Iron Man 3

In 2008, the original Iron Man film was released in cinemas to worldwide critical acclaim. Marvel followed up in the same year with The Incredible Hulk and watched the revenue roll in. Their success marked a new era in the popularity of comic book films. Since that time Marvel has rolled out even more successors, all warmly received by the comics fans despite the subtle butchering of a few origin stories.

Now on its third film, the Iron Man franchise is still going strong. Acting as a direct sequel to The Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jnr.) is having haunting nightmares of the Avengers battle in New York. While suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and sudden panic attacks, the film revolves around the idea that greatest enemies are the ones you create yourself. In the past, the Iron Man films have been heavily carried by the colourful performance of Downey Jnr. with support from Gwyneth Paltrow. This third installment bucks the trend with Sir Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin adding a new character of such menacing depth we can't help but secretly side with him.

This is one of those films that everyone can enjoy. It has action, comedy and touches upon some themes not often seen in Hollywood in the last few years.

Harry Austin