Iron Man 3

[Smart_alec]

I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of Tony Stark or the movies associated with him. So this is as much mental house keeping as anything else. (I love the fan theories following around most new franchise instalments. It's why I kept up to speed with stuff like Saw or Twilight.)

That said. Can I get a hell yes?

Spoiler

Show

Let's count this out the awesome things appearing in this trailer and they're possible source from the comics:

0.00-0:11 Tony with the living bejeezus kicked out of him. An excellent start.

0:16-0:20 A reference to the Avengers and a context less press shot.

0:21-0:24 Ok that's absolutely massive because it fixes a major problem from the Avengers. The fact that Tony absolutely should have died during the climax of the Avengers has in fact hung over his head and given his decision to commit genocide weight. Though I'm guessing that the film I'll be more focused on the miraculous survival aspect of it because it's a massive leap in tone and hasn't been the focus of the movies advertising.

Post traumatic stress disorder is still a logical extension of his character arc and is probably a better way to go for the bulk audience of blockbuster fare.

However it also includes a shot of apparent telekinetic power which is obviously taken from Warren Ellis's Extremis arc which turned him into a techno-path.

But then, we already knew that.

Especially unsurprising given that Iron Man 1 already took part of that arc to act as his movie-verse's origin story.

0:25-0:26 Disassembled armour and insomnia. His lack of tools implies that this is the refinement of his new powers and combined with a new-found compulsion.

Which raises an interesting counter theory to my earlier one. He presumably gained his technopathic abilities during the time that he spent on the other side of the worm hole and his new psychological problems are not in fact from guilt or the fact that he almost died. They haven't helped but what's actually the problem is the massive hormonal imbalance that has occurred from his new abilities is messing with his body. He's also gotten off the sauce recently which means that he's stopped overtly punishing himself.

So his abusive boyfriend is not an AI glitch this time. Rather it's his own psychy still trying to punish himself and using a mental projection of it's self to do so.

Or Jarvis has taken control over the suit remotely in order to wake up and protect Tony and Pepper from the oncoming fire-storm. (Possible but vastly less interesting so let's drop it right now.)

0:27-0:28 Rhodes.

0:28-0:30 Either a memorial for people he failed to save during the invasion, another more topical memorial for people killed in the Middle Eastern military debacle, people killed by the Mandarin's malevolent machinations or something else.

I'm guessing the third.

0:33-0:34 Guy Pearce (Owner of AIM if I remember correctly.) and the new armour design in motion. Looks as good as I expected it to be. (Much better with all the effects attached to it.)

0:37-0:39 My favourite Iron Man villain coming to visit. [Insert-obvious-demon-in-a-Bottle-reference-here.]

0:43-0:47 Three important shot's in quick succession. Abject destruction. The Mandarin. Someone I don't recognise. But IMDB says that she's Maya Hansen and connected to the Extremis program.

0:47-0:49 The Iron Patriot. Actually a re-skin of Warmachine but apparently with a new pilot. Rhodes is out of the pilot-full-body-harness and replaced by a guy called Eric Dravin. (The sub-psychotic love child of Robocop, the Terminator and Miko Myazaki, in the comics. Which is awesome but I'm guessing it's just a reference.)

0:49-1:04 Lot's of shots in quick succession. None of which are particularly important. However Mandarin is doing his speech to the nation thing and making an obviously veiled threat.

1:05-1:36 Which is apparently blowing up Stark Mansion.

What is interesting about that is that given the lack of storytelling risks in the franchise up to this point, the shot of exploding Iron Man armours earlier and the lack of Pepper in the splash down scenes. I'm guessing that's how they get rid of the sentient armour rather than an actual attack on Tony's life and/ or home.

Which also fit's into standard movie pacing. The destruction of the second act villian being used to kick off an extended third act villian is an example of good storytelling. (Without crossing sub-genera see Spider Man 3 as an example of doing that badly.)

1:48-1:50 Or more likely that Tony then had to rely on the "evil" suit in order to save himself. Which is the most probably explanation of this shot. Tony dragging the now sympathetic and borderline heroic suit through the Red snow after it sacrificed itself to save him.

That took significantly longer than I expected it to.

[Gamerlord]

Is it just me, or does the new villain sound a bit like Bane? I chuckled a bit when he said "tuuururist".

[The Glyphstone]

You'd think Tony would, at some point, get the bright idea of building Pepper a suit of Iron Woman armor rather than constantly mope about how he can't risk losing her and needs to protect her.

(Apparently she does get a suit of armor after Civil War, but I don't know why it took him so long to do it).

[Nerd-o-rama]

You'd think Tony would, at some point, get the bright idea of building Pepper a suit of Iron Woman armor rather than constantly mope about how he can't risk losing her and needs to protect her.

(Apparently she does get a suit of armor after Civil War, but I don't know why it took him so long to do it).

Because comics are the one medium where people are still consistently expected to take "damsel in distress" seriously as a plot device.

Also glad I wasn't the only one who found the voiceover reminiscent of Bane. Well, Bane was by far the best part of TDKRises, so I can't really complain.

[Raimun]

Hell yes.

I'm now really looking forward to this. That's instead of looking forward to this.

[hamlet]

Is it just me, or does the new villain sound a bit like Bane? I chuckled a bit when he said "tuuururist".

It's Ben Kingsly without, as best I can tell, digital modulation or strange face device making him inaudible.

Do not mock Gandhi, man.

[Brother Oni]

Do not mock Gandhi, man.

Ghandi also does a very mean East End gangster.

[Dr.Epic]

I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of Tony Stark or the movies associated with him. So this is as much mental house keeping as anything else. (I love the fan theories following around most new franchise instalments. It's why I kept up to speed with stuff like Saw or Twilight.)

That said. Can I get a hell yes?

Spoiler

Show

Let's count this out the awesome things appearing in this trailer and they're possible source from the comics:

0.00-0:11 Tony with the living bejeezus kicked out of him. An excellent start.

0:16-0:20 A reference to the Avengers and a context less press shot.

0:21-0:24 Ok that's absolutely massive because it fixes a major problem from the Avengers. The fact that Tony absolutely should have died during the climax of the Avengers has in fact hung over his head and given his decision to commit genocide weight. Though I'm guessing that the film I'll be more focused on the miraculous survival aspect of it because it's a massive leap in tone and hasn't been the focus of the movies advertising.

Post traumatic stress disorder is still a logical extension of his character arc and is probably a better way to go for the bulk audience of blockbuster fare.

However it also includes a shot of apparent telekinetic power which is obviously taken from Warren Ellis's Extremis arc which turned him into a techno-path.

But then, we already knew that.

Especially unsurprising given that Iron Man 1 already took part of that arc to act as his movie-verse's origin story.

0:25-0:26 Disassembled armour and insomnia. His lack of tools implies that this is the refinement of his new powers and combined with a new-found compulsion.

Which raises an interesting counter theory to my earlier one. He presumably gained his technopathic abilities during the time that he spent on the other side of the worm hole and his new psychological problems are not in fact from guilt or the fact that he almost died. They haven't helped but what's actually the problem is the massive hormonal imbalance that has occurred from his new abilities is messing with his body. He's also gotten off the sauce recently which means that he's stopped overtly punishing himself.

So his abusive boyfriend is not an AI glitch this time. Rather it's his own psychy still trying to punish himself and using a mental projection of it's self to do so.

Or Jarvis has taken control over the suit remotely in order to wake up and protect Tony and Pepper from the oncoming fire-storm. (Possible but vastly less interesting so let's drop it right now.)

0:27-0:28 Rhodes.

0:28-0:30 Either a memorial for people he failed to save during the invasion, another more topical memorial for people killed in the Middle Eastern military debacle, people killed by the Mandarin's malevolent machinations or something else.

I'm guessing the third.

0:33-0:34 Guy Pearce (Owner of AIM if I remember correctly.) and the new armour design in motion. Looks as good as I expected it to be. (Much better with all the effects attached to it.)

0:37-0:39 My favourite Iron Man villain coming to visit. [Insert-obvious-demon-in-a-Bottle-reference-here.]

0:43-0:47 Three important shot's in quick succession. Abject destruction. The Mandarin. Someone I don't recognise. But IMDB says that she's Maya Hansen and connected to the Extremis program.

0:47-0:49 The Iron Patriot. Actually a re-skin of Warmachine but apparently with a new pilot. Rhodes is out of the pilot-full-body-harness and replaced by a guy called Eric Dravin. (The sub-psychotic love child of Robocop, the Terminator and Miko Myazaki, in the comics. Which is awesome but I'm guessing it's just a reference.)

0:49-1:04 Lot's of shots in quick succession. None of which are particularly important. However Mandarin is doing his speech to the nation thing and making an obviously veiled threat.

1:05-1:36 Which is apparently blowing up Stark Mansion.

What is interesting about that is that given the lack of storytelling risks in the franchise up to this point, the shot of exploding Iron Man armours earlier and the lack of Pepper in the splash down scenes. I'm guessing that's how they get rid of the sentient armour rather than an actual attack on Tony's life and/ or home.

Which also fit's into standard movie pacing. The destruction of the second act villian being used to kick off an extended third act villian is an example of good storytelling. (Without crossing sub-genera see Spider Man 3 as an example of doing that badly.)

1:48-1:50 Or more likely that Tony then had to rely on the "evil" suit in order to save himself. Which is the most probably explanation of this shot. Tony dragging the now sympathetic and borderline heroic suit through the Red snow after it sacrificed itself to save him.

That took significantly longer than I expected it to.

Honestly, I didn't like that trailer. It showed way too much. Now the actual shock of seeing these things happen in theaters is gone. What? They attacked Stark's home. That'd be a twist if it wasn't in the trailer. Also, Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin; I have my doubts about that casting.

[Dienekes]

Honestly, I didn't like that trailer. It showed way too much. Now the actual shock of seeing these things happen in theaters is gone. What? They attacked Stark's home. That'd be a twist if it wasn't in the trailer. Also, Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin; I have my doubts about that casting.

Agreed on the trailer, but what's wrong with Kingsley? The man is a fantastic actor and can play evil/smug pretty damn well.

[Karoht]

I think casting Kingsley is interesting. Not necessarily good or bad, but interesting.

I remember him from black comedy mostly. Part of me is unsure if he can actually do comic book villainy without over selling it or under selling it. There is a certain balance of seriousness and tongue in cheek that goes with being a comic book turned movie villain.

I'm still psyched to see this trailer when I get home from work.

PS-The wiki has some spoilery reveals on bad guys who are NOT Mandarin. Worth a look, but spoilery all the same.

[Mando Knight]

You'd think Tony would, at some point, get the bright idea of building Pepper a suit of Iron Woman armor rather than constantly mope about how he can't risk losing her and needs to protect her.

(Apparently she does get a suit of armor after Civil War, but I don't know why it took him so long to do it).

Partly because the Tony/Pepper thing isn't as strong in 616. And Tony kept to the "no really guys, I'm not Iron Man" thing a whole lot more, playing the "No, see, I retired from being Iron Man for realsies this time, the current Iron Man really is my bodyguard now, honest" card more than a few times.

[Dr.Epic]

Agreed on the trailer, but what's wrong with Kingsley? The man is a fantastic actor and can play evil/smug pretty damn well.

I don't know. I just have heard he's been in a lot of bad films. I'm just going off what I've heard.

Also, I loved the part where Stark's dragging his armor through the snow. It reminded me of Stallone working out in Rocky IV. Please tell me Iron Man fights Ivan Drago at some point in this film. That'd be awesome!

[erikun]

I don't know. Iron Man 1 was good. It wasn't an excellent movie itself, but it presented itself as an action-movie with character motivations and based on a comic book. It did all that and more, and was definitely worth watching.

Iron Man 2 was meh. The movie felt like it caught the standard sequelitus bug of "Let's do the same thing but again!" It really wasn't interesting, and felt more like a cashgrab between IM1 and the Avengers movie.

For Iron Man 3, it is good that they're using it to follow up on the events in teh Avengers. It means that the movie is (more likely) focused on progressing the story than adding another title to the franchise. On the other hand, I'm not sure how much upping the stakes will make the movie any better. This sounds just like the plot of IM2, except with more destruction mimicing Dark Knight Rises.

Honestly, I didn't like that trailer. It showed way too much. Now the actual shock of seeing these things happen in theaters is gone. What? They attacked Stark's home. That'd be a twist if it wasn't in the trailer. Also, Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin; I have my doubts about that casting.

This is another good point. For IM1, we saw some exciting tidbits but not really enough to piece together the big fights. For IM2, we basically saw the highlights of the big fights because it felt like that was all there was to that movie.

This trailer feels more like the big highlights of the upcoming movie. Perhaps it's just the newest Holloywood style to spoiler stuff like this in the trailers, but it doesn't fill me with much confidence.

[Dr.Epic]

This is another good point. For IM1, we saw some exciting tidbits but not really enough to piece together the big fights. For IM2, we basically saw the highlights of the big fights because it felt like that was all there was to that movie.

This trailer feels more like the big highlights of the upcoming movie. Perhaps it's just the newest Holloywood style to spoiler stuff like this in the trailers, but it doesn't fill me with much confidence.

Not all modern films have trailers like that though. Cowboys & Aliens - regardless what you thought of the actual film - had a trailer that showed little more then just the first half hour. Its trailer didn't spoiler anything. Also, I heard Looper - a film I think is still in theaters - does reveal all that much either (though I haven't seen it and am just going by what I heard).

[Axolotl]

This trailer feels more like the big highlights of the upcoming movie. Perhaps it's just the newest Holloywood style to spoiler stuff like this in the trailers, but it doesn't fill me with much confidence.

That's not really new, Hollywood has been doing that pretty much since they started makng trailers. It seems to fit for a comic based movie since that industry has a tendancy to announce any big plot twists several months in advance.

Also am I the only person who thinks The Mandarin sounds like Carl Sagan in this trailer? Because that's what I hear.

[Smart_alec]

Because comics are the one medium where people are still consistently expected to take "damsel in distress" seriously as a plot device.

Wait what?

Honestly, I didn't like that trailer. It showed way too much. Now the actual shock of seeing these things happen in theaters is gone. What? They attacked Stark's home. That'd be a twist if it wasn't in the trailer.

Yea that seems to be in vogue at the moment. Probably the biggest offender would be the absolutely awful Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer. (Which I'll admit is an excellent short film.)

This isn't as bad as all that though because it set's up a contextless climax without showing it's instigator or it's solution. So it's still something to overcome.

For Iron Man 3, it is good that they're using it to follow up on the events in teh Avengers. It means that the movie is (more likely) focused on progressing the story than adding another title to the franchise. On the other hand, I'm not sure how much upping the stakes will make the movie any better. This sounds just like the plot of IM2, except with more destruction mimicing Dark Knight Rises.

Because The Dark Knight Rises is something worth aping.

I'm not sure what you mean though. Could you elaborate?

[Selrahc]

(Apparently she does get a suit of armor after Civil War, but I don't know why it took him so long to do it).

Because Pepper wasn't a part of the Iron-Man comics for... a long time. The story arc played out. She quit Stark Enterprises, married Happy. The two were some very occasional guest characters.

She got reintroduced as a more important character following the Iron Man movie, and they fairly callously killed off Happy to open her up as a potential love interest again too.

[Mordar]

Biggest gripe about the trailer (which is for a movie I'll be seeing and 99.9% likely enjoying, so it really is a nit pick)...

Tony Stark, playboy genius philanthropist ultimate-weapons-designer has a virtual AI at his house...and it doesn't have the wherewithal to detect three commercial/public helicopters flying in and launching "post-factory modification" weapons and deploy counter-measures? After he has freely and frequently announced his identity? And is worried about Pepper's life?

Ugh, come on...at least tell me there was some sort of high-tech hijinks employed by the bad guys...

Otherwise it is just a case of "Heroic Stupidity to Advance the Plot".

- M

[erikun]

Because The Dark Knight Rises is something worth aping.

I'm not sure what you mean though. Could you elaborate?

About upping the stakes? I am referring to movie sequels that just replay the same storyline again but with higher stakes and acting like it is something significantly different. Iron Man 2 was about a terrorist scientist who wants to attack Tony and destroy stuff. Iron Man 3 seems to be about a terrorist scientist who wants to attack Tony and destroy more stuff.

As I said, this sounds exactly like the plot of Iron Man 2 but with citywide destruction along the scale Dark Knight Rises.

[Avilan the Grey]

Agreed on the trailer, but what's wrong with Kingsley? The man is a fantastic actor and can play evil/smug pretty damn well.

It reeks of white-washing to me. I was really looking forward to see what Asian actor they would cast in the role.

Because The Dark Knight Rises is something worth aping.

Meh. I am one of the few that truly was feeling "meh" about the new Batman trilogy. But then I have never really liked Bats (even in the comics).

[Soras Teva Gee]

Tony Stark, playboy genius philanthropist ultimate-weapons-designer has a virtual AI at his house...and it doesn't have the wherewithal to detect three commercial/public helicopters flying in and launching "post-factory modification" weapons and deploy counter-measures? After he has freely and frequently announced his identity? And is worried about Pepper's life?

Given that in the few seconds before we see Tony and Pepper looking at the attack it seems they were noticed

I also think putting a CIWS on his back porch would probably be beyond even Tony's legions of lawyers to get him. And would ruin the feel of the balcony, which is totally reason enough for Tony Stark.

And then you'd just get to see it fail anyways.

It reeks of white-washing to me. I was really looking forward to see what Asian actor they would cast in the role.

The man was born Krishna Pandit Bhanji

[LaZodiac]

Biggest gripe about the trailer (which is for a movie I'll be seeing and 99.9% likely enjoying, so it really is a nit pick)...

Tony Stark, playboy genius philanthropist ultimate-weapons-designer has a virtual AI at his house...and it doesn't have the wherewithal to detect three commercial/public helicopters flying in and launching "post-factory modification" weapons and deploy counter-measures? After he has freely and frequently announced his identity? And is worried about Pepper's life?

Ugh, come on...at least tell me there was some sort of high-tech hijinks employed by the bad guys...

Otherwise it is just a case of "Heroic Stupidity to Advance the Plot".

- M

The Mandarin is a wizard he cast an invisible spell.

Look, the point is, there WILL be a reason. As you will see once you watch it once it comes out.

[Jang Pettigrew]

The Iron Man 3 trailer was totally epic. My mind was blown and I was completely sold by it. I'm looking forward to seeing it next Spring with my brothers. Oh, and I love Sir Ben and Guy Pearce.

[kpenguin]

It reeks of white-washing to me. I was really looking forward to see what Asian actor they would cast in the role.

But... Ben Kingsley is Asian. Granted, not the Han Chinese the Mandarin is generally depicted as, but neither was the movie version of Yinsen.

[Smart_alec]

Iron Man 2 was about a terrorist scientist who wants to attack Tony and destroy stuff. Iron Man 3 seems to be about a terrorist scientist who wants to attack Tony and destroy more stuff.

As I said, this sounds exactly like the plot of Iron Man 2 but with citywide destruction along the scale Dark Knight Rises.

You may be confluxuating (conflating? confluxation?) Killian (That's a great name.) and the Mandarin. Especially given that neither of them have an established role in story or a motivation yet.

I see what you mean but it's too early to tell. I'll be honest though. I'm not getting that vibe.

Meh. I am one of the few that truly was feeling "meh" about the new Batman trilogy. But then I have never really liked Bats (even in the comics).

If I may go off topic for a mom-

It reeks of white-washing to me. I was really looking forward to see what Asian actor they would cast in the role.

The man was born Krishna Pandit Bhanji

And the only racial specifics that exist in the Mandarin's backstory (and they're NEVER going to refer to him as that in the movie. Unless it's said in the back ground by an obviously racist talk show host or something.) is that he's a desendant of Genghis Kahn. (Diluted enough that it really should mean nothing.) So he really could fit into any racial background.

Also: Armoured Adventures intentionally portrayed him as a racially ambiguous teenager born to overtly Asiatic parents. So I'm going to say that this is something of an improvement.

[erice924]

What suit and villain do you want for Iron Man 3?
I wonder what villain and suit should be in Iron man 3.

[Brother Oni]

Unless it's said in the back ground by an obviously racist talk show host or something.) is that he's a desendant of Genghis Kahn. (Diluted enough that it really should mean nothing.) So he really could fit into any racial background.

You do realise that about 8% of the male population in Asia (or about 0.5% of the world's population) can also claim descendancy from Ghengis Khan (link), so it's less that it's diluted enough to mean nothing and more that lots of people are descendents.

With descendency, you're either related or not - technically speaking the British Royal Family is related to the Prophet Muhammad (via the Moorish kings that ruled Spain).

[Aotrs Commander]

Eeeh.

I must admit, this trailer doesn't do anything for me.

Probably because I'm so completely and utterly sick of the whole "blow up the protagonist's stuff/family whatever/generally screw over the protagonist, protagonist Has Revenge" thing; especially in contrast to the exceptional Avengers, which was, in my mind, what superheroes should be essentially all about - super-powered individuals in bright costumes kicking the living crud out of bad guys. Blowing up the base is really no better than killing off the characters when it's just done to go "lookit, the stakes are really high!" Even the otherwise extremely good Young Justice has gone down that route... Coming as this does at the height of my apathy for the direction superhero comics are taking, I really have to say my first impressions leave me with a pause to wonder whether or not I actually want to see this movie. I probably will, in the end, but it's done exactly the opposite job of what a trailer is supposed to do, and has lowered my expectations quite considerably.



Is it too much to ask that, modern media (yes, all of you, comics, cartoons, movies, TV, anime, manga and everything else), for once, we can stop with the endless one-sided fights? Villain-beats-hero-then-later-hero-beats-villain; it's so utterly predictable - and while it's a common formula for a reason, like everything repetition weakens it. Could we not have, for instance, something like when a villian tries something like this, they actually don't succeed all the way until the eleventh hour? But actually, y'know, have something go wrong, and see them sweat a bit? Maybe, have THEM do the "get-over-confident, get-arsed-kicked, realise-not-to-be-over-confident" arc for a change? It might be fun to see the villain realise they have to actually get serious, because if they don't they will lose and have them having some stakes as well. Not all the time (because that would get old fast too) but, you know, just once in a while? For varity's (and not-holding-the-idiot-ball because plot-says-so's) sake?

[Soras Teva Gee]

But... Ben Kingsley is Asian. Granted, not the Han Chinese the Mandarin is generally depicted as, but neither was the movie version of Yinsen.

Specifically British born of mix ethnicity.

Interesting note the comics Mandarin is himself of mixed ethnicity, his mother was apparently English.

And the only racial specifics that exist in the Mandarin's backstory (and they're NEVER going to refer to him as that in the movie. Unless it's said in the back ground by an obviously racist talk show host or something.) is that he's a desendant of Genghis Kahn. (Diluted enough that it really should mean nothing.) So he really could fit into any racial background.

Also: Armoured Adventures intentionally portrayed him as a racially ambiguous teenager born to overtly Asiatic parents. So I'm going to say that this is something of an improvement.

I'll say anything is an improvement over a green lizard man personally. Though aside from the Mandarin there's not a well established real name for the character so it will be interesting to see. Best guess is Temujin.

Compare:

Spoiler

Show

that's a Mongolian banknote. Guess who?



That's Kingsley in costume.

And going by what has been hinted at in the previous movies its clearly a modified take anyways, kinda doubtful a guy with ten alien-tech rings at the power level of the comics was running around being called a terrorist.

(Though alien tech is a bit more likely post Avengers)

You do realise that about 8% of the male population in Asia (or about 0.5% of the world's population) can also claim descendancy from Ghengis Khan (link), so it's less that it's diluted enough to mean nothing and more that lots of people are descendents.

The genetics backing that though is only of 2003 vintage. Much later then the character.

Also given that its believed to come from laaaaarge harems leaves open claims of direct legitimacy to have a complex over.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Color me interested. Not sold, but interested.