BLU-RAY
REVIEW: IRON MAN 2
09/26/10
OVERVIEW: The billionaire Super Hero in the iron suit is back in Marvel Studios’ and Paramount Pictures’ thrilling sensation IRON MAN 2, debuting on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download September 28, 2010. Packed with fantastic battles, stunning visual effects and an all-star cast, the new blockbuster adventure will be available to own as a three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with digital copy, as a limited edition two-disc DVD with digital copy, or as a single disc DVD. In this highly-anticipated sequel, Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes, Tropic Thunder) reprises his role as Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, in a thrill-a-minute story filled with explosive action, new suits and powerful new villains. The phenomenal cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man), Don Cheadle (Oceans series), Scarlett Johansson (He’s Just Not That Into You) as the seductive Black Widow, Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) as the vengeful Whiplash, as well as Sam Rockwell (Charlie’s Angels) and Samuel L. Jackson (The Other Guys).
SYNOPSIS: Under
pressure from the government, the press and the public to share
his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge
the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the
information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts (Gwyneth
Paltrow), and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his
side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new
forces.
FILM REVIEW: Spiderman 2 was better than Spiderman 1. The Dark Knight was better than Batman Begins. Heck, even the Edward Norton Hulk was better than the Eric Bana Hulk. So, does the highly anticipated Iron Man 2 out perform Iron Man 1? I’m afraid not. The movie is good, but Iron Man 1 was better. Other than what I mentioned above and maybe a couple of others, most sequels don’t fair as well as the originals. That is the typical pattern and this sequel falls into that category. This one is funnier, the dialogue is faster, the banter is heavier, the special effects are as good if not better, and the sound, especially in relation to the special effects, is amazing. However, it seemed to lack action most probably because it spent too much time trying to over dramatize something that didn’t need to be that dramatic. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) spent too much time being Tony Stark and not enough time being Iron Man the superhero. That was a bit of a turn off. Sure, you see more of the human side of Tony Stark, but the name of the movie is Iron Man, so . . . ? In the end, it’s about survival and getting a little help from his friends.
Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes: This lone gunslinger act is unnecessary... you don't have to do this alone!
He is definitely not alone this time, starting with his best buddy Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes who is played by Don Cheadle instead of Terrence Howard. This actor change is a disappointment for some but they are both caliber actors so the transition is not that abrupt. Pepper Potts
(Gwyneth Paltrow) as always, although somewhat reluctant, stands by her boss. Even Happy Hogan (Jon
Favreau) the chauffeur gets into the act doing his part to help. Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) pops in on Tony here and there and helps a bit as well. There is a new character as well who could easily be considered the sexiest character in the bunch played by Scarlett Johansson. Natalie Rushman works for Stark Industries but at first it is hard to tell if she is friend or foe. As for the ones we do know are the opposition, we start with Ivan Vanko (Mickey
Rourke). When I first heard that Mickey was going to play this role I was skeptical. Well my skepticism was cleared away by his performance. Sam Rockwell plays the role of Justin Hammer, funding agent for the Iron Man
opposers. Sam never lets me down. Overall as you can see, the cast is perfect and they all did a good job with their roles. The problem is that the flow of the movie gave little chance for them to develop and I really didn’t connect with any of them. In the first Iron Man, I connected with
Rhodey, Pepper, even Obadiah. I felt something for them; I understood their purpose, their drive. In Part 2, I only really connected with Tony of course, and maybe Ivan and that’s about it. The storyline might have a little to do with that. The storyline concept is great but the presentation is missing some of its kick. I was happy when I found out that Jon Favreau was going to direct this film as well, knowing that he did a fabulous job with the first one. Well, he did okay but he could have done so much better with this material. The 2008 summer movie season started with a big bang, Iron Man. Last year it was Wolverine and now we have this production, arguably the weakest of the three, but still worth it. I just hope this is not an indication of how this summer’s movies are going to be.
Film
Review
By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
BLU-RAY:
The film is
presented in 1080P widescreen in a 2.40:1 aspect ration
preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just
flawless, bringing to perfection the special effects of the film. Not only the picture looks great in
this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 DTS-HD Master
Audio (48kHz/24bit) in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French that provides a
good complement to the picture. It also includes
English Spanish French
subtitles.
Overall Iron Man 2
Blu-ray Combo delivers nearly 3 hours of bonus features that
ones again show the quality and quantity that Paramount Home
Entertainment puts in this blockbuster releases. Definitely this
is a Blu-ray to own.
VIDEO:
2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen 1080P
AUDIO:
English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles -
English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Feature film with optional commentary by Jon Favreau (HD)
S.H.I.E.L.D. Data Vault
(HD)— Extend your knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with high-level clearance into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s digital data vault. Interact with select scenes from the movie that include new layers of graphics and insider information. View case files, dossiers, S.H.I.E.L.D. training films, tech details and more.
Previsualization and Animatics (HD)
Rebuilding the Suit—An all-encompassing look at the beginning stages of this mammoth blockbuster.
A Return to Action—From Marvel Studios to the streets of Monaco, Jon Favreau takes viewers through the trials and triumphs of continuing Iron Man’s story.
Expanding the Universe—From the amazing sets of Stark Expo to Tony Stark’s home and beyond, the Marvel Universe continues to unfold into new and exciting places.
Building a Legacy—From filming to editing, scoring and visual effects, Favreau and his team face the challenges of bringing the sequel to the big screen.
Creating Stark Expo—A look at how the sets and computer-generated elements combine to create the massive set piece.
Practical Meets Digital—How the “practical” props inform the “digital” work that ultimately brings our hero to life on screen.
Illustrated Origin: Nick
Fury—A comprehensive journey into creating one of the most mysterious and influential heroes in the Marvel Universe.
Illustrated Origin: Black
Widow—An exciting look at the new femme fatale introduced in Iron Man 2.
Illustrated Origin: War
Machine—A look at the introduction of the character and how his friendship with Tony Stark resonates with fans.
Working with DJ AM—Jon Favreau remembers working with Adam Goldstein.
Deleted Scenes
Concept Art Gallery
Theatrical Trailers (HD)
Music Video: AC/DC “Shoot To Thrill”
Feature Film DVD Copy
Digital Copy
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