Iron Man 3 Opens To Rave Reviews: Robert Downey Jr. Movie Takes $15.6 Million At Midnight Shows [VIDEO]
After a year of enless trailers, Robert Downey Jr.'s "Iron Man 3" has landed in theaters to rave reviews with a Box-Office record for the franchise at midnight.
The critics say Downey Jr. is in fine form in "Iron Man 3," and director Shane Black maintains the series' tricky balance between spectacle and light comedy while serving up a few intriguing plot twists.
Tony Stark is still recovering from the events of "The Avengers," while leaving the management of Stark International to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). An old colleague of Tony's approaches Pepper about a new organic technology. Will it benefit Stark International? A ruthless terrorist surfaces and you have to see the movie to find out how Stark handles it.
"Iron Man 3″ is certified "Fresh" at 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer. Check out some of the reviews here:
Fresh: "Downey is at his superhero genius best here, rattling off dialogue both clever and boilerplate with non-repetitive aplomb." - Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter
Fresh: "'Iron Man 3′ is one of the best entries in this modern golden age of superhero movies." - Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
Fresh: "The rambunctious 'Iron Man 3′ is a briskly paced thrill ride until about 90 minutes in, when the excitement wanes. A few late-breaking surprises re-invigorate the tale, however." - Claudia Puig, USA Today
Rotten: "The third iteration of a franchise that began so well becomes a hollow hymn to martial gadgetry. The suits and story clank in unison." - Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
The Robert Downey Jr. sequel earned an estimated $15.6 million in its domestic debut, making its worldwide tally $361 million.
The movie's "midnight Friday" take, which includes business from Thursday preview screenings, is the "Iron Man" best so far, doubling the last installment.
On the whole, "Iron Man 3" is expected to be headed for a three-day weekend domestic gross of $150 million.
Here's a look at the top 10 midnight box-office openers, as compiled by Hollywood.com:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, $43.5 million
2. The Dark Knight Rises, $30.6 million
3. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, $30.4 million (includes Thursday previews)
4. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, $30.3 million
5. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, $30 million
6. The Twilight Saga: New Moon, $26.3 million
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, $24 million
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, $22.2 million
9. The Hunger Games, $19.7 million
10. The Avengers, $18.7 million
According to Hollywood.com's count, "Iron Man 3" ranks 13th.