Parents' Guide to

Iron Man 3

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Fewer playboy antics, but still plenty of violence.

Movie PG-13 2013 129 minutes
Iron Man 3 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 13+

Based on 49 parent reviews

age 11+

Good

Marvel Awesomeness 9/10
1 person found this helpful.
age 8+

Such A Great Movie!

I walked into the cinema with my 5-year-old to watch this movie. And it was FANTASTIC!! Same violence as the first Avengers movie. And basically no sex. I think an 8-year-old could totally watch this movie!! We are now both huge Marvel Fans because of this movie!! It also teaches kids to help save the world. So does all of the rest of the avenger movies in the series.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (49):
Kids say (197):

Although this sequel is fun to watch, when compared to The Avengers, it comes up short. On the positive side, Downey Jr. is always entertaining as Tony Stark/Iron Man, particularly in the flashbacks to 1999, when he's at his most self-aggrandizing, selfish playboy genius. Director Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), who takes over directing responsibilities from Jon Favreau (now a producer with a recurring supporting role), delights in Downey's gift for fast-talking banter and whip-smart one liners, but he also concentrates on Stark's newfound vulnerability and possible sense of unworthiness when compared to his fellow Avengers. For the first time, Stark is anxious. He knows how devastating it would be to lose the one thing he loves -- Pepper -- and he wonders whether Capt. America is right, and he's just a guy with a souped-up suit.

The Mandarin is an evilly delicious villain (you'll see), and Pearce's Killian is a formidably sleazy foil (and cautionary tale) about remembering who you've blown off in the past, but after a big reveal, the story folds up a little too neatly (save for one surprise), and Tony's anxiety attacks start to feel a wee bit over the top. Ultimately, if you watch all the way past the credits, you'll be rewarded with a cameo sequence that will excite Marvel fans and remind viewers that no matter how fun these individual superhero stories are, it's the promise of more Avengers that's the best.

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate