Really though, I should have gone into more detail. I really meant that comment for the ones that are telling the few of us to "get over it" or to "stop crying".
The ones that liked the twist and don't care if people aren't happy with it, I have no problem with.
I think people on both sides of this argument have been insulting each other, and it's tiring. Some people are going to like the film, some are going to hate it. I haven't commented too much on this because I haven't seen how it's handled. As a long time Iron Man fan, I can certainly see how some people are upset. I'm a little upset that we didn't get a pure Crimson Dynamo story in the second film, but got a - son of Crimson Dynamo combined with Backlash.
Like I say the only villain in this series so far that hasn't been significantly changed from the comics has been Stane. I get that they changed Justin Hammer for the very reason that his comic counterpart could have appeared exactly like Stane (minus putting on the armor). Personally I thought having Tony and Justin as rivals of the same age, was a good change, and overall I enjoyed Iron Man 2, although I admit it's one of the weaker MCU films, but some have IMO made it out to be worse than it actually was (It certainly wasn't Green Lantern bad, or Fantastic Four bad).
I will be sympathetic to those who don't like the change, but to suggest that Shane Black is trying to screw the fans, is a total stretch that doesn't deserve to be discussed. You may not like what he did, but I see know evidence that he doesn't care for the character.
He gave a clue at comic-con as to his intentions, that he had a lot of multiple elements that in his words, (paraphrasing) "all work together unlike Spider-man 3".
However no one should be surprised that the individual movies have all been about Tony Stark, and that's what makes them unique from most Super hero movies. The first Batman Begins was all about Bruce Wayne, but The Dark Knight was a thematic story about order and chaos. Rami's Spider-man films focused on the relationship of Peter and Mary Jane. Donner's Superman films focused on Lois and Superman. I could go on and on. The Iron Man films are about Tony Stark, everything else is background noise.
I have to disagree with you there. In fact that was probably the no. 1 complaint of those films. For one the Norman Osborne comparison, and then all the campy dialogue that Doom never said in the comics, like the "Marco.....Polo" bit, or "Let's all go for a spin!"
Not to mention taking one of the worst delivered lines from X-men and rehashing it numerous times. "What happens when you superheat rubber?", "what happens to rubber when it's super-cooled?"
I have to disagree with you there. In fact that was probably the no. 1 complaint of those films. For one the Norman Osborne comparison, and then all the campy dialogue that Doom never said in the comics, like the "Marco.....Polo" bit, or "Let's all go for a spin!"
Not to mention taking one of the worst delivered lines from X-men and rehashing it numerous times. "What happens when you superheat rubber?", "what happens to rubber when it's super-cooled?"
While I think the twist worked well within the movie,
I wish the Mandarin would have been given some teeth at least.It would have made all the difference in the world if I could picture Kingsley's character coming back for a fourth movie and really giving us a threatening Mandarin.
It was pretty great how Killian takes on some of the traits I was looking for in Kingsley's character. Though that does really put the final nail in the "mandarin won't come back for sequels and be a bad***" coffin.
All in all though it doesn't really matter since I loved all the other changes so much. Plus the movie was just AWESOME!
And what's sad is that the twist has overshadowed everything in the movie at least in this forum. Outside of the boards though is a different story. The twist wasn't even brought up when I discussed the movie with my friends after we watched the film until I brought it up. They were more interested talking about how much they enjoyed Tony's character development, the crazy suits, the epic action, the funny stuff, the kid, the ending. You know, other stuff.
That's because it works really well in context. For people like me who wanted something different, being upset about it happens after the movie. Basically like, "that was GREAT, but I think this would have made it greater."
A very similar example would be every time I finish watching the Dark Knight, I find myself wishing Lau's character was a comic villain like Black Mask or what not.
So who picked out [BLACKOUT]the Mandarin's robes? His rings? His words? His surgically-altered face?[/BLACKOUT]
Killian. It was all Aldrich Killian.
He invented [BLACKOUT]the persona of the Mandarin. In many ways, Kingsley's Mandarin is still very much Killian. He's Killian's puppet. A dark reflection he's created of himself.[/BLACKOUT]
[BLACKOUT]Trevor, the actor, is really just a blank slate that Aldrich could use to paint his vision onto. The fact that he's chosen such a gifted actor to portray this piece of his personality is a further testament to Killian's genius...as is the fact that he's chosen a person who is essentially absent of his own thoughts and cares only for luxury and basic pleasures. Again, intellectually, a blank slate that Killian can paint.[/BLACKOUT]
So, in this context...[BLACKOUT]the Mandarin played by Trevor Slattery is actually being "played" by Aldrich Killian in all aspects except for the physical body that is under those robes and wearing those rings. The character that Trevor plays is not "fake"...The Mandarin we see in those terrorist videos is very much an aspect of Aldrich Killian, and therefore very real.[/BLACKOUT]
Don't judge the bearded, ring-wearing Mandarin on [BLACKOUT]the puppet under the robes that's used to portray him...judge him on the man pulling the marionette strings.[/BLACKOUT]
It seems like some Chinese fans are not happy about the two different cuts of the movie.
Iron Man 3 international cut angers Chinese bloggers
Internet users in China who have seen international cut of new superhero movie dismayed at lack of airtime for Chinese stars and China-set sequences
It was billed as a joint venture between two cinematic superpowers, a collaboration between east and west. But the comic-book blockbuster Iron Man 3 has now been split into two distinct entities. The version playing to audiences in Chinawill contain Chinese characters and Chinese sequences. The official international version, by and large, will not.
The change has not gone unobserved by some film fans in China, with a handful of bloggers crying foul over locally-shot scenes that failed to find their way into the version released to the rest of the world.
Disney-owned Marvel Studios announced in March that the version playing to audiences in China would contain Chinese superstars such as Wang Xueqi and Fan Bingbing, as well as sequences shot in China. Yet some are still angered.
Weibo user shiahsu516 wrote that Wang's role seemed "unnecessary" and said the Chinese trailer was "misleading". Another microblogger, UK-based Mr Stones P, described Wang's turn as "the walk-on of all walk-ons". Separately, Chinese bloggers and newspapers have noted that sequences shot in Beijing in December, including one in which Iron Man takes off into the sky in front of Dr Wu and a group of cheering schoolchildren at the famous Yongdingmen Gate, are completely missing. Also gone is a segue in which Mr Wu tries to contact Tony Stark on the phone.
Wang, whose previous credits include Yellow Earth and Reign of Assassins, told the Hollywood Reporter that he had accepted the role on the understanding that Dr Wu would be a major figure in the drama. "I said to this person contacting me: 'It wouldn't do if it was a character who's finished off after a few fights,'" he recalled. "I was then assured that, 'No, you're going to be the man who saves his [Iron Man's] life."
Wang went on to describe the character as "a very complicated individual" and the role as "very challenging".
But the international version of Iron Man 3 reportedly restricts Wang's appearance to a 10-second sequence in the opening scene, plus a fleeting glimpse towards the end of the film where his face is obscured by a mask.
Iron Man 3 was conceived and developed as a collaboration between Marvel Pictures and DMG Entertainment. Director Shane Black explained that the film's producers required some scenes to be shot in China, but admitted that neither he nor the film's star, Robert Downey Jr, had shot them. "I was told they wanted additional content for China," Black said. "It was sort of an experiment and I was very interested by it I looked at the scenes to sort of approve them."
The decision to release two versions of Iron Man 3 has already prompted condemnation from bloggers and critics in China. Zhang Pimin, deputy chief of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television recently criticised what he described as "fake" co-productions that did not contain enough bespoke Chinese content.
I regret my choice of words explaining my feelings on the twist but I was tired and the complaining was annoying, especially since the 'twist' in question is one of the many great things that results in this film excellently subverting cliched superhero movie tropes.
Mainly,
I can think of very few ways the Mandarin could have been translated to film exactly how he was in the comics without being incredibly offensive and/or goofy. They approach they took worked perfectly because not only did Killian end up being MORE than a physical match for Tony but it added to his intellect, supposedly Tony's greatest asset, yet he was outsmarted every step of the way. It also made Mandarin so much more than a scary guy in a robe, he was a terrifying idea. The very concept of terrorism in general, is well, terror. He's not real, it's smoke and mirrors but it gives America an obvious and easy to hate villain to take responsibility. The duality of that mentality for comic fans is really clever too, especially since so many people are now complaining about the idea that the person they've been lead to believe is evil ISN'T... Certainly makes you think, a lot more than you perhaps would have if the villain was a chinese, magical/tech wizardly terrorist
Saw the film yesterday and now giving my thoughts on here.
I thought the film was fantastic. Great story, fantastic action (Air Force One rescue takes the cake) and some hilarious, HILARIOUS scenes. Although it can be a bit muddled (I think the character of Maya Hansen could have been erased completely) at times, it really is a great addition to the MCU. B+ from me!
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