Spectacular Failures: The Hangover Part III

This is not a franchise I've spent a great deal of time thinking about. In fact it's a shock I'm writing about it at all. The Hangover had a funny premise for the less than subtle frat crowd, but I never bought in to the humor. Bradley Cooper was a leading man with no substance (Ha!) while the supporting cast got all the major laughs. The Hangover Part II, I felt, was an abysmal follow up for any franchise. It copies the original film's formula and jokes to a tee. These days sequels are built to make references to their predecessors, but The Hangover Part II was little more than a remake.

I didn't create this blog to simply throw movies I disliked under the bus, but more as a reflection of what I see in the films I watch. More often than not I see a lot in a spectacular failures than a simple bomb. Ironically, The Hangover Part III is lucky enough to be the former.

Spoilers after the jump.

Iron Man 3: The Anti-Superhero Motion Picture and Why That's Good

To admit that I'm baffled by Iron Man 3 would be an insult to bewildered children wondering why Tony Stark's Mark 42 isn't as cool as it looks. I'm perplexed for reasons that escape me as easily as I flee reality during the film. Iron Man 3 is home to some fairly concerning flaws, but they aren't enough to keep me away from it.

By now we've seen Stark take off in the Iron Man suit(s) three times. 2008's Iron Man launched the Marvel cinematic plan and is still the pinnacle of the studio's efforts. Iron Man 2 offered little more and was less compelling of an adventure. Much of the blame can be pointed to an intrusive sub-plot dedicated to advertising The Avengers. By the time the latter hit theaters audiences were thrilled with Stark's return to form as he interacted with other modern myths.

Enter Iron Man 3. Initially, I was put off by the film's many flaws and contradictions, but there's something oddly appealing about every move this film makes. Even its faults keep it interesting. Admittedly, it's not a good example of a superhero movie, but that's hardly a bad thing. Film critic James Kendrick properly sells the movie as, "providing a satisfying sense of escapism while reminding us that such pleasures don't have to be saturated with overkill and completely devoid of relevance." Nail-on-head. And there's a reason this is a good thing for both casual movie goers and comic book fans alike.

Massive spoilers after the jump.