Iron Man 3 - 3/5

This movie has some of my favorite moments in all of the Iron Man movies, but huge plot holes and convoluted retrospective character motivations unravel what could have been an amazing movie. The creators definitely seem to be having a lot more fun with this one over previous installments, sometimes getting caught up in their own enjoyment and forgetting to tie everything together at the end. This movie’s biggest strength is how it contrasts Tony Stark with Iron Man. This movie’s biggest flaw is introducing plot points, characters, and very powerful abilities, then forgetting about them. And this movie’s biggest sin is creating a central bait-and-switch, but making the switch far less interesting than the bait.

Closest comparison: It’s the troubled third child in the Iron Man series.

Setting: Geopolitical thriller
Plot: Underdog adventure
Tone: Action

The Predator (2018) - 3/5

To begin with this could have been a 4/5. It has a solid setup and a few interesting turns initially, but it quickly turns into just another action movie. It has better effects than some of the other installments in this franchise but used to less effect; it’s gorier but not more interesting. It adds a little to the Predator mythos and it’s always fun to see military guys running around trying to fight a powerful alien. The humor is ultimately what carries it this high, with well-paced jokes to keep the audience interested. Unless you’re already a fan of the other movies there’s no reason to watch this over any number of other summer popcorn action flicks.

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