Magneto's Movies
Reel Reviews
Movie: Iron Man 2
Release Date: May 7 2010
Runtime: 125 Minutes
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow as Viriginia 'Pepper' Potts, Don Cheadle as Lt. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, John Slattery as Howard Stark, Paul Bettany as JARVIS and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Genre: Comic Book
Score: 7.1/10 (Without VFX: 6.9/10)
Pros:-Still gives the popcorn entertainment that was an entertaining aspect of the first film
-A varied amount of great performances from Downey to Rockwell
-Some of the best CGI and action from any Marvel movie
Cons:-Doesn't balance the drama and comedy well
-Over exposition of things
-A muddled plot due to its two separate conflicts and the need to build towards The Avengers
-Bland characters with bland acting from Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson
-The climax is once again disappointing
-Everything that built Pepper Potts from the previous film, is thrown away in this one
Best Scene: The Monaco attack where Whiplash is first witnessed, here Iron Man reveals his bad ass hybrid suit of suitcase and Silver Centurion (two of my favorite armors from the comics)
Best Dialogue: "If you could make god bleed, people would cease to believe in him..."-Ivan Vanko/Whiplash
Coolest Comic Book Reference: Tony being told by Nick that he can only be a consultant for the Avengers initiative at the end of the movie. Behind him is a digital SHIELD map that highlights superhuman activity around the world. Highlighted places are: the ocean (Namor or the Midgard Serpent), Africa (Black Panther), Mexico (Thor), America (Hulk) and Europe (Captain Britain).
Story
The film is so congested that at times it feels like it has no story, just a bunch of scenes strung together. Justin Theroux writes the film and its characters poorly. It also doesn't help that such a movie required allusions to the coming formation of The Avengers. The start is fun and quick, it makes sure to utilize Downey's Tony Stark to full potential, the middle lags due to the heavy amount of explanations and the confused/conflicting incidents while the end is a let down due to half baked characters and a shoddily written climax action scene.
A major problem as highlighted is the clashing ideas. There's a bit regarding Tony's drunken state that only reaches its peak in a slick but eventually too CGI'd clash with his friend James Rhodes. Then there is also the stolen tech issue that unfortunately plays around badly written villains in Justin Hammer and Whiplash. Where Whiplash has even lesser scenes-for his actor to establish himself-than Jeff Bridges Obadiah Stane from Iron Man 1, while Hammer comes off a bit too campy. Finally the movie also utilizes its second half to remind people that The Avengers is coming, made worse by the fact that neither Johansson or Jackson seem interested in performing their assigned roles.
This all drama is done with vigor and doesn't blend well with the comedic tone established from the first film. Here Theroux is unable to craft both sides to gel easily, while the dialogues spewing from Downey don't seem as fresh.
One other gyp is Pepper's character, while the narrative really captures the essence of her banter filled relation with Tony, their romantic arc takes an upswing that goes through the pitfalls of 'damsel in distress' mode. Here Pepper comes off as brave in the final scene when facing Hammer, yet she's stupid enough not to run from a bomb and requires Iron Man to save her.
The best thing though has to be some of the subtext utilized in the story. Showing a Tony behind his fathers Stark Expo video, gives meaning to Tony always being in the shadow of his fathers legacy. Also there are scenes regarding Coulson and Caps Shield as well as Tony realizing he is his fathers greatest creation.
By the way what was that element thing. I didn't fully grasp the half explained science in the film. For a sci-fi there was little exposition to the working technology that Tony utilizes.
Overall unfortunately these plots don't sum up well together, the father-son and legacy content take control but still feel roughly done. Characters aren't written as well and while a focus on Tony's problems is great, it feels over explanatory rather than affecting during the action.
Score: 4.7/10
Direction
The direction here is much better, Favreau had a stern handle over proceedings. The action looks superb; camera work, lighting and the directing make the set-pieces some of the best in any of the Phase One Marvel Films. Favreau gives a dazzling template/audition for the work he would have done as director of The Avengers.
Unlike the action, Favreau already had a firm grasp on the quieter moments. Here he reigns in his actors well and tries his best to visualize the plodding drama. The writing is a let down on Jon, not only is it to basic yet muddled but the extra attention to references needed to build towards The Avengers means that his movie suffers.
Visually, the film is a treat. Camera work and framing is top notch, the action is never made to look queer, although at points metal on metal really feel murky. Focus on these scenes derives by the use of good lighting, while scenes bar the climax have color palettes that make it easy on the eyes of the viewer and present clear focus on the fighting etc.
In conclusion, Favreau really puts in an effort that shows why he has now become a much sought after blockbuster director. His work is slick and shining, but the writing really lets him down.
Score: 7.3/10
Performances
The performances all round are great. For the characters written both Scar-Jo and Rourke do good. However they do not try to elevate themselves above the mediocre script like Jeff Bridges did in the first film.
Scarlett just lets herself run on autopilot with the characters ebb and flow, its good acting to the writing but the writing itself is pathetic. Mickey Rourke did his best to add to the film, including speaking Russian and his own bird and gold teeth yet he himself comes off bland. Favreau extends his prior cameo and gives Happy some fun dimension while Bettany is wry with his delivery as JARVIS. Samuel L. Jackson just seems to be playing his role out, he just looks bored and in need of the paycheck. I miss the Jackson that played Jules with such fervor in Pulp Fiction.
Clark Gregg is freaking awesome as Coulson while John Slattery suits playing Howard Stark considering how good he knows how to handle his drink and suit in Mad Men (as Roger Sterling)
Don Cheadle like the Iron Man armors is an upgrade on Terrence Howard. His Rhodey seems like a man who can handle the suit and go toe to toe with Iron Man. The best part is that his acting gels perfectly with Downey, and their chemistry is terrific on screen.
Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't get much to do unlike the first film, but she still performs well. Her comedic chops need refining, yet her chemistry alongside Downey has been the best part of thetwo three Iron Man films. She handles the dramatic chops well and is fitting with the upswing in position of her character.
Sam Rockwell brings his dose of crazy to the proceedings. He is spectacular and gives Downey a run for his money in this role. The brand of high brow comedy suits the films tone and really elevates the middle portions of the film. He is there as cannon fodder for Tony's quips, jokes and beatings by Black Widow and he takes it in stride. The final confrontation with Pepper brings out the business ferocity that hopefully resurfaces in coming movies. A character written badly for most part but performed splendidly all round.
Downey is a bit too Downey here, while that isn't a bad thing it bogs down part of the drama that the movie requires. Still he is well above his co-stars, Downey infuses the same charm that the first film had. It doesn't feel fresh but it works out spectacularly. What I said for his performance in the first film, it also applies here so 'Nuff Said.
Score: 7.5/10
Score
The soundtrack is similar in tone to the first film. All the rock tracks from prior are included and this gives it character and flow as a franchise. This time round AC/DC even released an album for Iron Man 2. Apart from that come the major tunes in the score.
John Debney composed the music for the second installment. There is a touch of Russian tunes that feel fitting to Widow and Ivan Vanko. There are much better themes of heroism evident in the music than the first one. The score sticks to character emotions and is with plethora of guitar tunes that are rife with Stark ego.
Unfortunately having to mix with the aforementioned AC/DC classic rock tunes like 'Highway to Hell' means that the score wasn't memorable for casual viewers. The songs take away from the essence of originality.
Score: 8.3/10
VFX
This film has the best special effects of the Phase One films apart from The Avengers. In fact at times it feels as if it has aged better than stuff from the team up film from last year. The suits still look dazzling and the action is slick like Tony Stark.
The only problem comes in its utilization. The special effects are rendered for just some blasts and metal on metal fights in the climax, this is disappointing and doesn't do justice to the creativity of VFX crews and animators.
Score: 7.7/10
Source
Another major problem with the film is trying to do to much. Small things such as Widow's character and constant double identities while the Ultimate version of Nick Fury are great. Making Ivan Vanko a mix of Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo while having Justin Hammer youger than his comic counterpart is acceptable.
However the problem comes when Favreau tries to adapt the seminal Iron Man stories; Demon In A Bottle and Armor Wars. The crew explained that Demon isn't a story that can be fully done, I disagree. This was a half hearted excuse for a half hearted trial, now obviously having taken over Disney will not permit it being adapted again. I would say to Disnye wouldn't you rather make children aware to the issues of excessive drinking, rather than making them ignorant about it altogether.
The Armor Wars part was done well, the only problem is that it didn't have enough villains and peaked with a horrendous climax in the movie.
Some of the Avnegers building and all comic refrences such as the map and Cap's shield were fun to see.
Overall refrences wise this film adapting the source is great. It however doesn't adapt the stories well and seems to muddled.
Removed scoring of source. I feel the source does not need to be scored, because many comic book movie will not follow the material perfectly and its hard due to bias to know when this is a right decision or a wrong decision by the creators.
Avengers Assemble!
Aneesh Raikundalia
-Over exposition of things
-A muddled plot due to its two separate conflicts and the need to build towards The Avengers
-Bland characters with bland acting from Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson
-The climax is once again disappointing
-Everything that built Pepper Potts from the previous film, is thrown away in this one
Best Scene: The Monaco attack where Whiplash is first witnessed, here Iron Man reveals his bad ass hybrid suit of suitcase and Silver Centurion (two of my favorite armors from the comics)
Best Dialogue: "If you could make god bleed, people would cease to believe in him..."-Ivan Vanko/Whiplash
Coolest Comic Book Reference: Tony being told by Nick that he can only be a consultant for the Avengers initiative at the end of the movie. Behind him is a digital SHIELD map that highlights superhuman activity around the world. Highlighted places are: the ocean (Namor or the Midgard Serpent), Africa (Black Panther), Mexico (Thor), America (Hulk) and Europe (Captain Britain).
Story
The film is so congested that at times it feels like it has no story, just a bunch of scenes strung together. Justin Theroux writes the film and its characters poorly. It also doesn't help that such a movie required allusions to the coming formation of The Avengers. The start is fun and quick, it makes sure to utilize Downey's Tony Stark to full potential, the middle lags due to the heavy amount of explanations and the confused/conflicting incidents while the end is a let down due to half baked characters and a shoddily written climax action scene.
A major problem as highlighted is the clashing ideas. There's a bit regarding Tony's drunken state that only reaches its peak in a slick but eventually too CGI'd clash with his friend James Rhodes. Then there is also the stolen tech issue that unfortunately plays around badly written villains in Justin Hammer and Whiplash. Where Whiplash has even lesser scenes-for his actor to establish himself-than Jeff Bridges Obadiah Stane from Iron Man 1, while Hammer comes off a bit too campy. Finally the movie also utilizes its second half to remind people that The Avengers is coming, made worse by the fact that neither Johansson or Jackson seem interested in performing their assigned roles.
This all drama is done with vigor and doesn't blend well with the comedic tone established from the first film. Here Theroux is unable to craft both sides to gel easily, while the dialogues spewing from Downey don't seem as fresh.
One other gyp is Pepper's character, while the narrative really captures the essence of her banter filled relation with Tony, their romantic arc takes an upswing that goes through the pitfalls of 'damsel in distress' mode. Here Pepper comes off as brave in the final scene when facing Hammer, yet she's stupid enough not to run from a bomb and requires Iron Man to save her.
The best thing though has to be some of the subtext utilized in the story. Showing a Tony behind his fathers Stark Expo video, gives meaning to Tony always being in the shadow of his fathers legacy. Also there are scenes regarding Coulson and Caps Shield as well as Tony realizing he is his fathers greatest creation.
By the way what was that element thing. I didn't fully grasp the half explained science in the film. For a sci-fi there was little exposition to the working technology that Tony utilizes.
Overall unfortunately these plots don't sum up well together, the father-son and legacy content take control but still feel roughly done. Characters aren't written as well and while a focus on Tony's problems is great, it feels over explanatory rather than affecting during the action.
Score: 4.7/10
Direction
The direction here is much better, Favreau had a stern handle over proceedings. The action looks superb; camera work, lighting and the directing make the set-pieces some of the best in any of the Phase One Marvel Films. Favreau gives a dazzling template/audition for the work he would have done as director of The Avengers.
Unlike the action, Favreau already had a firm grasp on the quieter moments. Here he reigns in his actors well and tries his best to visualize the plodding drama. The writing is a let down on Jon, not only is it to basic yet muddled but the extra attention to references needed to build towards The Avengers means that his movie suffers.
Visually, the film is a treat. Camera work and framing is top notch, the action is never made to look queer, although at points metal on metal really feel murky. Focus on these scenes derives by the use of good lighting, while scenes bar the climax have color palettes that make it easy on the eyes of the viewer and present clear focus on the fighting etc.
In conclusion, Favreau really puts in an effort that shows why he has now become a much sought after blockbuster director. His work is slick and shining, but the writing really lets him down.
Score: 7.3/10
Performances
The performances all round are great. For the characters written both Scar-Jo and Rourke do good. However they do not try to elevate themselves above the mediocre script like Jeff Bridges did in the first film.
Scarlett just lets herself run on autopilot with the characters ebb and flow, its good acting to the writing but the writing itself is pathetic. Mickey Rourke did his best to add to the film, including speaking Russian and his own bird and gold teeth yet he himself comes off bland. Favreau extends his prior cameo and gives Happy some fun dimension while Bettany is wry with his delivery as JARVIS. Samuel L. Jackson just seems to be playing his role out, he just looks bored and in need of the paycheck. I miss the Jackson that played Jules with such fervor in Pulp Fiction.
Clark Gregg is freaking awesome as Coulson while John Slattery suits playing Howard Stark considering how good he knows how to handle his drink and suit in Mad Men (as Roger Sterling)
Don Cheadle like the Iron Man armors is an upgrade on Terrence Howard. His Rhodey seems like a man who can handle the suit and go toe to toe with Iron Man. The best part is that his acting gels perfectly with Downey, and their chemistry is terrific on screen.
Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't get much to do unlike the first film, but she still performs well. Her comedic chops need refining, yet her chemistry alongside Downey has been the best part of the
Sam Rockwell brings his dose of crazy to the proceedings. He is spectacular and gives Downey a run for his money in this role. The brand of high brow comedy suits the films tone and really elevates the middle portions of the film. He is there as cannon fodder for Tony's quips, jokes and beatings by Black Widow and he takes it in stride. The final confrontation with Pepper brings out the business ferocity that hopefully resurfaces in coming movies. A character written badly for most part but performed splendidly all round.
Downey is a bit too Downey here, while that isn't a bad thing it bogs down part of the drama that the movie requires. Still he is well above his co-stars, Downey infuses the same charm that the first film had. It doesn't feel fresh but it works out spectacularly. What I said for his performance in the first film, it also applies here so 'Nuff Said.
Score: 7.5/10
Score
The soundtrack is similar in tone to the first film. All the rock tracks from prior are included and this gives it character and flow as a franchise. This time round AC/DC even released an album for Iron Man 2. Apart from that come the major tunes in the score.
John Debney composed the music for the second installment. There is a touch of Russian tunes that feel fitting to Widow and Ivan Vanko. There are much better themes of heroism evident in the music than the first one. The score sticks to character emotions and is with plethora of guitar tunes that are rife with Stark ego.
Unfortunately having to mix with the aforementioned AC/DC classic rock tunes like 'Highway to Hell' means that the score wasn't memorable for casual viewers. The songs take away from the essence of originality.
Score: 8.3/10
VFX
This film has the best special effects of the Phase One films apart from The Avengers. In fact at times it feels as if it has aged better than stuff from the team up film from last year. The suits still look dazzling and the action is slick like Tony Stark.
The only problem comes in its utilization. The special effects are rendered for just some blasts and metal on metal fights in the climax, this is disappointing and doesn't do justice to the creativity of VFX crews and animators.
Score: 7.7/10
Source
These two armors were mixed to give us the briefcase armor in the movie
Another major problem with the film is trying to do to much. Small things such as Widow's character and constant double identities while the Ultimate version of Nick Fury are great. Making Ivan Vanko a mix of Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo while having Justin Hammer youger than his comic counterpart is acceptable.
However the problem comes when Favreau tries to adapt the seminal Iron Man stories; Demon In A Bottle and Armor Wars. The crew explained that Demon isn't a story that can be fully done, I disagree. This was a half hearted excuse for a half hearted trial, now obviously having taken over Disney will not permit it being adapted again. I would say to Disnye wouldn't you rather make children aware to the issues of excessive drinking, rather than making them ignorant about it altogether.
The Armor Wars part was done well, the only problem is that it didn't have enough villains and peaked with a horrendous climax in the movie.
Some of the Avnegers building and all comic refrences such as the map and Cap's shield were fun to see.
Overall refrences wise this film adapting the source is great. It however doesn't adapt the stories well and seems to muddled.
Removed scoring of source. I feel the source does not need to be scored, because many comic book movie will not follow the material perfectly and its hard due to bias to know when this is a right decision or a wrong decision by the creators.
Avengers Assemble!
Aneesh Raikundalia
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