Movie Review: Iron Man 3

The long awaited third entry in the Iron Man franchise has arrived. Iron Man 3 takes place after the events in New York during The Avengers. Being a sequel, you might want to see Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and The Avengers prior to seeing Iron Man 3. Of the three previous films, events from The Avengers are the only ones that is actually referenced though out the movie.

Gwyneth Paltrow stepped up her stunt skills during Iron Man 3 and plays a much larger role now that her character Pepper Potts is living with Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). The young boy, played by an adorable Ty Simpkins, helped to show a more human side to the playboy inventor.

The 3D effects of Iron Man 3 were not worth the extra few dollars. In IMAX it might be better, but I saw the regular 3D version. There were action scenes that you expected things to pop off the screen, but it was minimal at best.

As with all Marvel movies, Stan Lee made a quick cameo. As usual with Marvel, there is a short scene after the credits but the credits lasted forever. There had to be at least a hundred names, if not more listed for working on the film. There was also a nice homage to Douglas Adams with the current suit being mach 42.

My personal opinion of this film is that any fan of superhero films will enjoy Iron Man 3. I enjoyed it much better than Iron Man 2 however I feel it tied with The Avengers. It was well paced and had a little of everything.

Iron Man 3 will be released nation wide on May 3, 2013. Check out my weekly post, Making Cents with Cori, on Cinemit for weekly specials on tickets and concessions.

Movie Rating for Iron Man 3

The passes for this pre-screening were won through 43Kix. Follow their Facebook page to attend free screenings near you. Check out my information post for more information about free movie screenings.

Movie Review: The Avengers

It's been four years since the first Iron Man film was released in theaters. Since then, we have slowly been introduced to many superheroes from the Marvel universe. The Avengers is the culmination of years of anticipation.  Before I begin my review, I need to be honest with my readers and admit that I never saw all of the original films.  In fact, the only film I saw prior to The Avengers was Captain America: The First Avenger.

Right from the first scene, there was action as our villain for the film makes his first appearance. The action continues throughout and I found even the slower parts moved quickly.  Each hero was reintroduced in a way that fitted them and allowed viewers to receive a background if they hadn't seen the previous films.

The story was well written and flowed nicely.  I thought the battle scenes were full of action, but nothing seemed overly forced which was a nice change from most superhero films.  The best part of the film was how the team learned to work together.  Fans have seen them each as an independent force prior to The Avengers and the characters felt the same way.  While still a world of fantasy, it added a small bit of realism.  It wasn't just a "hey we're superheroes, let's stop the bad guy" feeling.  They even joked about it in one of the many funny quotes during the film.

As usual, I wasn't super impressed with the 3D action. Perhaps it's my eyes, but I just still don't see the technology worth the extra money. I do feel that anyone that is a fan of superheroes will enjoy the film.  I do plan to rent Iron Man because while I originally had no interest in the film, Robert Downey Jr's performance made me want to see the film that started it all.

The Avengers will be released nation wide on May 4, 2012.  If you buy your ticket on Fandango, you can get a free song download from the soundtrack.  Check your local movie theater's Facebook page for possible concession stand coupons.

Movie Rating for The Avengers

The passes for this pre-screening were won by a friend and I don't know the source. Check out my information post for more information about free movie screenings.

Unlock a Free Advanced Screening of The Avengers in Your City

Are you planning to see The Avengers this summer? Want to see it early and for free? Head over to The Avenger's Facebook page and like them. If your city has the most fans, they'll host a free advanced screening in Imax 3D. So far five cities have been opened for screenings:

• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami, FL
• New York, NY

If you're in one of the five cities, RSVP now before they're full. I'll post again when more cities become available.