Jason KingIron Man 2 (8/10)
May 10th 2010 21:53
:
Yay Iron Man
Category: No Category
Iron Man 2 (8/10)
I finally got the courage and gonads to drag myself away from home, playing WOW and removing myself form holiday mode and ventured to the cinema on my day off to watch a movie and I am glad I did because I just loved returning to the Iron Man universe.
Commencing not long from where the first one ended billionaire genius Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jnr) has revealed to the world he is Iron Man. Now he reaps the whirlwind consequences of his actions as both the government and competitor Justin Hammer vie to obtain the secrets of Stark's Iron Man technology for their own benefit. Stark is also trying to deal with the realisation that the tech that is keeping him alive is also slowly killing him. As he deals with his downward spiralling life his affection for his assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) grows. On top of this he has to contend with a foreign weapons genius Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) who bears a lifelong grudge against Tony Stark and wants to see him destroyed.
I have been reading a lot of reviews on this film and quite a few of them are saying it falls way short of the first one. I completely disagree, it took me straight back into the universe and again I found this to be one of the best mature action films right up there and equal with the first one and similar to the two latest Batman films.
Robert Downey Jnr is just superb, as always, and is so good as Iron Man and Tony Stark that Marvel comic artists have started changing the look of Iron Man/ Tony Stark in the comics to more represent Downey Jnr. This has got to say a lot. Downey Jnr plays such a lovable wanker who loves himself more than anything else that you just have to love him. As well as this, one of my highlights of this film is the odd chemistry and bantering between Stark and Potts. I just loved it and giggled through a lot of their conversations. So to do I enjoy the camaraderie and banter between Stark and "Rhodey" (Don Cheadle). I prefer Cheadle a lot more to the original "Rhodey" Terrence Howard who was replaced after ego and a huge fall out with Marvel have seen Howard pretty much put on a "black list" of actors not to use.
I am not a Scarlett Johansson fan at all however I just love her in this - she compliments Downey's craziness nicely. And it was also good to see Samuel L Jackson getting a bit more screen time as opposed to his brief "end of the credits" appearance in the first Iron Man. To be honest, I cannot fault any of the actors in the brilliant ensemble film. Mickey Rourke is on fire and immersed himself into his role as Ivan Vanko so fully that I could honestly believe him as an insane Russian Physicist bent on destroying Iron Man/ Stark. To get into character he spent a fair bit of time with prisoners inside a Russian prison and is completely covered in prison tats that are all authentic. His "whips" are also designed on the Star Wars lightsabers.
One of the standouts in this for me is Sam Rockwell, he is so good onscreen and is such a chameleon becoming a different person in each character. In this his portrayal of business rival Justin Hammer is perfect and the one scene where is describing the weaponry he has to offer "Rhodey" had me in stitches. It wasn't a terribly funny scene but I just found Rockwell's delivery hysterical. He is fast approaching being one of my all time favourite actors.
I had also completely forgotten that Jon Favreau directed this and the first Iron Man film. I still see him as the artsy independent film actor of many years. I remember when I saw it was him that directed the first film that I just couldn't believe he had it in him to make something so good and then I completely forgot it. Then I saw his name in the credits for this film and again I was blown away. Not only does he direct both of these amazing films he also stars as Happy Hogan - Pepper and Tony's most trusted and loyal friend, who also provides a bit of added comic relief, not that the film needs it with Downey Jnr supplying much of it himself.
The film loses a couple of points because of a massive Boo Boo - Ivan Vanko goes to the Monaco Formula 1 to destroy Iron Man/ Tony Stark but the big boo boo is that Tony wasn't even there to race. He decides and changes his mind to race with minutes remaining. This decision is made as Vanko is already prepped to destroy him during the race. Oops!!!
This film is less on the action than the first and lacks the introduction and discovery of meeting such a fabulous new character however it is extremely well made, and offers everything you want from a great night at the movies. It can be seen as a bridging film between the first and last film in the trilogy but I prefer to see it as more of an enjoyable roller-coaster ride in the Iron Man universe. Loved it! Worth 8 out of 10 and out now, it would have scored a 9 if not for the big boo boo
.
And please note there is a scene after the credits that links this film to Marvel's next hit - Thor. It is VERY brief and just shows a military guy on the phone in the dessert saying "we've found it" - and it pans down to Thor's hammer - the end. Now you don't have to wait through 5mins of credits
I finally got the courage and gonads to drag myself away from home, playing WOW and removing myself form holiday mode and ventured to the cinema on my day off to watch a movie and I am glad I did because I just loved returning to the Iron Man universe.
Commencing not long from where the first one ended billionaire genius Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jnr) has revealed to the world he is Iron Man. Now he reaps the whirlwind consequences of his actions as both the government and competitor Justin Hammer vie to obtain the secrets of Stark's Iron Man technology for their own benefit. Stark is also trying to deal with the realisation that the tech that is keeping him alive is also slowly killing him. As he deals with his downward spiralling life his affection for his assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) grows. On top of this he has to contend with a foreign weapons genius Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) who bears a lifelong grudge against Tony Stark and wants to see him destroyed.
I have been reading a lot of reviews on this film and quite a few of them are saying it falls way short of the first one. I completely disagree, it took me straight back into the universe and again I found this to be one of the best mature action films right up there and equal with the first one and similar to the two latest Batman films.
Robert Downey Jnr is just superb, as always, and is so good as Iron Man and Tony Stark that Marvel comic artists have started changing the look of Iron Man/ Tony Stark in the comics to more represent Downey Jnr. This has got to say a lot. Downey Jnr plays such a lovable wanker who loves himself more than anything else that you just have to love him. As well as this, one of my highlights of this film is the odd chemistry and bantering between Stark and Potts. I just loved it and giggled through a lot of their conversations. So to do I enjoy the camaraderie and banter between Stark and "Rhodey" (Don Cheadle). I prefer Cheadle a lot more to the original "Rhodey" Terrence Howard who was replaced after ego and a huge fall out with Marvel have seen Howard pretty much put on a "black list" of actors not to use.
I am not a Scarlett Johansson fan at all however I just love her in this - she compliments Downey's craziness nicely. And it was also good to see Samuel L Jackson getting a bit more screen time as opposed to his brief "end of the credits" appearance in the first Iron Man. To be honest, I cannot fault any of the actors in the brilliant ensemble film. Mickey Rourke is on fire and immersed himself into his role as Ivan Vanko so fully that I could honestly believe him as an insane Russian Physicist bent on destroying Iron Man/ Stark. To get into character he spent a fair bit of time with prisoners inside a Russian prison and is completely covered in prison tats that are all authentic. His "whips" are also designed on the Star Wars lightsabers.
One of the standouts in this for me is Sam Rockwell, he is so good onscreen and is such a chameleon becoming a different person in each character. In this his portrayal of business rival Justin Hammer is perfect and the one scene where is describing the weaponry he has to offer "Rhodey" had me in stitches. It wasn't a terribly funny scene but I just found Rockwell's delivery hysterical. He is fast approaching being one of my all time favourite actors.
I had also completely forgotten that Jon Favreau directed this and the first Iron Man film. I still see him as the artsy independent film actor of many years. I remember when I saw it was him that directed the first film that I just couldn't believe he had it in him to make something so good and then I completely forgot it. Then I saw his name in the credits for this film and again I was blown away. Not only does he direct both of these amazing films he also stars as Happy Hogan - Pepper and Tony's most trusted and loyal friend, who also provides a bit of added comic relief, not that the film needs it with Downey Jnr supplying much of it himself.
The film loses a couple of points because of a massive Boo Boo - Ivan Vanko goes to the Monaco Formula 1 to destroy Iron Man/ Tony Stark but the big boo boo is that Tony wasn't even there to race. He decides and changes his mind to race with minutes remaining. This decision is made as Vanko is already prepped to destroy him during the race. Oops!!!
This film is less on the action than the first and lacks the introduction and discovery of meeting such a fabulous new character however it is extremely well made, and offers everything you want from a great night at the movies. It can be seen as a bridging film between the first and last film in the trilogy but I prefer to see it as more of an enjoyable roller-coaster ride in the Iron Man universe. Loved it! Worth 8 out of 10 and out now, it would have scored a 9 if not for the big boo boo
.
And please note there is a scene after the credits that links this film to Marvel's next hit - Thor. It is VERY brief and just shows a military guy on the phone in the dessert saying "we've found it" - and it pans down to Thor's hammer - the end. Now you don't have to wait through 5mins of credits
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
I wanna see this on the big screen, but haven't got to it yet.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
It is worth it on the big screen - I hope u don't hate it too much
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Wilson Pon
Health 2 Know
Adventure Toes
boxing sound
Business Rope
Fun Places 2 Travel
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Glad u liked it Wilson - it is a fun film. Now we have to wait about 3yrs for the next instalment and I will bloody be in my 40's by then