Review: “Iron Man 3” Blu-ray unveils Tony Stark’s secrets with behind-the-scenes features, Jarvis access

in Disney, Entertainment, Marvel, Merchandise, Movies, Reviews

Mixed reactions met “Iron Man 3” when Disney and Marvel released it to movie theaters in May. My own review recounted a film that focused more on the man inside the famed suit than the superpowers it provides – not exactly what I was expecting from a follow-up to “The Avengers.”

Now on Blu-ray, “Iron Man 3” still polarizes audiences. Those who love Tony Stark find it to be an endearing look at what makes him tick when not tinkering with his toys. But those simply wanting battles with big action will find less bang than what’s desired. Either way, the movie looks and sounds great, a fantastic Blu-ray transfer that really makes surround sound systems happy, when the action does arise.

And, fortunately, Marvel has also included big entertainment with the variety of bonus features showing off the impressive feats performed to create the film’s biggest action sequences. “Deconstructing The Scene: Attack On Air Force One” takes an extended look at a scene that could have been created using only computer graphics, but instead a real-life skydiving team was hired to jump hundreds of times to achieve the realistic look of Air Force One passengers falling from the sky as Iron Man swoops in to save them. The lengths at which filmmakers go to get a shot never ceases to amaze.

The included gag reel is quite amusing, as it features Robert Downey Jr just being Robert Downey Jr. Nothing more needed.

A promised “Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Look” at the upcoming Marvel film “Thor: The Dark World” provides little beyond the film’s trailers.

Iron Man fans looking for extra interactivity will really enjoy the ability to control Jarvis, Tony Stark’s personal digital assistant, via a free downloadable app. Using a separate device, extra features can be unlocked on the “Iron Man 3” Blu-ray disc, taking an even closer look at Tony Stark’s technologies as well as a teaser for “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” as previously shown at San Diego Comic-Con and the D23 Expo.

“Iron Man 3” is a must-own for those following the Marvel mythology, but those looking for a standalone feature will definitely want to turn to the original first.

“Iron Man 3” is available now on Blu-ray from Amazon and other retailers.

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