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

[Lt. Trull]

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

Man, I can't wait for Thor. I do hope it's more Asgard and magic and that rather than taking the Ultimates route.

I noticed they flashed past thor in the movie too fast also, when tony was walking down the police hallway to talk to venko.

 

[Dream]

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

One of the few problems I had with the movie was the music during first fight between Iron Man and War Machine at the party. After Tony got drunk they started to fight. Tony was putting everyone in danger and needed to be taken down quickly. I think the scene was suppose to show how low Tony had fallen as a person and the possible destruction of a friendship, but it felt like they were going for humor with the music. It should have been way more serious.

 

[Checkmate]

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

Yeah, it wasn't the best filmed scene in the movie. But the point of it still got across, at least for anyone with half a brain cell. Tony was a depressed drunkard who was convinced he was probably going to be dead by morning, and Rhodey was trying to settle him down the only way he could since Tony decided to put on his armor. It was the classic knock-some-sense-into-him scene, just with power armor and a poor choice of music.

 

[Dream]

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

I also think the finale needed a bigger body count. It seemed like not a single innocent person got killed or injured. Those drones really sucked.

 

[Lt. Trull]

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

that kid though was cool..... that little boy stood his ground and was even ready to take action....
If i was tony... I make sure that boy had some life help and was the inheritor of the suit....

 

[tomalak301]

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

Iron Man 2 - C-

I was very disappointed in this film. It seemed like the movie wanted to sacrifice plot for Tony Stark's witty one liners and humor. Granted, I thought that was the best part of the movie (Downy Jr. as Stark once again was the best part, as was the case in Iron Man 2) and I actually was enjoying it until we got to the ending.

Mickey Rourke was criminally underused in this movie. Was he even the villain? It was hard to tell because the only time other than the ending we saw him face to face with Iron Man was in Morocco. However, where was the epic battle sequence at the end. I liked the battle sequence in the first one because it felt like the right length, and it was the climax to the story. With this one, the battle sequence was so short and so "not-there" that it felt like the movie just stopped.

Also, other than two songs, where was AC/DC. Looked forward to Tunderstruck in all the surround sound glory and it wasn't there. Also, what about the scene in the commercial with Iron Man having to retrieve the helmet. I guess it was just a commercial, but it would have been appropriate in the movie.

Overall, I left feeling like I wanted more and not very satisfied. It could have been a great movie (It was definitely fun) but the ending almost ruined it.

 

[Trippy]

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

Just got back, and my son and I enjoyed it very much! The AC/DC soundtrack was excellent (big AC/DC fan here) and RDJ was perfect as Tony yet again. Mickey Roarke was good too, and agree he was underused (why was he Russian? He might have had more lines!) I like how Pepper had more to do than just take care of Tony (which I guess by the end, she is again, but as the 'stable-ish girlfriend)

Credits call-out to Thor was cute, but a shameless plug for the movie

An above average for me. Only slightly less than the excellent for the first

ETA: the Canada joke got a good laugh in our theatre!

 

[Agent Richard07]

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

I called the first movie a good wish fulfillment fantasy. We were taken into the world of a guy who's super rich, has a house on the coast, a cool high tech lab, fast cars, rare cars, supermodels at his side and an armored suit he invented which he uses to fight bad guys. And this new movie brought us even more of that. Robert Downey Jr. in particular brought humor, pizzazz and charisma to Tony Stark and I had a great time watching him play it up. I have to say though that Downey Jr. was playing himself and I'm surprised no one pointed this out, but he was still good. The movie was extravagant and sensationalistic, and just like Tony at the Expo, it wasn't afraid to show that off.

I also liked that this movie wasn't your typical superhero movie where the hero has to keep his identity a secret and his two lives seperate. Seeing the hero get carried away embracing the celebrity life due to his heroics was a welcome and refreshing change from the norm. Those little moments like where we see Tony in a coffee shop in his suit were especially nice touches. And picking up strawberries? "Hey Iron Man!" Good stuff.

Unfortunately, pretty much everything that was good about the movie took place in the first half. Like a lot of you folks here, I thought the movie deteriorated into a generic big-budget acton piece.

In the end, I'm giving the movie as a whole an "above average", down from an "excellent", which the first half was.

More stuff...

- Loved Gary Shandling as the senator, especially his line at the end.

- Mickey Rourke did a fantastic job as the dirty rotten baddie.

- The race in Monaco, Vanko cutting everything up and Tony suiting up? Impressive.

- The science was spot on. I'm kidding.

- Green Lantern's wife was hot, but I liked Paltrow. She was ravishing. [Tony Stark]I want one.[/Tony Stark]

- I had no problem with Sam Rockwell's performance. He delivered some great camp.

- I don't like recasting, but Cheadle didn't bother me much.

- Over the last year, there was a lot of hype about Olivia Munn being cast in this movie. She had a super secret role and couldn't discuss it. Rumor had it that she was going to play Iron Maiden. Then the movie comes out and she's a reporter onscreen for 1.3 milliseconds. I heard that her original part was cut and a new scene was done and put in. What was her initial role? Does anyone know the full story here?

- Why did Tony allow Rhodes (I'm not calling him Rhodie) to take the suit?

- The end fight wasn't too long. Rourke met his end surprisingly quick, but I'm okay with that. It's better these things not drag out too long.

Just another thought, I think it also suffered being one of those films where "if you've seen the trailer you've seen the film"

I don't think he means it suffered in the box office. I think he means the story suffered because the previews gave too much away.

I went in not knowing that Tony was dying.

I've seen a few complaints here and there that Iron Man wasnt in it enough.

I thought he was in it enough. Besides, I liked seeing Stark revelling in his Iron Man celebrity status even more. I've seen enough action and fighting in other movies of this type. This one did it differently.

How big of a role does Kate Mara()'s Bethany Cabe play in the movie?

Honestly I don't even remember seeing her...and Kate Mara is too hot to be missed...perhaps the others that have seen it can recall themselves. I'm pretty sure I don't remember seeing her.

I saw her, but didn't hear what she said. I was too busy wondering how she managed to do so well in Aragorn's Genre Babe thread.

Or maybe Scarlett can't do a convincing Russian accent. If that's the case, then keeping the American accent would be preferable to some of the terrible fake accents that have made it to the screen.

It's Kevin Coster all over again.

Man, I can't wait for Thor. I do hope it's more Asgard and magic and that rather than taking the Ultimates route.

Yeah, that little mallet was cute.

Mickey Rourke was criminally underused in this movie. Was he even the villain?

I forgot to mention... I was waiting for him to snap Hammer's neck at some point.

Also, other than two songs, where was AC/DC.

I've had "Thunderstruck" playing in my head all day.

ETA: the Canada joke got a good laugh in our theatre!

Yeah, that got a few laughs.

 

[Turtletrekker]

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

I saw her (Kate Mara), but didn't hear what she said. I was too busy wondering how she managed to do so well in Aragorn's Genre Babe thread.

That would be because she is hotter than the Devil's pitchfork and twice as sharp. On a scale of 1-10, a perfect 12. By far the hottest woman in the movie.

Speaking of the other women, I norticed that natasha was never even once refered to a "Black Widow", even in the end credits. The way Marvel is pushing the character these days, you'ld think they would throw the name out there so newbies who might be interestred in the character would know what to look for.

 

[Captain Craig]

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

This time tomorrow I'll be about half way through the movie. I feel about like the only person who hasn't seen this movie by now.

 

[DarthPipes]

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

Iron Man 2 is the rare sequel that doesn't surpass the original. It's no Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2, or X-Men 2.

It's not a bad movie mind you. I found the cast to be by and large very good. I loved Rhodie's storyline. Don Cheadle is a much better actor than Terrance Howard and made a very convincing War Machine. Scarlett Johannsenn was beautiful and did a good job. Downey is Downey and he's very good. Good supporting turns by Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Favarau, and Garry Shandling as well. The O'Reilly Factor bit was clever. Liked the first fight with Whiplash. Terrific FX once again. And hey, love the Marvel connections throughout this film.

But it has a number of factor going against it. The narrative structure isn't very strong. If people didn't think there was enough action in the first one, there isn't exactly a lot in the second one. The final battle scene is anti-climatic and very short. We rarely see Tony as Iron Man. We hear about all the great things he does but see very little of it. The humor, which worked so well in the first film, is on completely overdrive here and a lot of this film comes off as overly silly. Downey's funny but the Stark character he plays (really, he's just playing himself) is ratcheted up by about 100% and it's excessive.

Perhaps the biggest flaw is this film has a very, very weak presence in terms of villains. Mickey Rourke's character says little and does little. After being convincingly defeated by Stark early in the film, he just lurks in the background until the end where he is again convincingly beaten by Iron Man and War Machine. I'm a fan of Sam Rockwell but I found his character to be largely annoying. There's no sense of menace in either of these characters and as a result, they feel like they're not a threat at all.

Rourke's character for instance is supposed to represent what Tony Stark could have become. But the connection is very weak and not all all developed.

It's an enjoyable flick but I feel like the producers decided not to try too hard when they did this film.

 

[DarthPipes]

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

Agreed that Tony's descent didn't have the affect it should have. He comically hits rock bottom instead of doing it seriously. They show some signs on taking it seriously but it's done for laughs. Too bad...it would have been compelling to see Downey do Demon in a Bottle.

Did they Americanize The Black Widow? It's interesting because they really didn't need to. In real life, Russia is so paranoid they would absolutely flip out at the prospect of someone having a suit of war like Iron Man. Especially if he were American. They would go to work instantly trying to replicate the technology. Rogue nations would take a lot longer than countries like Russia and China in trying to replicate the Iron Man costume.

 

[Samurai8472]

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

Also, what about the scene in the commercial with Iron Man having to retrieve the helmet. I guess it was just a commercial, but it would have been appropriate in the movie.

It was filmed but cut Faverau thought the new beginning was better. It's become a deleted scene.

'Go get em boss/ you complete me' bit officially cut

At a press conference held last Friday in support of Paramount and Marvel Studios’ "Iron Man 2," director Jon Favreau explained why Tony Stark’s grand entrance -- a moment seen in the trailers -- was cut from the final theatrical version. "We had different versions of things that we tried. That was something that was a great image -- a scene that's going to be on the DVD -- but we had two different versions of it and because of the pacing [we had to cut it],”said the director. It came down to just how he wanted to introduce Tony into the sequel. "It felt really good to flow into the drop down and reveal him for the first time on the stage. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it doesn't make any sense, but often times in the editing room we figure out what combinations of scenes..."
At that moment, Favreau was interrupted by star Robert Downey, Jr. "Gwyneth is just finding out that that scene was cut, Jon. You might be a little more tactful," he interjected.
Paltrow laughed, "Nothing would surprise me anymore."

 

[tomalak301]

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

^Given the overall tone of the movie, I think they cut out the wrong scene.

 

[DarthPipes]

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

I saw the film at midnight. It was very good, but it could have been better. Above Average.

The most exciting part of the entire movie was the first fight between Whiplash and Iron Man on the racetrack. I wasn't a big fan of the Tony dying plot since I never really got the feeling that he was any kind of danger. It should have focused entirely on his alcohol problem, but I was glad his drinking problem was there. The middle section of the movie dragged a little, but it came back with a strong finish. As usual RDJ did a great job, along with all the supporting actors. Mickey Rourke did well with what he was given. I watched Moon recently and loved it, and was very surprised to see Sam Rockwell as Hammer, which he was very funny as.

The way Happy Hogan ended his fist fight with the guard and War Machine using the "Ex-Wife" on Whiplash got the biggest laughs from the audience that I was with. The Iron Man movies have always had much better humor than the Spider-Man movies.

Now it's time to use Mandarin in Iron Man 3!

Totally agree with you that they should have replaced the Tony dying storyline with more of a focus on his alcoholism. There was no drama in the "Tony's dying" storyline because we knew he wasn't going to die. Like you though, I'm glad they made some acknowledgement of his alcoholism but it should have taken a more central role. They should have stuck with a more loyal adaptation of Demon in a Bottle.

Totally agree as well that Iron Man's humor is much better than Spider-Man. In costume, Spider-Man was always missing the great one-liners in his films.

 

[davejames]

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

Well that was surprisingly... lame. From the reviews I knew not to get my hopes up TOO high, but I still expected something more entertaining and fun than that.

Nothing about this seemed to really click at all. The story seems perfectly fine, and seems like it should work, but the whole movie felt strangely dull and lifeless for some reason.

In fact the only time the movie really sparked to life for me, ironically, was when Scarlett's Black Widow started kicking ass at the end. None of the actual Iron Man scenes were half as good as that, I didn't think (hell, the scene in the first movie of Tony simply putting on the silver Mark II suit was cooler than anything here).

 

[captcalhoun]

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

Man, I can't wait for Thor. I do hope it's more Asgard and magic and that rather than taking the Ultimates route.

I noticed they flashed past thor in the movie too fast also, when tony was walking down the police hallway to talk to venko.

that's not Thor. Favreau said Hemsworth isn't in the film

 

[cbspock]

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

I just got back from seeing the film, I enjoyed it. I was sort of hoping the end battle would have been a little longer. The film followed the same role every superhero #2 film follows..."the troubled / conflicted superhero". I was sort of expecting the film to end with the scene from the trailer, when Pepper throws the helmet out of the plane.


-Chris

 

[Roshi]

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

When the Hammerroids took off at Stark Expo, I had strong *sentinels* vibes!

 

[Aragorn]

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

Iron Man 2 is the rare sequel that doesn't surpass the original. It's no Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2, or X-Men 2.

Huh? The majority of sequels fall flat, usually because they just try to do the same thing over again but with a larger budget. The Dark Knight, The Empire Strikes Back, etc., are the exception, not the norm.