tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post6362820609284138995..comments2024-03-28T03:10:19.013-07:00Comments on Fraggmented: Why 'Iron Man 3' **spoilers** Instead of **spoilers spoilers spoilers**John Seaveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07530526320973807452noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-88031279023007746452013-05-23T02:22:44.730-07:002013-05-23T02:22:44.730-07:00yeah,I think so,I also like the Iron man t shirt.yeah,I think so,I also like the <a href="http://tshirtsky.com/iron-man" rel="nofollow">Iron man t shirt</a>.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09074900915962503989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-65877947581012692722013-05-13T10:30:41.918-07:002013-05-13T10:30:41.918-07:00@Anonymous: I'd say if you have to ditch the c...@Anonymous: I'd say if you have to ditch the character's name, costume, modus operandi, motivations, secret identity, and...um, everything but the powers (which, arguably, came not from the Melter but from the villain in the Extremis storyline, who also had heat powers) then you're proving my point that you're not getting a major movie out of him. :)<br /><br />@Fakefaux: Oh, I'm totally willing to be persuaded that in addition to being racist, he's also crap. :) But I'd say that he's certainly better than most of Iron Man's other villains, who tend to be hired guns (already used in 'Iron Man 2') or guys with a grudge against Tony Stark (already used in 'Iron Man 2'.) The Mandarin has something to give the series that it doesn't already have, which is his advantage at this point.<br /><br />@Oddstar: It wasn't perfect, I agree. It was "tell don't show" far too often, and there's not really a point where you feel like Tony is opposing this because it's actually immoral, instead of because they hurt his friends and blew up his house. It feels like a petulant rich kid defending his stuff, not a hero standing up against the ruthless military exploitation of technology that could benefit the human race, and that's a flaw. But the Mandarin, specifically, is not a flaw, and I've heard it argued that he was.John Seaveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07530526320973807452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-56294423619692604362013-05-13T06:02:38.140-07:002013-05-13T06:02:38.140-07:00You make some good points, but that doesn't ch...You make some good points, but that doesn't change the fact that the movie still wasn't very good. The first <i>Iron Man</i> was a great movie because it was really a classic screwball romantic comedy masquerading as a superhero action film. The interactions between Tony and Pepper were what made the whole film worthwhile. The interactions between the two of them were also the high point of <i>The Avengers</i>. In <i>Iron Man 2</i> and <i>Iron Man 3</i>, they get barely a couple of minutes of screen-time together, with barely any of the witty banter that made the first film so much fun. (I don't know if it was the writers, the director, or Downey himself, but someone seems to have gotten the idea that having Tony talk really fast would somehow make him funny; needless to say, it doesn't. Go rewatch the first film, because he didn't do that there.) All that being said, Ben Kingsley was terrific, and the subplot with the Mandarin was the only genuinely funny part of the movie. Well, that and the cameo by Ruffalo.Oddstarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-89173023009375963912013-05-11T16:17:46.067-07:002013-05-11T16:17:46.067-07:00I don't believe the fear of the "other&qu...I don't believe the fear of the "other" is inherently racist. If it was groups like the NRA wouldn't have to spend so much trying to shift people's fears after things like New Town.mrjlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-39904888551870060252013-05-10T09:08:31.239-07:002013-05-10T09:08:31.239-07:00The thing is, the changes to the Mandarin didn'...The thing is, the changes to the Mandarin didn't bug me too much because I was never really invested in the Mandarin. You, MGK, and Tim O'Neil all argue that he's a great character, aside from the racism issues, but to me the racism issues have only ever been part of the problem.<br /><br />Mandarin's motivations, that he's descended from Genghis Khan and therefore wants to continue the world domination schemes of the Mongols, are lifted wholesale from one of the old Fu Manchu movies. He's never had a ton of personality beyond sneering arrogance. It's worth noting that in recent years there were two very different attempts to reinvigorate that character, one by Daniel Knauf, the other by Matt Fraction. Knauf tries to portray Mandarin as a misguided extremist in the vein of Ra's al Ghul, while Fraction creates a Kim Jong Il pastiche. Neither one of them can seem to decide on who the character is at his core.<br /><br />That's always been the issue for Mandarin with me. He's what the Venture Bros. would call a dimestore Dr. Doom, just another meglomaniac villain with delusions of world conquest, overshadowed by better known villains with more interesting characterization. It seems like he only became Tony's archnemesis by default, because he was the best option out of a terrible lineup. So, really, as far as I'm concerned, the movies can do whatever they like with him.<br /><br />Though I will grant that a battle with a Mandarin who has working rings would have been fun to see on the big screen. Fakefauxhttp://ogresvstrolls.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-47858424547831960532013-05-07T21:33:32.863-07:002013-05-07T21:33:32.863-07:00Also, now we have AIM, the stage is set for MODOK ...Also, now we have AIM, the stage is set for MODOK in <i>Iron Man 4</i>!Deanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07593238314160981897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-81961424055214531182013-05-07T21:29:05.634-07:002013-05-07T21:29:05.634-07:00I think you've just succeeded in selling this ...I think you've just succeeded in selling this movie on me. No other reaction that I've read mentioned this level of cleverness much less political insightfulness. Bravo.Tony Laplumehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07854455859399339169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-91782995271973915662013-05-07T19:34:11.900-07:002013-05-07T19:34:11.900-07:00I very much agree, John. While I think a simple n...I very much agree, John. While I think a simple non-racist Mandarin could be done, IM3's version does a bang-up job of acknowledging the character's difficult past while insightfully exploiting it.Eric Qel-Dromahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768499983501308136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15742539.post-7450237364954661362013-05-07T19:28:31.022-07:002013-05-07T19:28:31.022-07:00You DID get a big budget movie with The Melter as ...You DID get a big budget movie with The Melter as the main villain. It's called "Iron Man 3".<br /><br />The EXTREMIS virus gave everyone Melter powers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com