Iron Man 2: Grading, Review, Discussion **SPOILERS**

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

Iron Man 2

Rated: PG-13

My Grade: B

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Iron Man 2 is a follow up to the first Iron Movie released a couple years ago, it rejoins us with Tony Stark, a narcissistic billionaire who has made a powerful exo-combat suit that is powered by an implant in his chest the protects his heart from deadly shrapnel from an explosion. The stress of keeping his heart from being shredded and powering the suit is too much for the "Arc Reactor" and it is burning through the metal that powers its control ships and releasing deadly toxins into Tony's body. Tony is dying and as a result has become even more of a reckless douche. Meanwhile, the government is trying to get the "Iron Man Weapon" from Tony (because the government has never heard of property rights or the Second Amendment) while a competing defense contractor is trying to manufacture its own suit in-order to score a government contract. To get this contract the CEO of the defense contractor enlists the knowledge of the man who helped Tony's father develop an early version of the "Arc Reactor", the device that powers Tony's Iron Man suit, to help perfect an Iron Man suit to power America's armies.

Also going on is Tony makes his assistant, Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries who tasks Natalie Rushman as her assistant. Natalie turns out to be an undercover agent for SHIELD a government organization specializing in world-wide battles and then... Baah!

There's a lot going on in this movie. A lot of information, agendas and set-ups. It's almost like the first movie, part two... As a sequel to the "origin story" this movie should've spent more time focusing on Iron Man taking on a bigger battle and opponent but it spends a bit of time dealing with more story-setup for either the third Iron Man movie, the proposed Avengers movie or both.

Despite all of the set-up and exposition the movie is still pretty fun, action packed and well-acted. Before the first Iron Man movie Robert Downey Jr. didn't impress me much. His... "proclivities" and personal problems soured me on him some bit the first Iron Man movie was a lot of fun and then RDJ sold me with his brilliant performance in that same Summer's "Tropic Thunder." Favreau is someone I've always been a fan of, he's got a good screen-writing and directing style. His directing style is good here even if some of the fighting action scenes are a little too quickly cut and confusing, as is often the case in action movies these days, but he does a good job with the movie overall. The highlight of this movie is the great cast as everyone turns in a good performance. My only quibble is with Don Cheadle as "Rhody." Cheadle's acting style is too... "dramatic" and "intense" to work for a movie like this and, well, it's just plain jarring to swap actors in the same role in a franchise.

Scarlett does good with what she's given to do in this movie, but overall she's not given much. In most of her scenes she's just a cold, emotionless, bitch and not much else. She's there to look pretty, which she does, and to kick ass, which she does in her couple of action scenes. The highlight of this movie, as it was in the first, was the interaction between RDJ and Gwyneth Paltrow. They have a good chemistry here and it's a shame the scene in the back of C-130 where Pepper tosses the Iron Man helmet out of the plane, Tony goes after it, hopping out of the plane with the dated movie-quote of "You complete me!" Leaving this scene out, IMHO, was a mistake as it would've quickly shown the relationship the two characters have in moments and better showed the pain the two are going through in all of the angst they have over the course of the movie. Tony is arrogant, womanizing, DB and Pepper is the smart woman who puts up with him out of admiration and love. I think this scene would've been needed to show the two's relationship.

Bah. Whatever. The FX are good, the action scenes are good, but story seems a bit mixed up and lost. We're not even given a good, clear, reason why the movie's villain has such a grudge against Tony and is so set on killing him and using the exo-battle suits to destroy a city. At least I don't remember a good reason being given, the actor's accent is so thick and the sound in my theater turned up so high with so much bass it was hard to get everything he was saying. Also turning a good performance is Sam Rockwell as the aforementioned douchey ambitious defense-contractor hopeful.

Good movie, as many have said not as good as the first but not entirely terrible either. (I also think the first had a bit better sound track.) Certainly one worth seeing but a pretty mediocre start to a rather uninspiring. "Summer" Movie Season.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

The movie was a lot of fun, but the ridiculousness reached epic proportions. Some examples (in no particular order):

1) We still have no idea what Stark Industries sells (now that Stark doesn't sell weapons--which was a ridiculous announcement from the first movie).

2) Why is Tony Stark still fine with his drunk ass being in charge of the only U.S. Iron Man costume after it's found that the technology is in the hands of at least one foreign enemy?

3) So, off-screen Iron Man created world peace in six months...? Really...? And how did he accomplish that feat...?

4) Is the audience supposed to be happy that we're apparently living in a military dictatorship in which "SHIELD" can blackmail a Senator into doing just about anything?

5) Many, many people should have died from all those glass explosions (often with giant shards--both during the drunk Iron Man scene and the crazy robot attacks).

6) Newsflash, writers: going from a blueprint of an Iron Man suit to a fully autonomous robotic killing machine is not just a couple weeks worth of work for anybody.

7) Why was the CEO responsible for making sure everybody was out of the Expo at the end of the movie?

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

We basically have the same thing now with lobby groups and corporations blackmailing Conressmen into doing things.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

One of the biggest problems the film has. We hear about all these great things Tony does but never see any of it. He's never Iron Man in the film unless he gets attacked, is drunk, or doing a public appearance. Hell, I would have settled for a montage scene of him thrashing some armies.

Speaking of world peace, they tackle the subject of other countries trying to create the Iron Man technology (a credit to the film's story) but leave out the two that would have wanted it the most. Russia and China. The creation of the Iron Man technology would have instigated a new arms race between the countries in the world. Sure, Iran and North Korea would try to replicate the suit but it's Russia and China who would do it first and a hell of a lot quicker. It really would have made sense is Danko had been working for the government. Hell, Black Widow could have been spying on Tony for the Russians. It's not Cold War Redux, it's just a reality that the major governments of the world would be in a rush to make this technology in order to eliminate the tactical advantage the United States has.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

It has been reported (perhaps by Scarlett herself, I admit that I can't recall the source of this,) that she was signed for two movies. Iron Man 2 and Avengers. I saw her introduction here as an easy way to introduce the character before Avengers without having to give her her own movie.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

For what it's worth the depiction of Flushing, Queens in the movie was absolutly totally not what it looks like in reality

Truth. The Dark Knight is one of the most over rated super hero films I've seen. But this is a story for a different day

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

that might come into play in Avengers 2. America's got all these supersoldiers and is running around playing World Police and Russia and China get pissy and decide to liberate the Great Satan...

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

Well I think while yeah it would have been nice to see a sort of montage of Tony in the Iron Man suit taking out terrorist cells and the like it does leave things open for tie in comics or hell a new tv show if they ever plan to go that route.

I loved the movie, I think I liked it almost a little better than the first one simply because now you don't have to build the universe, people know who and what Tony Stark is now, you now know Pepper, Happy, Rhodey and Natasha better... and y'know I think it had much more fun.

Yeah there were a few things I guess could have been better, but honestly this is what happens with almost every sequel. People subconciously try to compare it to the first one and I think in some ways they try to emulate what made the first one good too.

My only gripe is that, they completely excised the awesome Ramin Djwadi soundtrack from the first movie, and while the new one is serviceable - hints of Horner and Elfman in there, I liked the cool sort of techno-rock-metal-orchestral feel of the last one. This one felt a bit too orchestral. And what's annoying is that we'll probably never get any of that soundtrack to purchase. I thought that the entire soundtrack would be based on the AC/DC songs on the "official soundtrack CD" - and we only got Shoot to Thrill and Highway to Hell? Why not WAR MACHINE?! Razor's Edge?! Cold Hearted Man?

BUT it's alright... I'll live. I live by Adam from Mythbuster's line - "I reject your reality and substitute my own." in this case "I reject your film canon and substitute it with my own."

I heard Cold Hearted Man playing in the background when Ivan was working in Hammer's lab. I heard Have a Drink On Me during the party. We got our "Go get 'em boss/You complete me" scene. I just used my imagination.

Yeah, I'm like Tony Stark that way.

I liked how they pretty much FUBAR'd up most of the War Machine suit - so hey... we could get a revamped Stark Tech version in IM3 or Avengers.

And y'know... I had this thought... I wonder if in Avengers... Rhodey will be the "official" Iron Man.
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My predictions:

Rhodey will not exactly retire from the Air Force but basically become Stark's and the USA's official liaison and "bodyguard". Tony and Rhodey basically share the suit. Rhodey has his, Tony has his and as far as the military and the brass is concerned. When Iron Man shows up in a warzone or battle, it's Rhodey either in the suit or on the other end of a comm line. I can totally see maybe in Avengers, Tony and Jim fighting over who gets to be Iron Man for a particular mission. And maybe Jim actually plays Iron Man for Avengers. Which would be kind of cool since both Tony and Jim did share the suit for quite a while. It really wasn't until the War Machine suit was made, that they wore separate armors.

But all in all, I geeked out majorly during this movie and I REALLY want to see it in IMAX!

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

One thing they forgot from the first movie is that its Tony's Arc Reactor that makes him and his suit special. That sure maybe the army could replicate a suit. But without a working Arc Reactor to power it its just basically a costume.
Thats what they should have focused on. Thats why the other countries have had trouble building a suit. They can make the suit. But without the arc reactor its powerless. Thats what makes IRON MAN special...

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

My Grade: F

I LOVE the first Iron Man movie and had an absolute high thoughts and expectations about this movie. I also thought Favreau and Downey Jr. couldn't go wrong. Addition of Don Cheadle and Sam Rockwell was a plus.

But unfortunately the story is nothing to be happy about. It falls flat on its face quite a few times. This is an IRON MAN movie yet we see Iron Man being Iron Man.. what.. two times mostly? Mickey Rourke was an absolute WASTE of a villain and didn't have any gravitas or draw like Jeff Bridges, or more aptly, Faran Tahir.

Glaring stupidity of the movie is also something that couldn't pass my notice. So you are telling me that Tony Stark, the most brilliant scientist/engineer/developer of our time that made his highly modern and functional weapons platform in his fucking basement didn't have any safeguards from his suits being taken away?

Yeah yeah, I noticed Rhodey had access to his garage / basement but how the hell did he have access to put the suit on? Why did Jarvis even let him? Hell without Jarvis' assistant the suit won't even fly!! WTF? Rhodey flies off with it willy nilly and there is no remote shutdown system implemented??

And how did Rhodey even put the suit on?? Okay fine so he is of the same height and somewhat weight of Tony, but... what about the ARC REACTOR? You know, the reactor that Tony has HALFWAY BURIED in his chest cavity?? So Tony has spare arc reactors already attached to his suits from the get go, the arc reactor that literally needs to be halfway buried in your chest to even be 'fitted' with the IM suits' internal designs? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??

These are some of the things about the movie that annoyed me, but mostly that for an 'action' movie it had very, very little action. And whatever action it had, they were fucking pointless.

/End rant + review.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

Well this is how I see it. The suits don't really "need" the 'internal' arc reactor. Essentially as long as there's an arc reactor in the suit - like the Monger suit - it'll function. Basically its like a backup battery. Also, keep in mind Tony did have the suit just hanging around in IM1 - so maybe he put in proper "mark" reactors into each suit basically to have a backup. Or MAYBE... and you forget, he thought he was dying.

It's very possible and it was hinted at that I think Tony always intended on letting Rhodey in on the action or just outright giving him a suit. Jarvis made things easier, but I'm sure Stark also built in back up systems into the suit in case Jarvis somehow went offline. As for why he didn't activate like a remote shutdown - he was drunk as a skunk and probably in full on alcoholic black out mode. Jarvis could have done it, but remember he's still software and needs to be told to do so. Tony felt like shit and figured 'ah screw it, I'll be dead soon enough anyway'.

Now once he got his head back in the game - he wasn't too cool about letting Rhodey go off with the War Machine suit, but... I think he had both a hot redhead on his arm and his suit was pretty well and fucked at that point. He couldn't stop him if he tried.

Although that "Ex-Wife" weapon LOL gosh that got so many laughs.

I think once we get to Avengers and/or Iron Man 3 we'll see the classic Stark safeguards in place, and things like negator packs I'm sure. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they sorta meld in Armor Wars with the Mandarin. Think about it, 10 Rings has plans for the suit, for the arc reactor that Vanko created, its very plausible that the next film could see the tech run amok. This was a great set up for that. Now... how will the genie get back in the bottle... hmm

Guardsmen? Sentinals? Iron Legion?

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

They did do this in the movie. Remember, Tony says that he can't just give up the suit because the suit and himself are one and the same. Also, the drones don't start working until Ivan starts working on them (presumably because he knows how to make an arc reactor)

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

Questions I had.. an my memry isn't great but...


Isn't Hammer Industries in NYC? And isn't the Expo in, like, friggin New Mexico..? So Jon Farveau and Scarlett drove to NYC with a warp drive on the bottom of the car? Oh also, the car had a spare "battle" outfit for Scarlett to slip into?

The npoint above about the arc reactor in the war machine suit is valid.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

The Expo was at Flushing Meadows which is in Queens, New York.

It was the, erm, 'item' that was in New Mexico.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

Also, Tony was told that he could not leave the premises of SHIELD. Yet the next scdene he is buying strawberries and giving them to Pepper.

the what?

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

The Expo took place in NYC

There was a scene at the end of the credits where they show you New Mexico and what was found there.


Also, fun fact, Jon Farveau is from Flushing, which probably explains why it played such a big role in the movie and why it looked cooler in the movie than it does in real life

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

He sneaked out. I thought that was made clear when Natasha arrived at Pepper's office to make sure he came back.

You know, the item that Agent Coulson had to go to New Mexico to pick up.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

ah ok. thanks. It just seemed odd, because, though there was a guard there, I don't remember it taking any effor mfor him to sneak out.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

Despite the impression they like to give, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are not all that special.

They left Stark to his own devices inside his own home working in a workshop which, at least in the first movie, connected to his garage full of sports cars with only one guard.

 

Re: Iron Man 2 - Grading & Discussion Thread (spoilers guaranteed)

I sincerely doubt Colson was able to "pick" it up.. maybe some guy with a cane could if he by chance walks by