Prince of Persia (3 Stars)

This is one of Gemma Arterton's American films that she made early in her career. She's now said that she'll never make films in America again, after feeling ashamed of the quality of "Hansel and Gretel Witchhunters". She felt it was a poor film, even though it was successful at the box office. I shan't argue with her, even though I disagree with her decision. She's more interested in producing artistic films than in making a lot of money. I respect her for that.

Interestingly enough, I recently received a comment from an anonymous reader telling me I should watch more good films. He gave me a few examples of directors I should watch, while telling me to stay away from Adam Sandler and Marvel movies. I totally disagreed with what he wrote and the way he wrote it. I'll watch any film in any genre, whether it's a Hollywood blockbuster or an obscure independent film, as long as I enjoy it.

There's a certain snobbishness among film fans who claim to know which films are better than others. Maybe they're people who've been to film schools, or maybe they're just people who read certain highbrow magazines. The wisest words I've heard on the subject are from the German director/producer Wolf C. Hartwig. Whether or not you like his films, you have to agree that he knew what he was talking about. He claimed that the measure of a good film is that it's a film people want to see. Not everyone, of course. There are different tastes. But if a film makes money, it's a good film. In an interview he singled out Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who was also named by the anonymous reader in his comment. To paraphrase his words, Wolf C. Hartwig said that people say Fassbinder made good films, but nobody wanted to watch them, which makes them bad films.

I've watched a lot of Fassbinder's films. I was in the middle of working my way through two box sets when I started writing my blog in 2010. You can find reviews of the last few films I watched. I bought the (relatively expensive) box sets because people had told me his films were good. I watched them with an open mind, and I didn't like them. I'll never watch them again.

Don't let anyone tell you you shouldn't watch a film because it's bad. Watch it for yourself. Make up your own mind. If a lot of people like the film, you can say it's a good film. If you like a film that few others like, you might have to grudgingly accept that it's not such a good film, but if you personally like it, don't let everyone else put you off. If you're a Fassbinder fan, go ahead and enjoy his films, but don't try to tell people the films are good.

Success Rate:  + 0.2

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (5 Stars)

There are people who don't watch super-hero films on principle. I can understand them. There have been good super-hero films in the past, but in recent years Marvel's films have become progressively worse. As a dedicated Marvel fan I go to see every film in the cinema and buy it on Blu-ray a year later, but I'm not blind to Marvel's faults.

However, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" (I prefer to shorten the title to "Shang-Chi") is a masterpiece. And do you know what makes it so good? It doesn't look like a super-hero film. It's a martial arts classic, complete with fantasy creatures. If someone sat down to watch it after the opening credits, he wouldn't even recognise that it's a Marvel film.

It's a tragic film. Shang-Chi's father is a ruthless warlord, and he doesn't want to follow in his footsteps. His father tries to change and become a good man, but after his wife's death he reverts to his old ways. He has an organisation called The Ten Rings that supports or topples governments. But his greatest wish is to get his wife back from the dead. He hears her calling to him, telling him she's trapped in a cave in her home village of Ta Lo. What he doesn't know is that it's really a monster imitating her voice, a monster that wants to devour the world. Shang-Chi has to fight against his father to stop him. Father versus son is a tragic conflict in any culture. Tony Leung is an incredible actor, and the look on his face is heart-breaking when he finally realises he was wrong.

A second Shang-Chi has been promised. Can it be as good as the first? I hope so.

Success Rate:  + 0.9

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Sexy Beast (4½ Stars)

Who's the sexy beast in the film title? Supposedly it's Gal Dove, a retired gangster played by Ray Winstone. He doesn't look very sexy in this picture. He's put his life of crime behind him. He says that he spent nine years of his life in prison, and he doesn't want to go back. He lives in a remote house in Spain with his wife, a former porn star. Unlike Buster Edwards and his wife, there are no regrets about moving to Spain. They love it. They love the hot weather, they love the food, and they don't miss British culture.

Gal's peace is disturbed by the arrival of Don Logan.

Don is played by Ben Kingsley in the role of his lifetime. He's a former associate of Gal who wants to hire him for a robbery. Gal insists that he's retired, but Don refuses to take No for an answer. They argue. They shout. Neither of them will back down. Something has to give.

The film has been called Tarantino-ish. I can see what they mean. It has distinct similarities with "Reservoir Dogs". The only real difference is the dream sequences. Quentin Tarantino doesn't do dreams.

This was the first film directed by Jonathan Glazer. It's astounding quality for a rookie in the film business. What was his inspiration? In itself, it's a minimalist film, and it's this minimalism that makes the film great. Apart from the dream sequences.

Success Rate:  + 0.4

Daliland (4 Stars)

I'm always excited to see a new film by Mary Harron, especially on the big screen. "Daliland" is untypical for her, because it's less feminocentric than her previous films.

The main character is James Linton, an assistant at a New York gallery that's planned an exhibition of Salvador Dali's works. To be precise, the gallery wants to present his new works and offer them for sale. The gallery has given Dali large financial advances, but he still hasn't painted enough new artworks for the exhibition. Dali is living an extravagant lifestyle in a luxurious hotel, having frequent parties. He's living like a rock star, but he's forgotten that he needs to make money.

James is sent to help Dali and assist him in his work, but he's drawn into the lavish lifestyle. Dali's wife Gala is a businesswoman who encourages her husband to work, but she also spends a lot of money on her young lover, a man she calls Jesus. He's Jeff Fenholt, who's playing the lead role in "Jesus Christ Superstar" on Broadway. I'd never heard of him, but I suspect that he's portrayed unfairly. He claims he'll become a big rock star, but his singing (in the film) is embarrassingly bad. He tells Alice Cooper, a close friend of Dali's, that his music is dull and he'll soon be forgotten, but everyone will remember the name Jeff Fenholt. Jeff who?

Dali may be a talented artist, but he's spending more than he earns. James discovers that people who work for Dali are earning money off him without his knowledge.

The film is well made, but Salvador Dali and his wife Gala are both unpleasant people. Maybe Gala is slightly more pleasant. It's terrible to see how wealth and success can corrupt so badly.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (4 Stars)

This is a film that tidily completes the Night At The Museum trilogy. There should never have been a fourth film, even though the final scene leaves it open. Barely. And yet a fourth film was made last year as a Disney Plus exclusive. It's not even a live action film, it's an animated film. I swore I wouldn't watch it, but my grandson Oliver has found out about it, and he wants to watch it. So I'll have to grit my teeth and put up with it. It might be good, but somehow I doubt it.

The best scene in "Secret of the Tomb" is a fight between Sir Lancelot, Theodore Roosevelt and Larry Daley inside an M. C. Escher painting. It only lasts a minute, unfortunately. The fight could have lasted an hour, and it would never have got boring.

Success Rate:  + 0.9

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The Walk (5 Stars)

Yesterday evening I remembered that an important anniversary was coming up. On 7th August 1974 Philippe Petit became the world's most famous wire walker by walking between the two towers of the World Trade Center. 48 years ago, and it's a feat that's never been bettered. It's a feat that can't be bettered, for practical reasons. There's nowhere in the world where two high buildings are standing opposite one another. There's nowhere for a wire walker to place a wire 410 meters (1345 feet) above the ground.

It's all about placing a wire. Every walk begins with the wire walker seeing a place to hang his wire. It can be two trees on opposite sides of a street. It can be be the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral. It can be the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The higher the better.

In the case of the World Trade Center, the preparation was more difficult than the walk itself. It took Philippe years. He had to learn all about the WTC and buildings in general. He had to spend weeks spying on the building and the workers in various guises. He had to be prepared to break the law. What he was doing was highly illegal. He called it the coup of the century. He gathered a gang of conspirators around himself to break into the buildings on the evening of  6th August 1974. Well, not actually break in. It was a matter of remaining in the building after dark when it was closed.

But it was beautiful. In 2008 a documentary was made about the coup, "Man On Wire". If you want to know the details about the coup, watch the documentary. If you want to savour the beauty of the coup, watch "The Wire". One of the problems of the coup, as far as the beauty is concerned, is that it took place so high. Philippe Petit was a speck in the sky as he crossed the wire, hardly visible to anyone without binoculars. Philippe himself saw the beauty, and that's what mattered to him. All that the rest of us have is grainy black and white photos taken by one of his collaborators. And we have the film before us. "The Walk" recreates the scene of the aerial crossing in all its beauty.

It was beautiful. The ugliest city looks beautiful from above. Philippe's friends accused him of risking death. That was far from his mind. He wanted to enjoy life. How many people have sat on top of the World Trade Center (or a similarly high building) and looked down? Very few. How many people have walked on a wire 410 meters above the ground and saluted their audience? Only one. Philippe Petit.

Success Rate:  - 0.3

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (5 Stars)

Despite having nothing to do with the Shang-Chi character from the comics, this is an excellent film in its own right. It captures the essence of Chinese fantasy films, so it's wrong to call it a superhero film. It's the 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but it's the furthest from being a superhero film so far. Maybe there should be a Millie the Model film to step even further away from the Marvel superhero cliché.

Tony Leung plays Xu Wenwu, one of the most fascinating villains in the MCU so far. Is it even right to call him a villain? He's a Chinese warlord who's over a thousand years old. He gained power when he discovered ten mystical rings in a crater. They granted him eternal life and great power. He went on a series of conquests across China. He never made himself emperor, although he had enough power to do it. He was satisfied being a smaller leader. In the modern day he became more low key. He created an organisation called the Ten Rings which acted for him, while he stayed in his room and studied. He became aware of a mythical land called Ta Lo, probably based on K'Un-Lun in the 1970's comics. He read that the residents of Ta Lo had a superior form of martial arts, as well as possessing other knowledge. He became determined to conquer Ta Lo.

Things didn't turn out as he expected. Ta Lo was defended by the single warrior Ying Li, and he was unable to overcome her. But strange things happen. He fell in love with Ying Li, so the two of them left Ta Lo and lived a simple life. He even gave up using the ten rings, putting them in a box and forgetting about them. Together they had two children, Shang-Chi and his sister Xialing. When Shang-Chi was seven his mother was murdered by Wenwu's former enemies, which he could easily have prevented if he hadn't taken off his rings. He put on the rings again and killed the gang members, apart from the one who'd killed his wife. He trained Shang-Chi as an assassin and sent him to kill his mother's murderer when he's 14. Shang-Chi accomplished his mission, but he was so traumatised that he didn't return to his father.

So Wenwu was a villain, then he retired, and then he became a villain again for a short time before retiring again. But that wasn't the end of his development. He heard his wife's voice telling him that she wasn't dead, she was trapped in a cave Ta Lo. He calls his children back and asks for their help in freeing her. They don't want to help him, because they don't believe she's still alive. And they're right. The cave contains an ancient creature called the Dweller In Darkness. It's been imitating Ying Li's voice to tempt Wenwu to free it.

Shang-Chi and Xialing travel to Ta Lo, where they meet Ying Li's sister, their aunt Ying Nan. Together they fight against Wenwu when he attacks Ta Lo. There's poignancy itself in children having to fight against their father, but Wenwu isn't really evil. He's just been misled by an evil creature. He's not a villain at all, whatever he might have been in his past.

That's an over-simplified plot summary, but it should be enough to show the depths of this film. It's one of the best films in the MCU. My top 100 films list doesn't contain any MCU films, but maybe "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" deserves a place. I'll think it over. Some of my friends don't watch Marvel films on principle. I admit that there have been a few turkeys lately, but each film should be judged on its own merits. This is a film that deserves to be watched.

Success Rate:  + 0.9

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The Walk (5 Stars)

True Stories #39

Name: Philippe Petit

Lived: 13 August 1949 – still alive

Film dates: 1968 to 1976

Film made in 2015

Philippe Petit was the only person ever to walk on a high wire stretched between the two towers of the World Trade Center. In 2008 a documentary was made about his feat called "Man on Wire". Critics call this the best documentary ever made, though I suspect their judgement has been clouded by sentimentality about the World Trade Center. Seven years later the same subject matter was filmed as a biopic, "The Walk". Was it necessary?

My answer is a resounding Yes. "Man on Wire" concentrates on the walk itself, whereas "The Walk" gives a lot more details about what led up to it. It wasn't an event that happened overnight. Philippe needed years of planning. He called it the coup of the century. This is an accurate description, because what he wanted to do was highly illegal.

It's a masterful artistic stroke that Joseph Gordon-Levitt acts as narrator, in character, on top of the Statue of Liberty. Throughout the film we see him on his small platform explaining what's happening. In the opening scenes he tells us the story begins in 1973, which is one of the film's small historical inaccuracies. It was actually 1968 when he first became aware of the construction of the Twin Towers in New York. From this day on he was determined to perform a feat which the world would never forget.

No man can commit the coup of the century alone, so he began to gather accomplices: his girlfriend Annie, a photographer called Jean-Louis and a school teacher called Jeff. In his first visit to America he finds other accomplices: a life insurance salesman called Barry and the owner of an electronics store, Jean-Pierre. The coup is on.

Philippe's mentor is Papa Rudy, the family head of a circus high wire act called the White Devils. Nobody knows what nationality he is. Philippe guesses that he's Czech, but this is neither confirmed nor denied. This eccentric old man is expertly played by Ben Kingsley. He helps Philippe in two periods in his life. He's the one who teaches Philippe the art of high wire walking, possibly before 1968 – it's not clear – and he gives Philippe final advice on walking between the Twin Towers.

This is a stupendously brilliant film. Who else could have played Philippe Petit but Joseph Gordon-Levitt? The facial appearances aren't similar, but Joseph imitates Philippe's cheeky grin. "The Walk" is a masterpiece, better than "Man on Wire", whatever the critics say.

Success Rate:  - 0.3

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (5 Stars)

Disney Wednesday #6

I'm going to watch films on streaming services for the next three days. After that, I'll see what I want to do. I have about 70 films on my to-watch list, 20 true stories and 50 others. I really need to catch up. It's difficult, because every few days I think "I really must watch <fill-in-the-blank> again soon", and I add yet another film to my list.

I'll shorten the film's title to "Shang-Chi". When I watched "Shang-Chi" in the cinema in September I was shocked that it had absolutely nothing to do with the Marvel comics character. Today I watched the film with no prejudices, only thinking of it as a Chinese fantasy film, and I was overwhelmed. It's one of the best MCU films so far, maybe even the best, so it deserves a good place in the next version of my top 100 film lists.

Does it qualify as a wuxia film? I'm not sure about the terminology. Wuxia films usually take place in the past, but "Shang-Chi" is in the present, though in a world that looks like the past. There are fantasy creatures, including monsters and dragons. If wuxia is the wrong name for the genre, please let me know.

The film starts with Wu Wenwu (Tony Leung) discovering ten rings that give him immortality and other godlike powers. He founds an organisation called the Ten Rings. Apart from having his own private kingdom, he influences world history from afar. But eternal life and limitless wealth gets boring after a while. He meets a beautiful woman, Ying Li, and settles down to a happy family life. He even stops using the ten rings, so he isn't distracted from his happiness. He has two children, Shang-Chi and Xialing.

When Shang-Chi is seven, his mother is murdered by a gang seeking revenge on Wu Wenwu. He puts on the rings once more and massacres the entire gang, except for the leader. He lets Shang-Chi assassinate the leader when he's 14. Killing someone traumatises Shang-Chi, so he runs away to Los Angeles to hide from his father. His father observes him from afar for years (godlike powers, etc), but there's no contact between the two.

In the present day, Wu Wenwu hears his wife's voice calling to him. She says she's trapped in a cave in the hidden village of Ta Lo. What he doesn't know is that the voice comes from a creature called the Soul-Eater, a creature capable of devouring the world, which has been trapped by the people of Ta Lo and guarded for centuries. Shang-Chi and Xialing unite to stop their father making a big mistake.

This is Shang-Chi, played by the Canadian stuntman Simu Liu.

The film's characters are so rich and multi-faceted. I don't know the director, Destin Cretton, but if all his films are as good as "Shang-Chi" he has a long, successful future ahead of him.

Wu Wenwu is played by Tony Leung, who needs no introduction.

Shang-Chi's mother, Ying Li, is played by the Chinese actress Fala Chen.

Xialing is played by Meng'er Zhang, a Chinese actress appearing in her first film.

Ying Nan, Shang-Chi's aunt, is played by the wonderful Michelle Yeoh.

In case you thought all the actors are Chinese, Razorfist is played by the German actor Florian Munteanu.

Shang-Chi's best friend Katy, who accompanies him on his quest, is a fascinating character in herself. She's a Chinese American who's lost connection with her roots. She has a Chinese name, Chen Ruiwen, but she doesn't use it. She doesn't speak Chinese. She has no obvious skills, but she insists on fighting alongside the warriors of Ta Lo, because it's the right thing to do. The actress Awkwafina says she can relate to her.

Ben Kingsley plays Trevor Slattery, who doesn't join in the battle. He lies on the ground pretending to be dead. If you don't know who Trevor Slattery is, go back and watch the last 24 MCU films.

Success Rate:  + 0.9

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Life (2015 film) (4 Stars)

True Stories #18

Name: Dennis Stock

Lived: 24 July 1928 – 11 January 2010

Film dates: February to March 1955

Film made in 2015

Some other reviews claim that this is a film about James Dean. That's an easy mistake to make. The film is about the relationship between James Dean and the photographer Dennis Stock in the two weeks leading up to the premiere of "East of Eden". We see the relationship through the eyes of Dennis Stock, and he has slightly more screen time, but if you want to know the film's intention you need to ask the director, Anton Corbijn. He started his career as a photographer before he became a film director, and he was fascinated by the iconic photos taken by Stock for Life magazine. He says that he wanted to make a film about how Dennis Stock made the photos.

On the other hand, if I tell a friend I've just watched a film about James Dean he'll smile and nod his head. If I tell him I've watched a film about Dennis Stock he'll have a blank expression and say "Huh? Who's that?"

Were Jimmy (as James Dean liked to call himself) and Dennis friends? That's difficult to say. They spent day and night together for almost two weeks, but after this they didn't meet again before Jimmy's death seven months later. On the other hand, it was more than a business relationship. Jimmy felt that Dennis understood him.

Dennis Stock was a free-lance photographer who did most of his work for Life Magazine. He came from New York, but he lived in Los Angeles, where he specialised in photographing actors. He met James Dean at a wrap party for "East of Eden". At the time he had no idea who James Dean was. He noticed him because he was sitting alone in a corner while everyone else was drinking and socialising. Jimmy didn't fit in. The next day Dennis was invited to a pre-release screening of "East of Eden". He was amazed by the difference between the shy young boy on the sofa and his powerful appearance on screen. Dennis thought that this unknown actor had the potential to become a big star, so he followed him for days, begging him for a photo shoot.

Jimmy wasn't interested in becoming a star. All he wanted to do was make good films. He was an artist. He didn't want to play the games expected from him. When Jack Warner, the head of Warner Brothers, told him what he had to do to become a big star, he just stood with a blank face. Jimmy did what he wanted to. He didn't even show up for the premiere of "East of Eden", because he thought it would be boring.

When Jimmy travelled to New York, Dennis followed him. Two days later Jimmy spontaneously decided to visit his grandparents in Indiana, not telling his manager where he was. Dennis accompanied him, and the two men spent a few days on his grandparents' farm. Dennis managed to photograph Jimmy in his natural environment, where he felt comfortable.

The film has excellent performances by Robert Pattinson as Dennis Stock and Dane DeHaan as James Deam. The viewer is drawn in and feels that he intimately knows both men. If you asked me to name my favourite actors, I probably wouldn't name either of them, but after seeing them together in "Life" I think I should pay more attention to them.

Success Rate:  - 8.3

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (4½ Stars)

We're used to the way that Marvel characters are adapted for films. The character is moved from the 1960's to the present. His costume is changed to look more realistic. In many cases the skin colour is changed to blackwash the character and make the film more appealing to people of colour. If the person has super-powers, his powers are toned down to stop him looking omnipotent.

That's not what we have with Shang-Chi. The character in the film has nothing to do with the comic book character. Nothing except for the name. He's just a Chinese fighter. Even his ethnicity is changed. In the comics his father is Chinese and his mother is a white American, but in the film both parents are Chinese.

Usually I list the differences between the comics and the film, but in this case I can't do it because everything is different. I'll just say a few things about his family. In the comics his father is the master criminal Fu Manchu. He doesn't have a sister, although he has several half-brothers and half-sisters. Marvel Studios wanted to make a Chinese fantasy film, and they've succeeded in making a good film. There was no need to call the character Shang-Chi. It's not Shang-Chi. They could have called him Johnny Wong, Charlie Chan or anything at all.

By the way, why are they called the ten rings? Shouldn't they be called the ten bracelets? In the comics the Mandarin's rings really are rings, objects of alien origin that were once used to power a starship.

That's the way they should look, as drawn by George Tuska.

Please let me know your thoughts on the film.That's what my comments box is for.

The Walk (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #79

It's difficult to find words to describe this film. It's the true story about a breath-taking feat, a tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. If I try to explain the film to someone who's never seen it, it must sound boring. What makes it entertaining is the outstanding performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit. He's cheeky and amusing, even though he's a man with an iron will to carry out his dream.

There's a team gathered around Philippe: his girlfriend Annie, his photographer and best friend Jean-Louis, the schoolteacher Jeff, the electronics salesman JP, plus a few other minor characters. We learn very little about any of them. The spotlight is always on Philippe. Normally I like all the major characters to be well developed, but in this film it doesn't matter.

Philippe Petit appeared to the world as a Messiah on the morning of 7th August 1974. Jesus could only walk on water, but Philippe walked 400 meters above the ground, so high that he could barely be seen. All we have to remember his accomplishment are the photos taken by Jean-Louis.

I shouldn't just concentrate on the true events. The film itself is a masterpiece. We feel like we're up on top of the World Trade Center with Philippe, or we feel like we're on the Statue of Liberty, which he uses as a platform for his narration. This is a film that should definitely be much higher in my list, but the carrots are cooked.

Success Rate:  - 0.3

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Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (4 Stars)

This is the third and final film in the Night At The Museum trilogy. It was made five years after the second film, and it brings the series to a close. Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) quits his job as night guard at the American Museum of Natural History and is replaced by Tilly (Rebel Wilson).

The film also offers closure in a sadder way. This is the last film made by the great Robin Williams before his suicide. He died after making the film but before it was released, so there's a brief dedication to him at the end.

The three films build a single piece of work, so I strongly advise that you watch them back to back in order. I almost watched them back to back, over a two month period, so I enjoyed them more than I did when I watched them in the past, not even in the correct order.

This is the film where Ben Stiller gets to kiss a monkey. Is that allowed on screen?

He's closing his eyes to lose himself in the passion.

Ben Stiller plays a second role as a Neanderthal called Laaa. This leads to him groping Rebel Wilson's chest. All men are animals, even if they don't show it in public. I'd like to grope Rebel Wilson as well, but I'm too much of a gentleman to give in to my urges.

You can read Rebel Wilson's mind. "That was disgusting! If I'd known what was expected of me I would have asked for more money!"

I've heard rumours that a fourth film is planned. Please don't do it. Leave it as it is.

Success Rate:  + 0.9

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Iron Man 3 (4½ Stars)

This is the seventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, released in May 2013. The sixth film, "The Avengers", was the end of the first phase of the MCU. All the main characters were introduced in the first phase. Now there are new films about each of these characters, except for the Hulk. His solo film was the only financial failure in the MCU so far.

Stan Lee plays a cameo as a judge in a beauty contest. We only see him for 2½ seconds, but he seems to be overly excited by one of the contestants. I wonder what's so special about her. Maybe he reacts the same way to all of the girls? I've never been a big fan of beauty contests. The girls considered beautiful are always too thin for me. They're not as bad as the anorexic models who do silly walks at fashion shows, but they rarely have the big breasts and the big butts that I prefer.

As far as actresses go, Ai Shinozaki is the most beautiful woman I know. She has a perfect hourglass figure. Curiously, she's said in interviews that she doesn't consider herself attractive. Women are weird. Some women, anyway. They look at themselves in the mirror and see flaws, but the men who look at them just say Wow! If Stan Lee had seen her in the beauty contest he would have been too excited to hold up his score card.

I've been promising my readers an Ai Shinozaki gallery for more than a year. Here's another photo to keep you happy until I finally keep my promise.

"Iron Man 3" introduces the Mandarin, Iron Man's deadliest foe from the comics. Unfortunately, he's only a fake Mandarin, an actor hired by AIM to be the face of global terrorism. That was a big disappointment to me when I first saw the film in the cinema. I've gotten over it now, after hearing that the real Mandarin will appear in a future Iron Man film.

What makes the fake Mandarin even more tragic in my eyes is the fact that the actor Ben Kingsley looks perfect as the Mandarin. He looks just like the comic book character. Who can possibly be chosen to play the real Mandarin?

What's remarkable about "Iron Man 3" is that Tony Stark spends more than half of the film doing battle without his suit. There's a 45 minute sequence in the middle when his suit is damaged after AIM destroys his house, and there's about 20 minutes at the end of the film in which the Iron Man suits fly around under remote control while Tony chases the AIM leader Aldrich Killian with a gun. This emphasises that the real hero is the man himself, not the Iron Man suit.

For most of the film Tony Stark is suffering from anxiety attacks after flying through a portal into a far distant galaxy at the end of "The Avengers". This is rounded off by an unusual after credits scene in which Tony Stark is talking to Bruce Banner as if he were a psychiatrist.

Success Rate:  + 4.1

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I've been adding my little box with links to Amazon since 2016, but I've recently noticed problems when I click on them. Some links are broken, because the products I've linked to are no longer on sale. Even worse, some DVDs are out of print and are only available from Amazon Marketplace sellers for exaggerated prices. For instance, the Blu-ray disc that I recommended from Amazon.com in my last review of "Iron Man 3" now costs $49.99. Ouch! The triple pack of Iron Man 1–3 in the box for this review is only $24.99. Much better. I can't go back and change the links of old reviews, but I recommend that my readers check prices before they buy.

I've started to take more time to watch the television series I'm interested in. Until further notice I'm going to watch a maximum of one film each day, with the exception of film festivals. I'll use my additional time to watch one or move television episodes each day. Yesterday I watched six episodes of "Supergirl", today I watched three episodes of "Agents of SHIELD". It's a long-standing problem with me and television series. There's so much that I want to watch, but since I give films priority I have so little time.