2008’s Iron Man was a joy. Despite its obvious plot holes and some failings, particularly with a poor choice of villain, the first instalment proved to be a lot of a fun and certainly a credit to director Jon Favreau.

However, the second instalment of the franchise left a lot to be desired; the plot meandered too much, the running time was far too long and Robert Downey Jr. barely seemed to be keeping the entire affair together.

Thankfully, before it disappeared into third film oblivion, the decision was made for Favreau not to return for the third instalment, and rather for Shane Black to sign on as director. Black’s debut directorial feature, the witty treat that was Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, struck cinema and cult gold. With one fell swoop, he firmly placed RDJ and his washed-up counterpart, the underrated Val Kilmer, back in the game.

The film begins with a flashback of a trip Stark made to Europe, where he first meets Aldrich Killian, played by Guy Pearce, and Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall). Stark, in usual Stark mentality, manages to create a couple of enemies over the space of 24 hours, both of whom will prove fundamental to the events which will evolve. Fast forward to the present and we find Stark is a changed man, less brash, unable to sleep, the memories of his time in New York with the Avengers haunts him.

He spends his time working on new machines and continues to allow Pepper to assume the reins of the company in his absence. However, a new terrorist threat presents itself in the form of the Mandarin and when attacks personally begin on Stark and those around him, he opts for a good old fashioned vengeance mission.

Refreshingly, Iron Man 3 displays Stark at very much his most vulnerable and demands a broader range from Downey Jr., who previously approached the role as the playboy billionaire. His anxiety attacks begin to consume him, he can no longer sleep and when he does he has haunted by past events in his life. This is by far the best Downey Jr. performance of the superhero. Despite his constant charm, we really get under the skin of the billionaire genius.

Besides RDJ, the cast all put in reasonable performances depending on the demands of their character and it is especially wonderful to see Favreau continue a role in a franchise he is no longer in control of. However, the villains of the piece are by far the stars of this production, Pearce, an exceptional actor, often overlooked and entirely more capable of main stream cinema than most give him credit for, is note perfect as Aldrich. By all accounts, it is nice to see Rebecca Hall get another big Hollywood nod, although she really does not have enough screen time here. Kingsley, is Kingsley. Is there anything else we can really say there?

Shane Black’s stamp is undeniable on the feature, the script has quite obviously been steered by his hand, witty and full of dark humour, Black manages to drag the best out of Downey Jr.’s screen time. The intro and exit are very much like Kiss Kiss, but an excellent construction for the story set up and his influence is clearly marked all over the scenes with the boy Stark finds during his travels.

Iron Man in the past has been criticised, somewhat unfairly, and has been put under a microscope in regards to character development and plot holes. Superhero films are the one case the above should be overlooked; if there is more than enough action, a clear and concise plot and a damn fine superhero to bring the whole thing together, we have no understanding to what the problem actually is. 3 is a rollicking good ride and if a film can transport you for two hours out of your everyday life and in to dream land populated with superheroes and Stark, is it fair to discuss villain and character plot?

Marvel Rules. Stay for that bit after the credits...