rather had him back. The after-credits scene legitimately had me worried--I want to imagine Tony and Banner are hanging out. I don't like the idea that they might not be getting along! Even all the other problems people point out about plot holes and character inconsistencies don't really diminish how much I enjoyed IM3. I thought the script was incredible and I was constantly surprised at how inventive it was. RD jr. created a character for the ages with his take on Tony, but with this installment, I now feel this character and this movie series may be among my personal favorites. This movie is just too smart to be a big summer action kids movie, but it had its cake and ate it too: well made and impossibly successful. Good for them. I want more.
2019 Update: Oh well..
2019 Update: Oh well..