Last week, we prepped for the summer movie season by pondering good times at the multiplex with summer playthings Tony Stark and Carrie Bradshaw (Sold Separately!). Sarah Jessica Parker will make us wait as Carrie is fashionably late; Three more weeks until she flicks her witty tongue, tosses that glorious mane, and buys several more pairs of shoes. Robert Downey Jr's billionaire weapons manufacturer, on the other hand, has already returned. With IRON MAN 2 playing to sold out crowds everywhere there's no more wondering what the summer movie season will look like.Not that it was ever anything like a secret what Iron Man 2 would offer up. This blockbuster's shiny surface reflects Hollywood's sequel mandate back at us. Their answer is always 'more! more! more!' before anyone has asked a question.
Return and report... Did you like the movie's more more more credo? And how about Mickey Rourke's post-Wrestler turn?
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13 comments:
Here is my review of the film:
http://hue126.livejournal.com/1199289.html#cutid1
I liked the movie, but I just couldn't get over the fact that the middle portion of the film lacks focus and doesn't really come back until Tony is lectured by his father. The writing by Justin Theroux was, at times, sloppy. The film feels rushed, which isn't surprising since it WAS rushed into production. And I'm sorry. I like Sam Rockwell as an actor, but he was REALLY annoying in this film.
My review: http://julianstark-moviesandotherthings.blogspot.com/2010/05/film-review-iron-man-2-2010.html
I thought that the film was very good. In terms of entertainment value, this film is just as good as the original. However, in terms of quality, it doesn't even come close to being as good as the first one.
The things that were great about the first film (RDJ and pals, action, RDJ, humor, did I mention RDJ?) were better this go around, and problems with the first film (villains with little to no motive for their devious deeds, fluidity of plot) were more obvious and consequently worse in Iron Man 2.
Rockwell and Rourke, in particular, were disappointing. While I enjoyed both of their performances, I felt like the two were incredibly wasted. Also, one of Rockwell's lines ("I took your stuff!") deserves to go down as one of the worst lines of dialogue in motion picture history.
The film was fine, nothing special yet also not horrible as well. What made it very enjoyable though was the chemistry between Paltrow and Downey for it's is nothing like I've seen in previous action movies. They just completely own their parts and work SO well with each other.
I don't think any other actors could have made Stark/Potts "real." They are both completely believable.
I actually enjoyed this more than the first film, which I felt was only decent-ish at best. The entire film is severely lacking in depth but I thought that most of the plot threads gave the film SOME dramatic tension and variety, whereas the first film didn't really have any of that. Neither Iron Man film is anything more than decent entertainment but at least Iron Man 2 pushed itself a little more in terms of story.
I actually enjoyed this more than the first film, which I felt was only decent-ish at best. The entire film is severely lacking in depth but I thought that most of the plot threads gave the film SOME dramatic tension and variety, whereas the first film didn't really have any of that. Neither Iron Man film is anything more than decent entertainment but at least Iron Man 2 pushed itself a little more in terms of story.
I'm with Daniel since I too enjoyed it more than the first (other than the fact that I went into the first not knowing what to expect so it was more of a surprise).
Basically it was FUN! The Avengers Initiative didn't seem to pushy to me, it seemed like the only thing that could possibly make Star sit up and take notice. And I thought THE bad guy (the others don't really count for much) was much better than Jeff Bridges in the first.
In any case, this little nugget of summer fun rests squarely -like the first- on RDJ shoulders, and he more than pulls it off with his charisma and acting chops! I didn't think Stark's ego could get any bigger... boy was I wrong!
And I don't see any sexism in the fact that Pepper couldn't run the company... she had no training! It was all just dumped onto her lap in a very short period of time. Perhaps given more time she would have.
I loved it as much as I did the original! I wish we could always see Gwyneth like this, and Rourke and Rockwell were great villains. ScarJo, though, had little to do besides be sexy and toss off lines more suited for a femme fatale in a Bond film...it was weird. But I liked it.
And I mentioned this on twitter, but...I don't remember a scene where ScarJo uses the Iron Man glove. I *do* remember her getting blamed by Pepper Potts for being a bad influence, and her suddenly changing into sexy leopard print. Seems odd that one of the scenes cut not only linked the two, but is being used as publicity.
@Walter -- well the scene is in the trailer (which is where i got the image) but i don't think they're really using that as a promotional image (other than the trailer)
@Crazycris & Daniel -- i can see liking it more than the first. For me it's kind of a tossup. The first is definitely cleaner and faster but the second has better action scenes (though only marginally so) and a way better villain in Whiplash.
Huh. I always thought you got press materials, I guess. I'd forgotten it was in the trailer. But still -- annoying. Don't get my hopes up about something that doesn't exist, studio.
Best part of the film was the trailer for Inception, imo. Drippy and disappointing but then I really wasn't as keen on the original either.
Best part was the trailer prior to the film -- Inception looks like a knock-out. Screw IM2. Wasn't a great fan of the first either, though.
Walter -- You also forget that they seemed to have cut or changed an entire scene from one of the first major trailers: Where Pepper kisses Iron Man's helmet and tosses it out of the plane as Tony goes diving after it with a nice kiss-off line, "You complete me!" and then lands in the Expo.
And, you mentioned on the other site's comments that your favourite superhero movie is Spider-Man 2. My problem with the first two I've seen is threefold: 1. They put the humour square in his personal life. He almost never opens his mouth in costume! 2. The villains are played by actors who could stand to bounce back the quips. 3. The repetitive "this is how he's stressed" moments in each. In the first it was "Don't Tell Harry." In the second, money issues are an uncomfortable centre piece of the entire Peter Parker half of the film. So, to sum, 1. He's as serious as Batman, 2. The villain actors are too good to justify that and 3. There's too much repetition of his problems in each film. Congrats Sony! Here's to the reasons the domestic gross kept shrinking!!!
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