IM3 is a mess, I agree. There's plenty of good action scenes, impressive stunts and CGI, great acting, etc. But there were a lot of things that took me out of the movie. I have a long list of problems with this movie, that I'm not going to explore here. I'm pretty much done with it. I think IM3 suffers from overload. Too much remote control armor, too many people using the armor, using Extremis to do anything the story needs at any given time, too much joking around. There are some major themes that could've been dealt with, but everything is just setting up the next huge action scene, instead.
There were quite a few people in my theater laughing hysterically at everything, similar to Transformers 2. They don't give a damn about the supposed high-minded socio-cultural critiques the movie is making. They want to be blown out of their seats with explosions, silly gags, and fireworks. This movie is mainly for them. It felt much more like a silly, over-the-top Michael Bay movie, than the gem they produced with the first IM movie.
If there are any Iron Man fans who still haven't seen it, my recommendation is to just save your money and wait until it comes to cable. Or better yet, just pop in the first IM and enjoy a truly well-rounded movie.
I give it a 4/10. For those who don't really care about the core characters or numerous flaws, it's a bombastic, funny and impressive-looking thrill ride.
