Iron Man Three

Back on track after the disappointing first sequel, this back-to-basics adventure has impressive CGI action and a substantial and involving story to match, as a soul-searching Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) finds himself cut adrift from everything he holds dear. When a villain known as the Mandarin (a deceptively brilliant performance from Ben Kingsley) begins a terror campaign, Stark is attacked in his Malibu home and feared dead. The man-in-the-can soon realises the Mandarin has ties to Aldrich Killian (a superbly villainous Guy Pearce), a scientist from Stark's past whose Extremis virus is being used to turn disabled war veterans into invincible super-soldiers. Director Shane Black and his co-writer Drew Pearce fill the unpredictable plot with smart surprises, breezy black humour and an exuberant sense of fun. And there's no shortage of visual spectacle, with highlights including a wholesale trashing of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a breathtaking midair rescue and an explosive dockside climax.