Iron Man 3 (Pre-Viewing)

Good ol' fashioned revenge!

The marketing campaign for Iron Man 3 has been exemplary, which is a sure sign of the threequel's potential to exceed all expectations (aside from The Avengers connection of course).

The theatrical posters have been informative, exciting and each has had a clear focus on a different aspect of the film.

On the right is my pick of the posters and here is why...

The image shows Tony Stark/Iron Man floating on a piece of debris from his recently destroyed mansion (visible in the background). Stark is only partly suited up but he has a serious look of intent.

The most intriguing aspect of this image are the multiple Iron Men in the background, all in mid-flight, which implies that Iron Man is no longer unique.

In my opinion, this poster tells you virtually everything you need to know about the film's premise. Tony Stark's secrets are common knowledge and so is his personal life. The exploding mansion indicates that this will be integral to the plot and his and Pepper's safety will all be severely threatened in this outing.

The attack has clearly caught Stark off-guard, which is evident primarily because he is not fully suited up in his Iron Man armour and also because he is kneeling. However, his clenched fist and determined facial expression suggests that he has regrouped (though still slightly stunned) and ready for payback.

However, there is one aspect of this poster that i have mixed feelings about, the multiple Iron Men in the background...

Although this is a very striking feature and arguably the most memorable part of the poster, there is a distinct possibility that it will undermine Tony Stark as Iron Man. If the technology is now so widely distributed, it will lose a considerable portion of its dramatic impact. This is largely because Iron Man is now one of many and Tony Stark isn't the only person capable of mastering the technology. However, this development would have been inevitable and there is also no guarantee that the technology would be exclusively used for good (which itself is unlikely). Regardless of any allegiances, too many variations of the character's armour will potentially diminish the intended WOW factor of this story arc and the overall integrity of the character.

That being said, I can't wait to see the movie!

Here's the synopsis for Iron Man 3:

Some time after the events of The Avengers, Tony Stark has cut himself off from the outside world, obsessively building powered suits to counter his insomnia. This causes friction with his girlfriend, Pepper Potts, before he finally admits that something about him has changed since the battle over New York.

The United States has come under attack from The Mandarin, a terrorist leader responsible for a string of bombings that have left intelligence agencies bewildered at the lack of evidence left behind. When Happy Hogan is caught up in one of The Mandarin's attacks, Stark pulls himself out of his stupor and issues a threat of his own, inviting The Mandarin to his home to settle their differences with their fists. The Mandarin responds by assaulting Stark's home by helicopter, destroying it. Stark survives the attack, but is left stranded in rural Tennessee when JARVIS follows a flight plan left in his system. The world believes Tony Stark to be dead as The Mandarin starts issuing more threats of violence.

Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) and stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsely.

The film is due for release in the UK on 25th April and in the US on 3rd May 2013.