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Your Friendly Neighborhood (Oops!) "Shellhead" Gets A "Whipping" And A "Lashing"...
-
May 7, 2010
- by woopak_the_thrill
- posted in Movie Hype
Rating:
+3
…well, not exactly, although “Iron Man 2” is definitely your Hollywood fare that relies on being loud, “spiffy”, brisk popcorn entertainment but it does do it well; its uninspired plot mechanics render this sequel a step backward. The first film (personally that was NOT the Tony Stark I remember) while not perfect had better plot development and didn’t rely on being “spiffy” too much but focused more on characterization. This time around director Jon Favreau is hard-set in outdoing the original by how else? By trying to focus more on things that go “BOOM” and relying on what the franchise had established in the first film. Not a bad approach exactly, since it does make it work. But it does become one of your typical super-hero movies and it does appear as a minor set up for “Avengers”.
The world is aware that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man and he has become an international superstar; much to the chagrin of the U.S. government who is demanding that his technology be turned over to authorities for study. Stark denies the request as he fears that his technology may fall into the wrong hands. His friends Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James Rhodes (Jon Cheadle) are put on the spot as Tony continues to wear the armor. But there is something Tony isn’t saying…
Also, forces from his the Stark family’s past threaten to haunt Tony as a man called Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) attacks Tony with an energy source very similar to Tony’s own invention and a competing weapons manufacturer headed up by Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell, Moon) aims to capitalize on this as the world begins to lose confidence in Stark…and who is the mysterious woman called Natalie (Scarlett Johansson)?
As everyone of you do know, as much as I appreciated the script in the original film, it didn’t offer much in the area of surprises and I was real bothered with the fact that Tony Stark was portrayed like a ‘showman’. While this movie does follow the same blueprint, I liked the idea that it did take a look at his “alcoholism”. There is a cause to all this, as we see Tony drunkenly piloting his armor in party, treating it like a toy. It was a good ploy while it lasted but the script just merely bumped into the idea without developing it further. Yes, the film still plays it safe like the original film.
As for the story, it takes inspiration from the “Armor Wars” and the “Techno-Organic Virus” storylines in the early 90’s. It takes a stab at real world events where things are being seen as something profitable and whatever is “something” needs to be owned by the government. I found it curious that the name “Whiplash” was never mentioned and I found out exactly why it never was. I liked the way the script linked Vanko character to Tony’s past and this time around he is a Russian who has a strong grudge against Stark. The “armor wars” was good as it gave birth to the appearance of the “Crimson Dynamo” (or “Dynamos”) with the “Whiplash” enhancements. Yes, my friends, the villain is a Hollywood-created villain simply ripped from the pages of the comic book.
As for Natasha Romanoff (played by Scarlett Johansson) she was there simply as pure eye candy and to give Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) a reason to show up and to make a cheap plug of the eventual “Ultimate Avengers” film that is set to be released soon. There are some funny moments as the script is rich with the usual comedic one-liners that is basic Hollywood but I really didn’t mind the hint of an actual star-spangled “shield”. The story is pretty basic, and even followed a stereotypical romantic angle with Pepper Potts. I thought the chemistry between Paltrow felt a little forced but Downey was charming enough to convince me of their supposed ‘heat’. Mickey Rourke was good as the bad guy; he made a good impression as an imbalanced genius. I have to say, the performances were real good; even Sam Rockwell had his own moment of glory (though the script portrated him was a departure from the source material) that they may be enough to save the movie from mediocrity. I was disappointed that the James Rhodes (Jon Cheadle) character was underdeveloped and underused.
Now the special effects is a little uneven as it was obvious that some scenes looked better than others and the dark scenes were a little too blurry to make the effects as impressive as in the first movie. Don’t get me wrong, the effects are still superior to most CGI-rendered ones but it was a little of a step down from the original. The film does however try to compensate by making the film fast, loud, fun and a tad outrageous in the action scenes. It was real nice to see “War Machine” and “Black Widow” go into action. There was a huge plot hole in the script that required a big suspension of disbelief but I cannot discuss this without spoilers. I did really enjoy the ‘Pulse-laser Bolt” that was used by Iron man and the missile known as the “ex-wife” makes an appearance.
Well, so is “Iron Man 2” better than the original? Of course not. While the original was definitely flawed and played it too safe, it had a better storyline. “Iron Man 2” isn’t the best super-hero movie but it wasn’t the abysmal “Spider-man 3” that I feared it would be. Yes, the film is a mere launch pad for next year’s “Thor”, “Captain America”, and the eventual formation of the “Avengers”. It is a film that is very predictable and yet very fun. Just don’t expect too much and you may be able to forgive its flaws. It is a fun time in the movies but it is a step backward from the original film.
Recommended! [3 ½ out of 5 Stars] HYPE LEVEL: Extremely Hyped up to the point of being almost impossibly, embarrassingly, extremely “Hyped Up” (we see people actually rating it a 5 without even seeing the movie yet?! what is that all about?!). Nothing can fulfill the amount of “Hype” this movie had received--well, actually it could have, but it failed in many ways.
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*** out of **** The sequel to Jon Favreau's near-perfect "Iron Man" turns out to be pretty darn good, mostly thanks to the directorial talents of Mr. Favreau himself. Since it's nigh impossible to make a sequel to "Iron Man" and make it nearly as impressive and refreshing as the original film, Favreau decides to use what he's got. And he presents "Iron Man 2", in all its star-studded, CGI-happy glory, in the most passionate way possible. If you've heard that "Iron Man 2" … more
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After revealing to the public he is Iron Man. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has turned Iron Man into a showman. This causes him problems as a man from the shadows begins to plot against him, and the US Government seeks to take his armor away from him. -summary The first Iron Man movie was an instant hit with me and surprisingly over time it managed to get better. There were plenty of reasons for this too, with serious character development and the supporting characters … more
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Superhero movies have a strange formula to them that, for the most part, has served it well for the past decade. The first movie spends quite a bit of time on the origin of the hero and thus it's usually not quite as interesting as the first sequel. Once we get to the first sequel we've passed the "how" someone became a hero and usually the "why," so the bigger focus is usually on a nemesis to the hero and perhaps digging a little deeper into the hero's own story, … more
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review by TheJohn.
May 07, 2010
Forgive the parlance, but I can't think of a better name for an irresponsible man who gets loaded, straps on a suit of destructive armor and starts using his laser beams to trick shoot fruit and vases in a crowded room full of people. Tony may have seen the error of his ways in the first movie but with those troubles behind him theres plenty of room for his fast lifestyle and inner jerk to come out in this one. Iron Man 2 is THE most anticipated Summer movie of … more
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When "Iron Man" was released in the early summer of 2008 it took the box-office and critics for a ride they would soon never forget, its huge critical and commercial success and Robert Downey Jr.'s natural charm and appeal as the hero Tony Stark landed this larger than life comic book adaptation amongst the ranks of greats such as Tim Burton's "Batman" and "Batman Returns", Christopher Nolan's "Batman reboot "Batman … more
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Sequels have a tendency to be on the mixed reaction of results. In the case of Marvel films (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic 4, Hulk), it's a hit or miss. Regardless, we still love those comic book heroes in their adaptations. As with all comic book adaptations, they all loosely follow the comics per panel. Iron Man 2 continues the origin story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) as he continues to rise and protect the world from evil in his armor powered suit. Now that he has … more
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The United States government is now demanding of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) that he hand over his advanced armor technology to the military. Stark publically refuses in a fashion that gets him a lot of negative attention. Though one day Stark is attacked by a man named Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) who has technology of his own that might be on its way to being able to defeat Stark. Vanko now possibly has the technology to make a suit even stronger, and more advanced than Stark's. Meanwhile, … more
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Plenty of action. Plenty of drama, partying, flirting. But it lacked the heart of the first film (pardon the pun) and felt more choppy and predictable. There was one very satisfying relational moment, but other than that, I felt pretty indifferent and glad I didn’t hand over the moulah to see it in the theater. I’d suggest trying before buying.
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If the turnout tonight is any indication of how popular Iron Man is this movie is in no danger of flopping. Iron Man was a comic book I picked up to try to get into something long ago as a kid. I wasn't completely familiar with the whole story, but that's what these movies are really designed to do. Initiate the public into the fantastic and interesting worlds of the comic books. Most everyone already knows what this movie will entail from the previews. Mickey Rourke? Check. … more
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Your right its not as good as the first, but it aint that bad. I think most people didnt like Ironman 2 beacause this movie although called Ironman focused mainly on Tony Stark. The stress from the US Government, the stress of being Ironman and running Stark Industries, and lets not forget The Arc reactor in his chest is killing him. But even through all this we still got a bunch of action and lots of laughs. Ironman 2 was a great … more
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About the reviewer
William (woopak_the_thrill)
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About this movie
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, and the second film in a planned trilogy. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey Jr., reprising his role as Tony Stark.
Tony Stark has revealed his identity as Iron Man and is resisting calls by the United States Government to hand over the technology. Ivan Vanko has also duplicated the technology and built weapons of his own, creating new challenges for Stark.
The film held its red carpet premiere in Los Angeles, California, on April 26, 2010 and in France on April 28, 2010. It was released in the United States on May 7, 2010.
After the high-flying adventures of the firstIron Manpicture, the billionaire arms manufacturer and irrepressible bon vivant Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself nursing a hangover. But not like any hangover he's had before: this one is toxic, a potentially deadly condition resulting from heavy metals (or something) bleeding out of the hardware he's installed in the middle of his chest. This is the problem Stark needs to solve inIron Man 2, not to mention the threat from resentful Russian science whiz Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), whose father helped create the Iron Man technology. There's an even bigger problem for the film: the need to set up a future Marvel Comics movie universe in which a variety of veteran ...
Movies, Drama Movies, Action Movies, Action, Adventure, Science Fiction Movies, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comics, Scifi, Cult Movies, Fantasy Films, Comic Book Movies, Iron Man, Iron Man 2
Cast:
Don Cheadle,
Scarlett Johansson,
Gwyneth Paltrow,
Samuel L. Jackson,
Robert Downey Jr.,
Mickey Rourke,
Sam Rockwell
Director:
Jon Favreau
Genre:
Action,
Adventure
Release Date:
May 7th, 2010
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
Screen Writer:
Robert Downey Jr.,
Justin Theroux
Studio:
Marvel Studios,
Paramount Pictures
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Chris, nothing comes close to the 'badness' that is Spidey 3...but it was the best/least of the worst...Batman and Robin and Barb Wire are still two of the worst comic book adaptations ever LOL!