Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Paramount – 124 mins  – 2010 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.35: 1 – Dolby Digital DTS-HD 5.1 Audio – DVD/Digital Copy combo

 

The first Iron Man movie was definitely one of the better comic book-to-big screen adaptations that has come out in the last decade. The best thing about it is that expectations were not very high because Iron Man is not as well known to the masses as Batman or Spiderman, so when it became one of the biggest hits of 2008 it surprised a lot of people, gave Robert Downey, Jr. the comeback he needed and made actor Jon Favreau a bankable movie director. There was no doubt there would be a sequel, and two years later a “2” was slapped on the title and the man in the hot rod red body armor suit is ready to save the world again. Iron Man 2 comes to Blu-ray from Paramount Pictures, but it seems that the second go round is a bit rusty.

THE MOVIE

Tony Stark (Robert Downy, Jr) is not Bruce Wayne who hides behind his company to conceal that his true identity is Batman. No, Tony Stark screams to everyone that he is Iron Man, and proud as hell of it. He’s a rock and roll celebrity who gets the girls, looks cool and keeps America safe. This pisses off a Russian named Anton Vanko, (Mickey Rourke) whose father used to work with Stark’s dad, but has died sick and broke while the Stark Empire dominates the map. Vanko wants revenge, and being a brilliant inventor himself, decides to build his own body armor gizmo. He doesn’t have the required funds to accomplish this, but when a conniving American “wanna-be-Tony-Stark” named Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), makes him an offer to build a legion of mechbots, Vanko sees an opportunity to use these newfound resources to finish his project to become the villainous Whiplash.

Besides dealing with the threat of Whiplash, Stark has his hands full with several things at once. First the Government is coming down on him because they want control of his technology; then Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) keeps hounding him to get his little Avengers project going; and to top it all off the gizmo attached to his chest that keeps him alive is failing and he’s most like going to die. This is enough to cause a man to drink, which Stark does, turning into a full-blown alcoholic. Luckily he’s got friends in his corner such as his loyal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his best bud Rhodey (now played by Don Cheadle), to help him get the monkey off his back.

Iron Man 2 is not the solid well thought out movie that the first film was. Yes, there are some cool moments in the film, but it’s not taking itself serious enough. Fans of the comic book know that Tony Stark becoming an alcoholic was a major storyline that contributed to many events, but in the movie it’s just used as a gimmick with constant punch lines. This should have been a very dark part of the script to symbolize his downfall and set-up the basis for Rhodey putting on the body armor to become War Machine, which was a big selling point in the marketing of the sequel.

Another problem is that there are characters in this film such as the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Nick Fury who have nothing to do but make cameos. Yes, there will be an Avengers movie in the near future, we get it, but can we deal with the Avengers storyline when that film comes out and just focus on Iron Man now? It’s like watching a TV sitcom that is about to have a spin-off show and keeps setting stuff up for the new characters. Or at least attempt a much clever way to introduce the Avengers cast and not have them chatting in a diner wearing their costumes.

Iron Man 2 was rushed, because normally films like these are three years apart, but this looks like they went into production as soon as the first week’s box office totals were released for the first film. Jon Favreau did a great job directed the first movie, but now it seems like the whole show is on auto-pilot, and he even had to throw in a crappy action fight scene for himself. And Don Cheadle, who is one of the best actors of our generation, and can shine in even bad films like Swordfish, is given nothing to do here. They might as well get Terrence Howard back.

VIDEO

No question about it, Iron Man 2 looks absolutely incredible on Blu-ray and anyone who claims there’s no big difference between a standard DVD and a Blu-ray should start here.
The Blu-ray offers a beautiful 1080p image in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and the image quality will make you feel like you’re looking through a window instead of a recording image. Colors are bright, skin tones are solid, and even darker scenes hold there own with strong blacks and very little grain. There’s nothing to complain about here, and this is definitely showroom material.

AUDIO

 

Just like the image quality the sound for Iron Man 2 is a best as it gets, and if you have a home theater system, that is the only way to experience this film. The Dolby Digital DTS-HD 5.1 sound mix will literally make you believe you’re sitting in a theater, sans the sticky floor. Iron man 2 is a sound effects wet dream, whether it’s our hero zipping across the sky, Whiplash slicing metal in half, War Machine blasting his gun turret, or Stark’s race car whipping around a track, everything is pure audio gold. If you’re watching this with standard TV speakers, you’re missing all the real action.

EXTRAS

This three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo is packed with goodies, and that makes the purchase worth the price. Obviously there’s the feature film in full HD, but also included are a regular standard DVD version of the film, as well as a Digital Copy. So no matter what kind of media player you have you can watch this movie.

Director Jon Favreau provides an audio commentary track and it’s worth listening to because he is open about dealing with Marvel and the battle for how the film should be done.

There are five featurettes collectively running about thirty minutes: Creating Stark Expo looks at the design of one of the film’s main set pieces. Illustrated Origin: Black Widow details the story of this Marvel babe. Illustrated Origin: Nick Fury: dives into the creation of one of Marvel’s iconic characters. Illustrated Origin: War Machine spotlights Iron Man’s partner in crime fighting. Working with DJ AM is a short clip about the late DJ who passed away.

Ultimate Iron Man: The Making of Iron Man 2 is the best feature on the disc, running an hour and half and covering the entire production of the film. This is a must see.

Eight deleted/extended scenes with an optional director’s commentary are worth a look, especially to see the alternate opening scene of the film.

Rounding out the rest of the goodies, are a concept art gallery, theatrical trailers, videogame clip, an enhanced viewing mode to see storyboards for specific action scenes, and the AC/DC music video for the film “Shoot to Thrill.”

 

BOTTOM LINE

 

As a film itself, Iron Man 2 is a bit of a disappointment, because it’s obviously a rushed production that is serving as a springboard for the upcoming Avenger’s movie. As a Blu-ray Iron Man 2 is one of the best you’re going to find on the market, offering near flawless picture and audio, a HD, DVD and Digital copy of the film, and an excellent selection of features including a feature length making of documentary. There will obviously be a third Iron Man movie, but lets hope that it’s an improvement over the glitchy sequel. For fans of this movie, or even just fans of Blu-rays, this one must be added to your collection.

 

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0
Video: 5.0
Sound: 5.0
Extras: 4.5
Bottom Line: 4.5