Sunday, April 28, 2013

Iron Man 3, The Mandarin, False Advertising or Misdirection?

So, I caught Iron Man 3 this weekend. And it was everything you'd expect out of a summer blockbuster. Especially a Marvel summer blockbuster.

The third instalment in the superhero franchise had tons of action, humour and the right amount of Robert Downey Junior to make it a bonafide hit. And judging by the 195 million dollars it made overseas, it's going to make its money for sure. But I do have a single gripe with this Iron Man Outing. And that gripe is the Mandarin.

When it was first announced that Ben Kingsley had been cast as the Mandarin, I was a bit skeptical o begin because in the comics, and people may disagree here, the Mandarin is depicted as Asian. I didn't nit pick though. Because hey it was Sir Ben Kingsley, so at least the villain will be in good hands. Or so I thought, until I saw the movie that is.

Possible Spoilers ahead

The Mandarin is not at all what he was advertised as. Now I don't know if it was some clever misdirection on Shane Black's part but if it was, it was a little disappointing. You see, in the movie, the Mandarin isn't at all what he seems, I mean literally. And if you're waiting for something more, you'll be sorely disappointed. Granted, theres plenty of action and explosions and cool armour that flies remote controlled. But at the end of the day I have to say that the supposedly main villain of the movie disappoints. And fans of the comics may feel a little cheated when they see whats been done to the Mandarin, arguably one of Iron Man's most notorious villains.One more thing Guy Pierce is not doing an extended cameo, he's a proper player in this movie. He was great, don't get me wrong. But the part he plays may surprise you a little.

One of the highlights of the movie was the after credits easter egg, which finds tony on a therapist's couch, and guess who the doctor is.

All in all, the movie is great, and you should watch it. But don't expect it to follow comic book lore to the letter.

 

 
 

 









2 comments:

  1. This is false advertising pure and simple - it's not like they took a brand new character and added a twist or even modified a lower-level villian. That would be excusable - but no, they took one of the greatest Super villians of all time, advertised him as he should have been then turned him into a joke.

    Considering suing for my money and time back.

    Seriously.

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    Replies
    1. the thought is echoed by fans all over i guess

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