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Post by Pezzula on May 8, 2010 20:39:42 GMT -5
I'll be writing a review for this on tefsblog, but I just thought I'd start a thread on it here.
Enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, based on word-of-net. It's got huge script deficiencies and a good twenty minutes could be excised without harm, but the cast makes up for what the story lacks, and the effects and action sequences are solid.
I honestly think I may like it better than the first one, although that's probably because IM2 has what 1 doesn't: Sam Rockwell. I'm unfairly biased towards anything he does.
I'm sure distance from this and a lot of thought will damage the film for me, but as of now I highly recommend it.
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Post by Pezzula on May 10, 2010 12:39:38 GMT -5
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Post by Pezzula on May 10, 2010 18:36:04 GMT -5
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Post by constant on May 13, 2010 19:36:18 GMT -5
Late to the party, what did I miss?
I feel pretty split on this one. For starters, my expectations were pretty low based on the overstuffed nature of the synopsis and trailers. Too many superhero movies fall prey to biting off more than they can chew, especially in the villain department. Iron Man's pretty lackluster rogues gallery doesn't help things either. What ends up really sinking the film in the end, isn't the villains, but the overabundance of heroes...
The Good: - The tone. Director Jon Favreau has taken some queues from his own Swingers/Made duo and transplanted it into now two mainstream comic book movies. Kudos. I've gotta say that anything related to Tony being snarky and extravagant always puts a smile on my face. - Robert Downey Jr. continues to be magnetic as Tony Stark. Although not as fresh of a turn as the original, the man pretty much carries this film to the finish, even when the story falters in a meandering 2nd Act. - Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer gives an energetic and playful turn as Stark's rival weapons contractor who tries to fill the vacuum left by Tony post becoming Iron Man and quitting the weapons business. He pretty mush steals the show and rivals the charisma that RDJ brings to the proceedings. - Gwyneth Paltrow is surprisingly allowed some more depth (as far as a comic book movie allows for) in the role of Pepper Potts. She's Tony's rock and conscience, as well as budding romantic interest and the two stars continue to play off of each other well. Loved the idea of the subplot that she becomes CEO of Stark industries, although it really doesn't go anywhere. - 2 out of the 4 action sequences clicked with me in the "holy shit that was cool" way. One being the introduction of Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko villain character at a Monaco race track. The other being the mostly useless, but fun to look at Black Widow break in sequence. Also love what director Jon Favreau did to send himself up in this sequence. - I may be alone here, but I got a kick out of the drunken friends fight at Tony's birthday party. Just think of two of your best friends antagonizing each other at a downtown bar in Iron Man suits and you'll get my drift.
The Meh: - Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko is pretty much completely wasted as a villain here. I almost would've preferred to see Justin Hammer pull double duty and try to become Stark for real, making his own Iron Man type armor and making him the true villain of the film. This possibly would've been better than than just bankrolling some Russian dude with vague connections to the Stark legacy (that are never fully explored or paid off) to do his dirty work. Rourke has an interesting turn, and with a few more scenes I could be convinced he was worthy, but his stuff is rushed or sidelined for... - The Avengers setup. Midway through the film Sam Jackson shows up if for no other legitimate reason than to fanwank and setup a future Avengers movie. I know, I know, he provides a case full of goodies that allows Iron Man to develop some new tech that is essential to the movie. But this was done so arbitrarily, it really could've been done as Stark literally stumbling over this stuff in a storage warehouse and it would've just as (in)effective. Basically this movie grinds to a halt to setup a future one. - The Rhodey/Stark relationship. I blame the writing more than recasting with Don Cheadle, as he acquits himself about as well as can be expected based on the script. The filmmakers expect us to add up The Avengers subplot and the way these two old friends relate to each other to mean that Stark wants to save the world single-handedly but really needs to admit to himself that he needs help from his friends. This theme is great in theory and a natural progression of the first film, however there is one major issue... The film depends on your knowledge of and investment in the comic book series (the significance of the team factor of The Avenger) and the previous film (all of the relationship beats that are needed to build a rapport between Stark and Rhodey happened in a movie that came out 2 years ago, that starred a different dude as Rhodey). Lazy writing. - While Scarlett Johansson is great to look at, all of her scenes (minus the action setpiece) come off as flat and pretty much unnecessary. It's also plain to see that they excised a love triangle subplot that, while probably cliche, may have been a good way to deepen Stark's relationship with Pepper.
Overall, it was a pretty entertaining ride that is surprisingly focused on Tony Stark's character more than the action setpieces. The real problem ends up being the script, which feels rushed and pieced together around certain preconceived notions of where Marvel wants to take their flagship franchise in the future. They want to build a larger world of continuity between all of their self-produced superhero films, but they end up doing a disservice to the individual films and characters. Loads better than most summer fare, so don't get bogged down in all of the complaints, but temper your expectations that this will surpass the first film or cure your palladium induced cancer.
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