With the success of the first two “Iron Man” films, expectations werehigh for the third installment. The usual aspects of an action packed and adventure filled movie were there, though not as much as the chapters before it.

Directed by Shane Black and based off the Marvel comic book series “Iron Man 3” falls into third place as far as the amount of action in the series.

The film began with one night that Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., spent in Switzerland on New Year’s Eve. This in itself was puzzling because it was random. Stark had a one night stand with a woman named Maya Hansen, played by Rebecca Hall, who he thought was a botanist. She comes to visit Stark later in the movie and he discovers that she is not who he thought she was.

The next scene is set in Malibu, California, where Stark and his girl friend Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, live. The jump between settings was a bit perplexing as the purpose of the night in Switzerland is not revealed until later in the movie. These quick changes of setting make the storyline and time frames hard for viewers to follow as it occasionally shows flashbacks from the past.

The villain of the movie is only known as the Mandarin, portrayed by Ben Kingsley, and is solely seen through the television screens of United States citizens. There were scenes of bombings and murders broadcasted by the Mandarin and his men. A total of nine bombings were associated with the Mandarin. He seemed to be the quintessence of evil doers until the audience discovered something about him that was not so villainous. Had the Mandarin maintained the image he began with, it would have made for a fantastic overall film.

However, there was a plot twist that was not so pleasing. The true villain, perhaps not the Mandarin, is discovered and seems half as harmless. Any good action movie has a perfect villain. The original idea of the Mandarin would have fulfilled the role, but the spin of the story took away from that role. Kingsley was perfect for the character of a terrorist threatening the president of the United States to comply with his demands. However, viewers were disappointed as this turned out not to be the case.

Aldrich Killian, played by Guy Pearce, is the head of an experimental treatment project called Extremis. Killian had approached Stark at first on the night that he spent in Switzerland, but Stark ditched him. He later went to Pepper to demonstrate his research, but she also denied him, fearing that it could be turned into a weapon. Killian’s transformation from a rugged, unkempt and unknown man to a groomed scientist created the illusion that he was not so pitiful and unsuccessful anymore. Pearce did a good job of switching from the two opposite types of characters about half way through the film. He fluently transitioned from acting extremely timid to acting extremely confident in himself.

The most disappointing aspect of the film was Stark’s deterioration of confidence. In the other “Iron Man” films, Stark is cocky and confident. In fact, that was his most appealing feature as the protagonist and hero. However, in “Iron Man 3” Stark has quite a few panic attacks when remembering his previous experiences and battles from the past movies. He does not seem to be as brave. This movie is all about Stark’s humanity and if he is willing to give it up, along with his relationship with Pepper, to continue to be Iron Man. Black made the decision to show this side of Stark to make it easier for the audience to relate to him. It is unrealistic to think that battling and occasionally killing other people, villains or not, would not take an emotional toll on a person. While this does make him seem a weaker character, it also shows viewers his mortality and makes him a more regardable character.

This change was not due to Downey Jr.’s acting. In fact, his acting was just as believable. He made the usual witty comments, included sarcastic dialogue and made the occasional offensive joke. The adjustment was only due to Stark’s lack of confidence as a character in the plot.

Potts became a more independent and self-sufficient character in the movie than when audiences were first introduced to her. She no longer has to rely on Iron Man to constantly save and protect her. Paltrow’s strong personality and confidence was reflected in the new Potts.

The special effects of the film were appealing. The fires and bombings had a realistic glow to them. Also, the effects used on the Iron Man suits in combat scenes made the prototypes look like real life weapons.

The ending of the movie reflects Stark’s transformation as a more realistic and weak human. This shows that superheroes have their faults and hardships, too, and that people should not think they need to be perfect to be a hero. This conclusion leads viewers to assume that this just might be the last Iron Man movie.

Though the film did not exceed viewer’s expectations of tons of gory battle and lack of emotion that were developed from the previous movies, the film still provided its minimum amount of action and the witty remarks that Stark is known for. The final chapter is worth seeing, but audiences might want to wait until it is ready for the DVD player.