I usually do not rate
film in terms of grade levels such as A, B or C, but Iron 3 is an exception. The film
opened last Friday national wise. From the very start, the film has garnered
mixed reviews among its fans. I too share some mixed feelings about the film. However,
not so much as in the portrayal of Iron Man, Tony Stark and his altered ego were
just as fans expected him to be. In addition, giving Pepper Potts superpower and
letting her kick some butt was refreshing over her usual “lady in distress”
image in the previous films.
In addition, there are scenes in
Iron Man 3 that are more than just cool, and for those who have seen the film
or its preview, the arrival of Iron Man’s robotic champions is wonderfully
done. They fascinated me. Nevertheless, what down graded to the film from an A
to a B- is its portray of the supposed villain, Mandrin.
All long time fans of
the Iron Man comics know that Mandarin is Iron Man’s arch-enemy and has been since
his creation by Stan Lee and his first appearing in Tales
of Suspense, issue #50 back in February
of 1964. Mandarin, or The Mandarin as some like to call him, is
a very diabolical character bend on nothing but world dominion, and lucky for
the rest of the world he has Iron Man to foul all his evil plans.
In the film, once Mandarin is found, the fans are introduced
to a buffoon, a down and out actor playing at world domination in order to
cover for the real villain in the film, Aldrich Killian, a twisted and insecure genus who Tony Stark forgot about and
left on a rooftop. After meeting Killian for the second, the third and the four time, fans
probably feel that Tony Stark did right in forgetting him. As a fan, I wanted too.
For whatever reason,
the character of Mandarin was dwarfed. Although, there are scenes in Iron Man 3
depicting what appear actual footage of war and destruction with the Mandarin
claiming credit for it that are harsh to watch, once he found, it becomes clear that this Mandarin
is not the super archenemy of the Iron Man from the comics.
The MandarinI came to see Iron Man 3 battle is a rare archvillain who wears rings of incredible
power, and who makes Iron Man’s robotic army the only defense against him. Seems right
to me. However, because the Mandarin in this film was just a tool would a lesser mad
man, I believe the film suffered much in creativity, but because it is an Iron
Man film, it will probably do well at the box office.
It would have been nice if the makers of Iron Man 3 had
spent more time developing the character of Mandarin than that of Aldrich Killian.
Hint the B- rating for the film.
Below is a characterization of Mandarin and his rings of power as described on Wikipedia.
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Powers and abilities
The
Mandarin is a superb athlete with tremendous skill in the various martial arts. Through repeated practice, he has
toughened all the striking surfaces of his body, especially his hands, which
are covered with thick calluses. He can even split Iron Man's magnetic-beam
reinforced alloy armor with repeated blows. So great is the Mandarin's martial
arts ability, that he can even survive years without food and water,
apparently, sustaining himself purely via his mastery of chi. The precise degree of The Mandarin's martial
art powers has been the subject of multiple implied by Marvel Comics.
Initially, Mandarin was portrayed as being such a superhumanly skilled martial
artist that he could destroy Iron Man's armor with his bare hands. Later
portrayals focused on his use of the rings, and implicitly retconned the
Mandarin's skill to being great but no longer superhuman. The most recent
continuity has restored Mandarin's martial arts ability to its original
superhuman level.
The
Mandarin is one of Marvel Earth's
greatest scientific geniuses, and highly skilled in various sciences. Not only
has he made himself into an expert authority on alien Makluan science, but he
has also built upon this knowledge by making further discoveries based upon it.
The
principal personal weapons of the Mandarin are the ten rings which he wears on
the fingers of each hand. The rings' operations cannot be explained by
contemporary Earth science, but it is known that they served as near-limitless
power sources for the warp-drive engines of the Makluan starship of Axonn-Karr.
The Mandarin learned how to convert the rings to his personal uses and to make
them respond to his mental commands. The fingers on which he wears each ring,
and the known functions for which he uses each ring, are given below.
Digit | Left Hand | Right Hand |
Little finger | Ice Blast The ring emits waves of cold, which can be used to stun an opponent. The ring usually causes the air in the path of its blast to turn to ice, and can lower an object's temperature to nearly absolute zero. The gem is shaped like multiple small cylindrical capsules, colored blue-white. | Black Light The ring can create an area of absolute blackness that seems to absorb all light used within it. Although "black light" is a term used to refer to ultraviolet radiation, the darkness created by the ring is probably a form of the "darkforce" used by Cloak, Darkstar, and the Shroud. The gem is shaped like four tiny black-blue dots, arranged in a square shape in groups of two. |
Ring Finger | Mento-Intensifier The ring magnifies the wearer's own psionic energy, allowing him to place one or more people under his mental control and to transmit orders to them mentally. Most frequently used to create illusions. The gem is shaped like a blue diamond/tilted square. | Disintegration Beam The ring emits a beam of energy that destroys all bonds between the atoms and molecules of the object it strikes. This ring needs twenty minutes to recharge after use. The gem is shaped like a golden square. |
Middle Finger | Electro-Blast The ring emits electricity in amounts at intensities mentally determined by the wearer. The maximum current attainable is not known. The gem is shaped like an angled green line. | Vortex Beam The ring causes the air to move about at high speed in a vortex. The vortex can be used as an offensive weapon, as a means of levitating objects, or as a means of propelling the ring's wearer through the air. The gem is shaped like a simple blue circle. |
Index Finger | Flame Blast The ring emits infrared radiation, or heat, at intensities mentally determined by the wearer. Usually the heat produces flame through incandescing the molecules in the air in the path of the blast. The heat beam can be used to trigger chemical explosions. The maximum amount of heat it can generate is not known. The gem is shaped similarly to the ice blast ring, but with four capsules and a red color. | Impact Beam This ring can project various forms of energy, most frequently that of fast neutrons with great concussive force. The ring has also been used to project intense sonic vibrations and to create magnetic waves to attract or repel objects. The ring may be capable of emitting other forms of energy as well, and has been used to send Iron Man slamming through a mountain. The gem is shaped like a star, colored purple (or red). |
Thumb | White Light This ring can emit various forms of energy along the electromagnetic spectrum. Has been used to create gravity powerful enough to make Iron Man bury himself by trying to walk forward. The gem is shaped like two white circles, set in gold (almost like a pair of eyes). | Matter Rearranger This ring can rearrange the atoms and molecules of a substance, or speed up or slow down their movement, so as to produce various effects. The ring has been used to condense water vapor in the air to liquid water, to solidify gasses, to create lethal poison gas from the air, to turn a group of men to stone, to turn a man into a beetle, to turn a mountain into a rock-monster, and to make a stone hand large enough to engulf Iron Man's body erupt from the floor. The ring cannot transmute elements or rearrange the atoms and molecules of Iron Man's magnetic-beam reinforced armor. The gem is shaped like a small purple circle. |
Over
the years through mental discipline achieved through meditation and long
practice in use of the rings, the Mandarin has established a strong psionic link with his ten power rings, which was made many times
stronger during the period in which his mind/spirit actually inhabited
them[volume & issue needed]. One result is that
no one who wears the rings other than the Mandarin himself can command them
without his permission. The Mandarin can now command the rings even when they
are separated from him by vast distances. He can mentally monitor events taking
place near a ring that has been separated from him. Continued exposure to the
alien rings made his hands green and scaly. He can voluntarily give temporary
control over a ring to his servants. If the servant dies or falls unconscious,
the rings teleport back to the Mandarin. Conversely, if the Mandarin himself is
knocked out, all the rings automatically return to him. On one occasion,
this left the Mandarin's servants powerless to stop some of Tony Stark's
employees, that the Mandarin had kidnapped, from escaping.
The
Mandarin has also used a force field generator but this is not part of his
standard weaponry.
He
has also used a head band enabling him to transfer his mind into his rings or
into another's body, and a teleportation device hidden on his person, both examples
of Makluan technology.
The
Mandarin is a brilliant and brutal tactician and a gifted strategist. He also
abides by a very strict code of honor. When he attempted
to stop Stark Enterprises from establishing itself in Hong Kong, the Mandarin
challenged Iron Man to a duel, stating that if he
won, he would take control of Stark Enterprises' Hong Kong operations, and that
he would cease hindering Stark's activities if he lost. When Iron Man defeated
him in fair combat, he lived up to his end of the agreement. On another
occasion, he killed one of his minions for attempting to drug him during a practice
session, angry that one of his students would use such dishonorable tactics. --
Wikipedia
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