IRON MAN 2 - MY REVIEW

Not having been a huge fan of the first Iron Man movie my expectations for Iron Man 2 were incredibly low. As early reviews rolled in that it just wasn't up to snuff I figured my disappointment was just and that once again Hollywood had failed me on a superhero level. Having seen the film I now realize that I will never, ever see eye to eye with critics nor the general movie going public for I thought Iron Man 2 was absolutely wonderful. Where the first film had no pacing, this has plenty, where the first film had no discernible villain, the sequel has two and where the first movie had no third act, Iron Man 2 delivers with serious punch. I can only suppose the folks who said this movie was a mess and had too much going on either suffer from ADD or saw a different cut of the film.

I think one thing that made folks uneasy was how director Jon Favereau balanced the structure of the movie like a house of cards. Each plot point rested heavily on the next to the point you began to feel as though the whole movie will topple over. Again and again Favereau pulled it out just in the nick of time, which added a layer of tension outside of the events in the film. I was interested in how people said there was no focus to the movie when it was clear Tony Stark was the focus, everything happening in the film was a direct result of his actions. His enemies, the Government, the creation of War Machine, the resentment of his friends, all Tony's doing and all obviously Tony's doing.

Favereau also let his characters grow here, letting the film take a step back from the standard action movie to grow some real relationships. Instead of this being the Robert Downey JR show everybody in the film gets some meat to chew on. To be honest several of the supporting cast including Don Cheadle as Rhodey and Garry Shandling as a sleazy politician steal the show from Downey JR. In fact the casting of Iron Man 2 is something that clicks for the first time ever. I didn't think any of these people were very good in the first film but they all nailed their parts here.

For instance Tony Stark is so over the top egotistical in this movie thanks to his new found fame that you want to hate him but you really can't. That's exactly how Robert Downey JR is so suddenly the role really becomes his. Given more to do Gwenyth Paltrow rises to the occasion and even Favereau's cameo as Happy The Bodyguard is fucking awesome. To be honest the only person left out in the cold is Scarlett Johansson but that's mainly because Black Widow has absolutely no reason to be in the film other than a cheap "save the day" writer's trick towards the end.

The two performances that stand out here are Cheadle as Rhodey and Sam Rockwell as fellow weapons tycoon Justin Hammer. Anybody who thought Cheadle wouldn't kick ass as the new Rhodey will be left feeling much better after the film. Cheadle brings a strong determination to the character and a force of will that easily matches Downey Jr. When the two face off there's real tension there, you find yourself rooting for both men.

Sam Rockwell is the backbone of the entire film and it sucks because his name is getting lost in the bigger star shuffle. Rockwell owns the character of Justin Hammer and plays it perfectly. He's sleazy, funny, insane and you can feel the hatred he has towards Tony Stark with every breath. Rockwell approaches Hammer as a spoiled child who know he's not as brilliant, handsome or charming as Tony Stark and it burns him to his core. That dedication to destroying Stark allows the decisions Hammer makes in the film to make sense no matter how off the wall. Without Rockwell there is no Iron Man 2, period.

People are all up in arms about Mickey Rourke's Whiplash and while he's a good villain the character suffers from Rourke's need to show how incredibly thespian he is. At no point does it feel like Rourke is enjoying the character or having fun with it so Whiplash comes across too heavy handed. Favereau manages to save the whole thing by only giving us doses of Whiplash. Right when it feels like too much he cuts and moves on to another event in the movie.

Action wise I thought there was a perfect ratio of Iron Man in the movie. Favereau doesn't over do it and makes sure that when Iron Man shows up the action is so thoroughly kick ass you can't help but cheer. What's really great here is that the filmmakers learned from their lack of a third act in Iron Man and worked to really focus everything on a strong delivery for the sequel. I was also happy that the Nick Fury scene actually played a part in the plot of the film, it wasn't just "Hey guys remember the Avengers movie is coming out soon". For us super comic book geeks look for a kick ass Captain America nod that I actually found cooler than the post-credits Thor scene.

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the problems in the movie. First of all whenever Tony Stark becomes righteous or reflective it doesn't work, Robert Downey JR just can't play those scenes well. As I said before Black Widow has zero reason to be in the movie at all so whenever she appears it's a real distraction. There's also a cheesy subplot involving Stark's father that could have worked had it not been so "Adrian's Speech To Rocky" cliche. Outside of that and a few tiny moments that didn't work nothing here took away from the good time of the movie.

I really enjoyed the fact that Jon Favereau realized that Iron Man to is bright, splashy and fun. This isn't Batman or Spider-Man, there's no melancholy darkness here and adding some to bring in the Dark Knight crowd would have ruined the film. Iron Man 2 is an exciting, action packed, funny and oddly charming superhero movie that proves how good these films can be if handled by the right people.

BACK IN A FLASH!!!

So until Monday the 17th I'm lost in the Deep South for reasons even I'm not sure about. Fret not though, I will return on Monday with fresh new hell for all those who choose to see the truth through the bullshit. If somebody asks me if I have a pretty mouth I'll kill the fuckers and run!

Later
Iann

Trailer Description for New JJ ABRAMS Movie SUPER 8

For the last few weeks the internet has been booming with rumors of a new JJ Abrams Top Secret Trailer for his next movie "Super 8". There was little known about it except that the print would be attached to Iron Man 2 and that somehow Steven Spielberg was involved. Since the last super secret JJ Abrams trailer was for Cloverfield most thought this would be a sequel or prequel to that film.

When I first heard that I switched off mainly because I hated Cloverfield. Outside of the herky jerky camera work making me sick, the premise failed to excite me. It was essentially a bunch of whining yuppies running around screaming. There were some cool moments but never a pay off, including the fact that you didn't get a clear shot of the monster. However recently JJ Abrams said that Super 8 wasn't a sequel or prequel to Cloverfield and that got me interested again.

Anyway, today the blow by blow of the trailer came out, here it is:

It begins with the Green MPAA screen, followed by the Paramount Pictures logo. No Bad Robot at the header. A train rushes by the screen. We notice that it has lots of cargo. Text comes on the screen: “In 1979, The U.S. Air Force Closed A Section of AREA 51.” We see the railroad crossing light blinking and ringing as the camera pans up we see some sort of light moving in the background. What is it? A UFO?

More Text: “All The Materials Were To Be Transported To A Secure Facility In Ohio.” No, it appears to be the headlights of a yellow 1970’s truck, which skids in a 180 degree motion, and suddenly pulls onto the tracks. Point of view of the truck heading into the light. Black screen and white text: “From Producer Steve Spielberg”

We see the truck explode as it hits the train. Then… the cargo train is heading towards the car explosion - BAM. It is wrecked, thrown from the tracks like a wild snake. The flaming metal body flipping towards the camera. Cars flying through the air.

Another black screen and the text: “And Director JJ Abrams”
The camera really slowly moves in on the wrecked pieces of the train, most of which is now just scrap metal. At least one car remains intact. Black screen, white text: “Next Summer” We see some sparks.

Black screen, white text: “It Arrives” We pull up on one of the train cars with a US Airforce logo. The wheel on the door begins to spin out of control as we pull in closer. The wall of the door begins to bend like some huge force is punching it from the inside. Cut to one second of a close up of an 8mm camera lens. Cut to black. White text: “Super 8″ The credits at the end were pretty bare. Paramount Pictures Presents, An Amblin Entertainment/Bad Robot Production “Super 8″

Produced By Steve Spielberg JJ Abrams Bryan Burk
Written and Directed by JJ Abrams
And the bottom featured the Amblin Entertainment, Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures Logo.

Take it for what it's worth.

Kick Ass RICHARD DREYFUSS Interview

I don't usually put links to other sites interviews mainly because it's usually sanctimonious dribble about the power and genius of being an actor/musician or it's just somebody hawking their new...whatever. Sometimes though an interview comes along that's so rich I have to let everybody know how good it is. Over at IESB there's an amazing interview with Richard Dreyfuss who not only talks about new projects but also candidly talks about Hollywood and his career. Dreyfuss' honesty is refreshing and though he may be a prick he's a goddamn funny prick. Here are a couple of choice quotes:

On Returning To Film:

"I had this fantasy that, one day, I was going to take an ad out in Variety and say, "Thanks for the 40 years. Bye," and never come back. And then, as we all do, we went through divorces and life's losses and I couldn't afford to quit. I didn't have the money. I couldn't say goodbye because I had to occasionally have an income coming from the one thing I knew how to do. So, I could never take the ad out, but what I did was stop being actor-centric. I was no longer seeking work and I was no longer trying to produce films or pitch projects, and I left. I take work now, for the most part, for two reasons. One is because, if you turn it down, you're an idiot. This role is one of those roles. And, the other reason is money. So, when people asked me why I took Poseidon, which was a piece of crap, I said it was because they were willing to pay me the salary that I used to get paid."

On Playing Dick Cheney In W:

"I looked forward to playing [Dick] Cheney (in W), until I met Oliver [Stone]. Then, I looked forward to humiliating Oliver, as much as I could."

For the entire interview just click RICHARD DREYFUSS INTERVIEW

Sometimes Life Is So Rich: THE GREEN LANTERN SONG

Sometimes, sometimes, just sometimes life hands you a rich treater from the road that makes all the shit we deal with worth it. Today is one of those rare days as bestowed upon me is the "In Brightest Day" a song for the upcoming Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds. Don't get me wrong, it's not in the movie yet but grand dreamer and "musician" Gary Mitchell is hoping this grassroots campaign he's trying to pull off with this video for his song might lead to In Brightest Day becoming a theme song for the forthcoming superhero movie.

Mitchell has outdone the cheese factor here making "You're The Best" from the original Karate Kid movie seem like a Rush song. I also love how the video shows random and unnecessary footage of people doing "heroic" things (Yoga FUCK YEAH!!) juxtaposed with Green Lantern comics. As with the equally stupid "Miracles" by Insane Clown Posse I have listed my favorite lines from this shitstorm beneath the video. Dig it:




"Sailing Through The Sky On The Wings Of My Mind"

"There's no room for cowards when your uniform is green"

"Push past it and get over it and find your shade of green"

"Come The Darkest Hour Now At Last Beware My Power"


WOW, Life Can Be Soooo Rich

MY Top 5 Comics From Free Comic Book Day

As always this years Free Comic Book Day was a rousing success with thousands of free comics handed out across the nation. I love FCBD, it's one of the only non-polluted things left in my life to look forward to. Christmas is too commercialized, Halloween has become to "cool", and outside of wednesdays being comic book day the whole Free Comic Book Day thing is a rare day of total bliss. This year there were a lot of great books out and after reading them I came down with my top five favorites.




#5. WAR OF THE SUPERMAN #0

I picked this issue because it actually got me interested in Superman again. The last year or more with Supes has been a total suck fest and the announcement of this War Of The Superman had me rolling my eyes heavily. I have to say this issue #0 introducing General Zod's plot to attack Earth with 100,000 of his men all with Superman's powers kicked a lot of ass. James Robinson for once wrote a tight and none convoluted script and the art from Eddy Barrows is really solid. The comic did exactly what it needed to by setting up War Of The Supermen and leaving on an ending that will push people to buy the series. It also showed how good Superman can be when it's done right.




#4. ARCHIE'S SUMMER SPLASH

I dug this because artist/writer Dan Parent brought it back what Archie is all about. The recent marriage issues just fucked up the whole Archie idea as have these newer issues with "realistic" artwork. Here Arch and the gang head to the beach for some summer fun and enter The Archies into a local concert. Along comes a rich and mean spirited girl from the "private" beach section of Riverdale and it's up to the gang to show her she can't treat people like they work for her. This led me back to when I was a teenager sitting outside in the park reading comics alone as opposed to playing organized sports.





#3. IRON MAN THOR

How do you go wrong with Matt Fraction writing and John Romita JR laying down the art? You can't, there's no way. Truth be told had there been no dialog this issue still would've killed because of Romita's eye smashing pencils. That man is comic books, he is the epitome of how comic art should come across. Bold, colorful and looking like a comic book. Plot wise it's a fun superhero yarn with funny quips back and forth between Thor and Iron Man. Total thumbs up book.




#2 YOW! A JOHN STANLEY LIBRARY GRAB BAG

Melvin Monster, Tubby, Nancy, Choo Choo Charlie and Judy Junior? That's all we need say about this issue.




#1. THE SIXTH GUN

I gave this the top spot over Yow mainly because it was an original yarn that totally captivated me. The story of bounty hunters looking for mystical objects is so well written I can't wait for the first official issue in July. Written by Cullen Bunn with art from Brian Hurtt, The Sixth Gun is a supernatural western that voids almost every cliche this genre can fall into. Great characters, a solid set up the book leaves you with questions that must be answered. I'm also a sucker for a well drawn, noir western, dark and violent shoot 'em up. You combine that with elements of the supernatural and demons and fucking A I am on board!!


So that's it. Now I have to go start counting until the next Free Comic Book Day.

That sucks

Art History Through Stick Figures

Found this over at BOINGBOING and figured I'd throw it up because it's fucking cool and also kinda funny.

The Fourth Who Gives A Shit Moment Of 2010: OZZFEST

It's been two years since Ozzfest was really around and even longer since anybody cared. Here's the thing, all giant stadium rock "events" are only as good as the music they were built around. For instance, Lollapalooza was built off the Seattle alternative scene that kicked off with Nirvana. Once that whole scene died out Lollapalooza became cliche and boring.

Way back in 1997 when Ozzfest started the run, the entire Nu-Metal world was starting to get bigger as was the Pantera rip off band scene. Those bands needed a place to thrive and Ozzfest caught that fire instantly. From 1998 through 2003 the Ozzfest was the place to hear metal live.

But the Nu-Metal phase (thank god) has passed and with things like the Rockstar Energy Drink Tour and all these other big events the Ozzfest has become passe. Last week the rundown for Ozzfest was announced and it was just a glaring Who Gives A Shit Moment. This year's Ozzfest will be headlined by Ozzy, Rob Halford of Judas Priest and Motley Crue. The other headliners are the suckfest Devildriver and Nonpoint, who are the luckiest band ever. Nobody gives a shit about them and yet they are everywhere.

The second stage is riddled with Black Label Society as well as Kingdom Of Sorrow, Drowning Pool, Skeletonwitch, Goatwhore Saviours and Kataklysm. Black Label has to be on there because if not then Zakk Wylde can't pay his rent and Kingdom Of Sorrow is a definite attendance boost because it features Jamey Jasta of the beloved Hatedbreed and one of the guys from Down.

The current crop of metal heads have, for some reason, adopted Phil Enselmo as their God so anybody who has been in the same room with him during Down gets their attention. Drowning Pool is the sympathy vote because post the death of their original singer that band can't even get arrested. The rest of the bands are wild attempts to seem relevant with only Skeletonwitch and Goatwhore actually fulfilling that idea.

What interested me most was the frontline of Ozzy, Motley Crue and Rob Halford. Is it me or is this an oddly old-man roster for a show trying to hook in young ticket buyers? I mean Motley Crue is a joke and this is Halford not even a full Judas Priest tour. At first I thought maybe the promoters were smartening up and realizing that Ozzy is as out of touch with the metal audience as any one artist could be and that maybe it would be smart gearing the show towards the old school metal fan.

But then the addition of bands nobody cares about like Devildriver and Nonpoint proved they may be trying to walk both sides of the coin and, as obvious from this line up, have failed. Ozzfest should become where old metal legends go to die, that would assure both the nostalgia ticket buyers and those who want to see their heroes once last time.

Either way who really gives a shit?

HANK AZARIA As A Child Molset.....Oh Wait Sorry No..

I don't know what's worse here, the fact that a talent like Hank Azaria has lowered himself to do the Smurf movie or the fact that his Gargamel looks more like a guy who'd like pretty coeds and little boys in his basement and force them to make out while he stroked himself to Chopin. The Smurf movie is a CGI abortion that currently stars Neil Patrick Harris, George Lopez, and a few others as Smurf voices. No idea when this movie is coming out and to be honest I don't care.

The Smurfs was a weird show to begin with that left many impressionable youths with no answers to nagging questions. First off why did nobody else ever stumble on this entire village of blue people? Secondly how did they procreate with no women? Third on the list was the ever present Is "Smurfette A Whore" question and then why did Papa Smurf have red clothes and how old was he. Plus if this movie have these little blue acid trip flashbacks saying "smurf" every other word I may have to start huffing paint thinner again.

The Third Who Gives A Shit Moment OF 2010:Stallone Retires Rambo

When the last Rambo movie came out Sylvester Stallone claimed that it was the reinvention of the character. From there rumors began to spread about what the next movie would be. Most thought it was going to be about human traffickers while others said it was Rambo against these weird hybrid wolf soldiers.

Whatever it was, it would only be a matter of time before Stallone unveiled his latest Rambo action fest. Then, last week, Stallone told his publicist that he was pretty sure there would be no more Rambo films. No reason, he just was confident they were over.

My question here is; Who cares? I don't mean that in a horribly mean spirited way but seriously, who cares? Rambo was a cartoon character hero that embodied the eighties Kill 'Em All Let God Sort 'Em Out vibe of Ronald Reagan. The sad part is the original character from the book and film First Blood was an interesting, mullti-faceted guy who was stripped of everything.

That whole aspect of Rambo was shitted away to make him an uber-buff killing machine for the era of excess. Rambo hasn't been relevant since Rambo II and the last film was more a nostalgia trip than a good movie. So who the fuck cares if there are no more Rambo movies?

I don't.