So, I went and saw Iron Man 2. First movie I've seen in theaters in about 8 months? And I gotta say, it was pretty stellar. I still feel that the two latest renditions of Batman are far superior to Iron Man, but still. I mean, its Robert Downey Jr.! How can you say no to that?? He is a terrific actor and I adore him a million red M&M's. But seriously, what I found I really enjoyed about the film was the sardonic comedic relief that I felt distinguished it from the classic stereotype of a Marvel/superhero flick. I mean, sure in Batman there was humor, but it wasn't the kind of back-and-forth, intelligent witty banter that you would see in something like Will & Grace or Frasier (and I have the attention of a goldfish, so I either need rapid-fire wit or shit blowing up to keep my mind interested). Which brings me to my next critique, that is, I ultimately feel like this is what made and broke the film for me. Regardless of how deliciously toned RDJ looks, this was still not a macho type film by any means. Hell, Sonja or Lucian could have ripped Iron Man's balls off in a heart-beat. That being said, I loved the fresh, somewhat quirky take on this genre that Iron Man took (I know, I'm writing myself in circles...). I guess, ultimately, I was walking in for a blood and guts style film, laced with slight nods to plot and script, and walked out surprised with a film that earned more in script than it did gore. I mean, Scarlet was looking smoking the whole film, but let's be real, that fight scene was really cheesy, with the whole take a guy out, strike a pose ABABAB pattern. Not that the moves that flattened her enemies weren't fantastic, I'm just saying a fight scene that choppy doesn't really impress me. The other disappointment for me was character development. Comparing yet again this film to Batman (sorry, I loved the Bale rendition of Batman, and I've always felt that spandex and excessive gel made Superman sortof a metro puss...sorry Jerry Siegel, I'm not trying to down-play Superman's role in comic history...I just like the Batman better), I also felt that there was more character development in the Dark Knight sequel than in Iron Man 2. I felt when you compared Iron Man 2 to The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight made Iron Man look like a happy-go-lucky family flick, you know, more of a "just another adventure of the Iron Man" type of film. Which, I'm fine with, I just tend to prefer films that make me think about the characters and their development and relationships for a few days. Not that I'm saying I don't enjoy a straight-up comedy or romance (I know, I know, I'm a puss) or gorey flick, I'm just saying, when I think blockbuster, I think of films that just absolutely rocked my world because they had EVERYTHING in a mind-blowingly perfect cocktail of cinematic pleasure. For instance, the latest Star Trek and Batman's and Casino Royale.
Granted, my interpretation of Iron Man 2 is probably biased because I have never read the comics or seen the first film even, but all in all, I'd give it a 3.5-4/5 (and yes, that is largely biased b/c it's Robert-freaking-Downey Jr and I loved the character interactions [A LOT] ...) At any rate, I definitely plan on watching the prequel to this film and adding both to my DVD collection. So, for those of you who might have been on the fence about seeing the film because of the word-of-mouth rumors that have been going around, I'd still advise watching the film in theaters, it's worth it. :D
"Mute."
No comments:
Post a Comment