Following where “The Avengers” left off, “Iron Man 3” wraps up the Iron Man trilogy with wit, twists, and an Iron Man more human than we’ve ever seen before.

Filmed locally in Wilmington, the film begins as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) returns from New York a shell-shocked hero following the battle in “The Avengers“. Unable to sleep, Stark spends restless hours in his work studio creating new iron man suits.

As Stark begins suffering from anxiety issues, everything in his life starts spinning out of control.

Two new villains are introduced: Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a geeky fanatic-gone-suave billionaire, and the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a sinister terrorist that appears through television hijacks.

With most of his gadgets, luxuries and stability destroyed, Stark’s suit crash lands him lost in the woods of Chattanooga, Tenn., stripped of everything.

Usually the cockiest of heroes, we finally see Tony Stark as a real person in this film. For the first time, Stark seems human. No longer able to hide behind the iron mask, he questions his life and his values. Having lived behind his work for so long, Stark is forced to see his life as it truly is without the distraction of his gadgets.

While the film has many typical action-scene shots, like giant explosions and good-guy- versus-bad-guy scenes, it’s the humanistic quality that makes it Robert Downey Jr.’s best Marvel performance yet.

A scene where Stark is dragging his iron man suit behind him through the snow shows him at his lowest point. A new friendship with a young boy shows Stark’s potential for humility as he introduces himself to the boy not as Iron Man, but “only a mechanic.”

Gwyneth Paltrow also shines in her role as Pepper Potts.  She’s given a chance at engaging in some real action this time, and her character’s relationship with Stark reaches deeper levels than we’ve seen before.

While director Joss Whedon raised the bar high in “The Avengers,” “Iron Man 3” is stunningly comparable. It’s the first movie director Shane Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang“) has done in eight years. The movie shows the director’s skill for creating winding detective stories that keep the audience guessing as Stark uncovers the clues as to how the villains connect.

Fans of the first two “Iron Man” installments will enjoy seeing this new, more raw Iron Man. Viewers will feel genuine empathy for Stark after everything they have seen him go through as a character.

With sharp-witted lines and a thorough character study of Stark, “Iron Man 3” shines as a strong conclusion to the trilogy, and a film Wilmington can be proud to have produced.

 

Spot the Wilmington Locations:

Try to recognize the Cape Fear River as Iron Man rescues falling passengers from a plane, a realistic and well-done scene performed by a stunt team filmed over the river.

Also see the Wilmington port as the location of the ultimate battle scene.