“Iron Man 3’ stars Robert Downey Jr. as the billionaire super-hero who is forced to battle a new dangerous foe.
Director Shane Black gained fame in the late 80’s for writing all of the Lethal Weapon movies, so the man definitely has a flair for writing funny action flicks. He also directed Robert Downey Jr. in the awesome “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” so he already has a keen sense of his style. Pair Black and RDJ with a character like Iron Man, and you’ve got a match made in heaven.
How you feel about “Iron Man 3” though will all depend on how you feel about Downey’s version of Tony Stark. Almost every frame features him quipping, mugging, and swaggering. If you find that annoying, then prepare to be wildly annoyed. If you LOVE him and list Iron Man as your favorite Avenger, then you will be in a two hour Tony Stark wet dream.
They go overboard with the special effects, and the big showdown at the end goes on WAY too long. I was thinking “kill the guy, already!” Also, the 3D effects are essentially nonexistent. So spend that extra cash on snacks instead of the glasses. That only brings my score down to an A- because I, for one, LOVE Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. As far as I’m concerned, Iron Man could only be improved if Thor showed up and wrestled him in running shorts.
We loved this movie too. John loved the movie so much, he saw it twice… both times alone. His 11th cat arrives next week.
The very first thing that came to mind upon hearing about “Iron Man 3” was Robert Downey Jr.’s raw, sexual, bad-boy magnetism. But the second thing came to mind was one of our favorite meals: steakhouse steaks. This particular recipe requires a cast IRON skillet. See what we did there?!
This recipe was adapted from our Ina Garten and was previously featured in our Valentine/Anna Howard Shaw Day’s post dinner for two.
- 2 8-ounce beef filets, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- mushroom pan sauce, recipe below
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat heavy, cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, pat steaks dry with paper towels and season all sides with salt and pepper.
Sear steaks in pan on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, 4 minutes total. With steaks still in pan, top each filet with a tablespoon of butter. Immediately place skillet into preheated oven.
Cook the steaks until they reach 120 degrees for rare or 125 degrees for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer, about 8-10 minutes depending on thickness of cut.
Remove steaks from skillet and set on a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Set aside and let meat rest for 10 minutes.
mushroom pan sauce
- 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon coarse-grain dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
After the steaks are removed, heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Add shallots and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add wine and chicken broth, increase heat to high and boil for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mustard and balsamic vinegar, cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in oregano and butter to thicken. Serve over steaks.