Iron Man 3 (2013)

When it's over, "You know who I am," Tony Stark says. The symbolic quote is Tony's search for himself and his conclusion of who he is. I like this third installment, because it dares Tony to question his actions, and that is character growth I did not see in the previous two films. As an audience, we have watched him grow from an insensitive businessman to a man set on protecting mankind, even if it means blowing his ego to mega proportions. In Iron Man 3, we see Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) vulnerable and changed, and much of that has to do with his love for Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). In order to save Pepper, Tony must defeat a madman who uses genetic alterations to terrorize humanity. Audiences will finally see Potts in action, as the film gives Paltrow some solid screen time. Guy Pierce and Ben Kingsley take the roles of bad guys, but Kingsley's character is not who he seems, which makes for some good humor. There is plenty of action and destruction, which is no surprise considering there are dozens of Iron Mans fighting dozens of genetically altered baddies. This third installment dares to please as several surprise plot twists make it intelligent as well as entertaining. 

My rating: 4 out of 5