Iron Man (**1/2 out of ****)

Jon Favreau steps down from the directing chair and passes the mantle onto Shane Black. The man previously worked with Robert Downey Jr. in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the outrageous action comedy. So it's not surprising that Iron Man 3 is perhaps the funniest super hero film yet. At points the film feels like it could just be a slapstick comedy, but then the fights kick in and your reminded where you're at here. Perhaps it is best described as a buddy cop style movie between various characters. Iron Man 3 has it's problems but that doesn't mean it isn't a blast.

This time around Tony Stark (whom has been immortalized by RDJ) is haunted by his inner demons. The incident he experienced during The Avengers has left fixated on making newer and better Iron Men Suits. In comes The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who looks to teach the US their faults. There's quite a few twists and turns so I shouldn't go t much further but it's similar to the past two Iron Men in style.

The comedy, the climax, and some of the new characters work incredibly well. Ultimately it's goofy fun with some captivating action and to many that's enough. Still the film has some faults. Some the new characters suffer from strange or boring characterization. Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen has little to contribute to the plot which is disappointing as she deserved better. Many of the characters don't contribute to the entertainment without Stark around. So despite some interesting character notions, they lack a life outside of the lead protagonist. Regardless Iron Man 3 will joyful to those who enjoyed previous installments.

**1/2 out of ****