“Iron Man 3” is a strong entry in to the Iron Man trilogy. Even with some flaws, the movie manages to avoid being a paint by numbers superhero movie and throws twists and turns that even the most avid comic book reader will not see coming.Director Shane Black take the story in a different direction that is interesting, but may upset some fans.

While the previous two movies were enjoyable they both had flaws that this movie manages to fix.

The movie takes place after the events of The Avengers and Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr. not dealing well with the aftermath.

This couldn’t come at a worse time since he is being targeted by multiple villains such the Mandarin played by Ben Kingsley and rival Aldrich Killian played by Guy Pearce.

The Mandarin is a sadistic terrorist who fights against America and its imperial tendencies.

As in any good villain he believes in what he says and everything he says is tinged with a little bit of truth as he uses America’s darker history as a rallying point.

One of the flaws of the first two movies was the fact the villains were never fully fleshed out or portrayed as true threats to Stark.

They mostly appeared at the end of the movie only to be defeated in one scene.

This installment actually makes the major villains character and even the foot soldiers more interesting than past villains.

Most enemies are dangerous foes who can kill Stark easily even with his armor, making battles more captivating.

For the first time the viewer feels like Stark is in danger as his life falls apart and the people he cares about are hurt.

While most of the villains are handled well, one of the major villains is written off in disappointing, but funny, manner.

While this does not ruin the movie entirely it will be a letdown to fans who are aware of the character as he is portrayed in the comics.

One of the interesting things is that Stark spends more of the movie out of the armor than in it.

This forces him to show what he can do without his weapons and shows the viewer that he is more than a man in a fancy suit of armor.

One of the flaws was the fact that established side characters were mostly forgotten.

Even though James “Rhodey” Rhodes played by Don Cheadle and Pepper Pots played by Gwyneth Paltrow had scenes where they stood out, they were mostly missing.

Both characters spent most of the movie as comic relief or plot devices to motivate Stark.

It was most disappointing to see a lack of the Iron Patriot or War Machine.

The ending will leave fans wondering where Stark goes next and leave the next Avengers movie up in the air.

Despite its flaws “Iron Man 3” is a fun ride that holds up to its predecessors and entertains throughout the entire movie.