Tony Stark and friends light up the big screen both figuratively and literally in “Iron Man 3.” Director Shane Black has made the Marvel films everything a superhero movie can and should be. 

The newest “Iron Man” deals with a popular theme that has hit the entertainment business: terrorism. Some interesting plot twists lead Stark, played by none other than Robert Downey Jr. (“The Avengers”), to Tennessee where he makes new, helpful friends. With a present threat to the president and to the ever-lovely Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow (“The Avengers”), Stark must come up with innovative ways to combat more high-tech foes.

“Iron Man 3” proves to be your typical superhero movie, which is a popular genre for the silver screen as of late. But be sure to watch “The Avengers” before hitting the theatre for this one. There are many references to the movie in regards to Tony’s symptoms resembling post-traumatic stress disorder.

The effects of the action scenes are quite chaotic at times. In a particular attack, the switch between real life and CGI gets a little spotty and becomes difficult to follow. Eventually everything is sorted out and the screen play resumes smoothly. Overall, everything was as realistic as a superhero movie can be and the terror attacks continue to be “staged.”

Tony Stark’s snarky remarks seem to be contagious, unlike in past films. The sarcasm spreads to Pepper and Colonel Rhodes and makes for some snappy dialogue moments. The ever-present Jarvis even gets in a few quick remarks here and there to get the audience laughing.

Iron Man is much more relatable in this movie because he shows his weaknesses. Generally speaking, Tony Stark seems to be the prideful, rich man basking in the glory of having his identity known. This time around, he is learning the benefits of anonymity. His boastful ways prove threatening to him and Pepper, which is an eye-opener for the snarky superhero.

The opening of the movie really sets the tone for the past coming back to bite you. Tony opens with a line about “creating his own demons.” The movie goes on to explain and the rich back story sets the stage for the action to continue. There seems to be several threads going on at the start, but they all tie up into a neat little package at the end. It kept the audience guessing.

Tony’s tinkering hobby also created a whole new line up of iron suits to marvel at. Yes, pun intended. The new collection proves useful in the end, rather than just a bunch of toys lying around the fancy oceanside mansion. But the suits don’t work without a man in them, do they? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see what’s new in the Stark household.

The movie shows Tony’s growth since the first movie where he was shamelessly flaunting his newfangled technology. With more advanced technology he is forced to be quick on his toes, sometimes without his usual equipment. Yet, as always, it all works out in the end because, after all, he is Iron Man.

4 out of 5 stars.