Iron Man 3 (9/24/2013)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley

Directed by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang)

Marvel Studios continues to bring comic book characters to life and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

TODD’S WORD: There are plenty of things to get excited about when it comes to Iron Man 3. The cast returns and continues to impress especially Robert Downey Junior as Tony Stark.

JONATHAN’S WORD: And then we have two new characters, played by Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley.

TODD’S WORD: Guy Pearce is brilliant as one of the films villains.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Pearce is always good. Name it: LA Confidential, Momento.

TODD’S WORD: And Kingsley was fantastic. I don’t want to give away any spoilers… but he was really entertaining.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Agreed.

TODD’S WORD: Shane Black has written the scripts to some of my favorite films. His characters are always witty clever and a little nuts; which sounds a lot like Robert Downey Jr./Tony Stark. In fact it was Shane Black’s film Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang that made me a Robert Downey Jr. fan back in 2005 (catch the TV version of that film, it’s a little racy).

JONATHAN’S WORD: Shane Black gained Hollywood’s attention when he penned Lethal Weapon. His screenplays to follow were creative and unpredictable. His style definitely bled through to this film, which brought some good and bad. The imaginative and almost random storytelling style was the “good.” The negative part for me was that Shane is also a little crass or lewd at times. Ironman3 definitely earned it’s PG-13.

TODD’S WORD: I also enjoyed his storytelling style, especially his dialogue. When Tony Stark is being sarcastic or witty…it’s a home run, but I felt like the action sequences were just under par. I can’t really be upset with his direction, it’s just not his wheelhouse. But I’m convinced Iron Man 3 would have been a “Worth Buying” if they had brought in a director to handle the action scenes of the film.

JONATHAN’S WORD: I didn’t get that feeling at all. I thought the action was realistic, with the combination of Black’s creative storytelling style that kept you guessing. This film is worth buying.

SPOILER ALRET:
TODD’S WORD: Then there’s the Mandarin…and yes, I’m going to let my inner NERD out. When they first revealed that Mandarin would be the villain in Iron Man 3, I was both confused and excited. Jon Favreau (director of the first two films) always said that he had intended to put the Mandarin in a later Iron Man movie after the magical/fantastical side of the cinematic Marvel Universe was established (ie The Avengers and Thor). However, when Shane Black signed on as the director, he dismissed the Mandarin as a “racist caricature” and so I didn’t expect to see him at all.

But then there he was, on posters and in the trailer. Again I was both confused and excited. But today I am neither…I’m really just disappointed.

JONATHAN’S WORD: We’ll have to agree to disagree on this point again. Granted, I didn’t know anything about Mandarin because I don’t read comics. So to me, the reveal about Mandarin (which I won’t detail- we don’t want to give that much spoiler away) was hilarious. I loved it!

TODD’S WORD: I think it insults the fans of that comic and diminishes the hero’s battle over evil.

OK I’m done.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Maybe comic fans will feel that way. But mainstream audiences will love it.

TODD’S WORD: Iron Man is still my favorite superhero and the movie is still “Theater Worthy.”

JONATHAN’S WORD: And I think it was even better than that. I give it the top score. “Worth Buying.” But I think parents should watch it first before bringing their 10-year-old to see it.

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
A woman is briefly seen from behind while seated wearing a red bra and panties. Only her upper back is seen (as she is seated and the view is from behind). The scene is brief, taking place in a hotel bedroom, and implies post-sex. Some women are seen momentarily in the background once or twice during a scene wearing only a bikini top and short shorts.

Pepper says that she’s going to have a shower and that Tony should go with her. Implying sex. (Very brief and not suggestive.)

One location contains a number of scantily clad women: We see a couple of girls wearing only bikini’s playing table tennis. A prostitute lies on a couch and is implied to be drunk (brief scene, 3-4 seconds long). Two women are found in a bed wearing only lingerie (their male companion having left for the bathroom).

There is a lot of action and it is often intense and larger-than-life. There are a lot of shootouts and explosions, with little to no blood. The bad guys are mutant type characters that can reanimate limbs. When this happens it looks like melting metal.

We also see some very brief but startling images of terrorism and shootings including men being lined up and shot. No blood.

The final battle is intense and violent. There are lots of explosions and lots of enemies are shot or killed in an explosion.

As far as profanity goes, the S-word is used as well as a few other obscenities.

CONVERSATION STARTER

1. In the film besides the villains what is Tony battling?


2. What triggers his anxiety?


3. What are some of the things you worry about?


4. Read Philippians 4:4-7
   
   Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
   
   God knows there will be things that cause us to worry, but how does he tell us to handle them?


5. What are some things you need to pray about right now?