What's wrong with Iron Man 3? Is it too action oriented, not enough? Is it too melodramatic? Is it the comedy (or lack thereof)? I think the problem may not be the movie itself, but that a good portion us of are comparing it to The Avengers. Well, why not? It's a sequel, isn't it? Shouldn't it be bigger, funnier or more dramatic? Well, yes and no. What we're forgetting is that it's not so much a sequel as follow-up. It is, in fact, a sequel to Iron Man and Iron Man 2. Why aren't more of us comparing it to them?
The Avengers is an 'epic', just like all superhero team up storylines. It was meant to be larger than life and fun. The solo films are the personal journeys of these characters when they've got no one else to turn to. Of course Iron Man 3 is going to feel muted and underwhelming, simply because The Avengers is still fresh in our minds. The Avengers was a great film. How do you beat that? Well, with The Avengers 2.
I'm looking forward to Iron Man 3 because Iron Man 2 was so disappointing and I'm hoping this is an improvement, not because I expect it to live up to the awesomeness that is The Avengers. I'm expecting it to be better than Iron Man 1 and Iron Man 2. Go back and watch the other two, maybe they'll change your mind.