Well, this requires an explanation. My mom has decided that in order to get me to read more over the summer, I have to read a book every week and write up a book report. Since I was already reading Watchmen, she allowed it to count. Since I figured more blogging experience would be beneficial, I also managed to bargain for blogging rights on the reports. So this is going to be a bit different from my usual posts, in that it's going to sound a little more formal, and it's going to provide a more detailed synopsis. So, onto the report.
Watchmen was written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave Gibbons, and colored by John Higgins. The book was edited by Len Wein and Barbara Kesel. There were 12 issues, published from September 1986 to October 1987. Later that year, all the issues were collected and published as a graphic novel. The comic received universal acclaim, with Time Magazine even going as far as to call it one of the greatest novels of all time.
The main characters of Watchmen are Edward Blake, a.k.a. The Comedian, Dan Dreiberg, a.k.a. Nite-Owl II, Adrian Veidt, a.k.a. Ozymandias, Laurie Juspeczyk, a.k.a. Silk Spectre II, Jon Osterman, a.k.a. Doc Manhattan, and Rorschach, a.k.a. Walter Kovacs. Important supporting characters are Hollis Mason, a.k.a. Nite-Owl I, Sally Jupiter, a.k.a. Silk Spectre I, Captain Metropolis, Hooded Justice, Bernard, the newspaper stand-owner, and Bernard, the pirate comic reader. The story takes place in 1985, in an America where superheroes first appeared in the 1940's, and again in the 70's. Their existence allowed America to win the Vietnam War, and has shaped the political situation during the Cold War.
The story begins when the Comedian is murdered, which Rorschach investigates. His investigation leads him to conclude that the murderer may be targeting superheroes and former masked heroes. He goes to warn Dreiberg, his former partner, Veidt, a successful businessman and athlete with a reputation for being the smartest man in the world, Manhattan, a scientist who fell into a nuclear reactor and became the only superhero to have genuine superpowers (that border on godhood), and Juspeczyk, who is living with Manhattan. All but Manhattan and Rorschach have retired from 'adventuring' as they call it, due to an act which banned superheroes, unless they were working with the government. After the Comedian's funeral, Manhattan is accused of giving people he interacted with cancer, which causes him to teleport to Mars. Laurie, now without a home, eventually moves in with Dreiberg, and the two become lovers. Meanwhile, an assassin attempts to kill Veidt, but fails. Spurred on by the recent events, Rorschach continues to investigate his mask killer theory. He finds an old supervillain, Moloch, murdered in his home, and is taken in by the police for murder. An psychiatrist interviews him, and eventually learns that he was an abused child, who was eventually rescued. He became Rorschach over many years, though the event that finally drove him was attempting to help a little girl who was kidnapped. Unfortunately, he failed to arrive in time, and the girl was fed to her kidnapper's dogs. After this, Rorschach began killing the criminals he fought. He colored his mask in black and white, but with no grey, to symbolize his moral code. Eventually, after donning their costumed identities again, Dreiberg and Laurie spring Rorschach, and continue to investigate the mask hunter. However, Manhattan returns, and brings Laurie to Mars to debate whether or not humanity is worth saving. During their debate, Laurie realizes her father was The Comedian, a fact she finds repulsive, as the Comedian tried to rape her mother once. However, this was consensual, a fact that disturbs, depresses, and confuses her. The idea that such an unlikely union could happen and sprout Laurie convinces Manhattan that humans are indeed special, and to return to Earth. Meanwhile, Rorschach and Dreiberg discover that Veidt may be linked to the murders, and fly to his Antarctic base. Upon their arrival, they discover that Veidt plans to use a manufactured alien threat as a means to halt increasing international tension, and stop nuclear war. His plan involves teleporting a genetically altered giant squid to NYC, which will die upon arrival, as will half the inhabitants of the city, due to a problem with the teleportation device. Veidt then reveals that they are to late, as he already enacted his plan thirty-five minutes ago. Manhattan and Laurie arrive, and are appalled by the death toll. However, the news channels reveal that Veidt's plan worked, and the world is unifying in the face of an alien threat. Everyone but Rorschach agrees to remain silent on the matter. Because Rorschach refuses to compromise, Dr. Manhattan is forced to kill him. Manhattan leaves to create life in another galaxy, and Dreiberg and Laurie continue to live and work together as heroes. However, unbeknownst to anyone, Rorschach left his journal with a right-wing newspaper before leaving for the Antarctic. Originally tossed into the 'crank pile', it remains undisturbed until an assistant is given the choice on what to run for some free space. This choice is never shown.
If you sat through and read all that, thank you. Watchmen is a very complicated story, and I didn't even get into the backstory of the original superheroes, the pirate comic, and a lot of other stuff. However, that's also one of the book's greatest strengths. It feels like a fully realized world, one where decisions can have major repercussions. Another great thing about the book is that the morals are constantly questioned with out taking a direct stance on which is correct. The book wants you to think, not accept its own message. It also features a lot of recurring symbols, and many transitions often come of similar lines of dialogue, helping everything tie together.
My favorite character is (Dull surprise!) Rorschach. I know, way to pick the fan favorite, but he's the favorite for a reason. He may not be the most likeable person, but he's the most interesting. He sees the world in pure black and white, and refuses to allow for grey. He does things we would find horrible, but he also is capable of good, and is working towards what he believes is a worthy cause. In his quest to defeat evil, he's become more and more jaded, and that's very powerful. I think another thing that makes him my favorite is that I agree with him that the world deserves to know about Ozymandias' plan. And even if you don't agree with him, you can't fault his ethics on that one. Sadly, his inability to compromise cost him his life, and was one of the reasons Manhattan decided to leave Earth.
Overall, Watchmen is a great novel, and definitely a watershed moment for the comic industry. While it does sadden me that so many people tried to imitate it without understanding what truly made it great, I am glad that they at least saw the book's quality. If you think comics are just silly pieces of fluff that never have any weight behind them, this is definitely the comic for you. If you love comic books and everything about them, this is for you. If you're a casual comic fan, this is for you. Really, this book is for everyone, except may be people 14 & under, but that's not my decision. The point is, no matter what your interests, you could pick up Watchmen and enjoy it. It's a universal story, and hopefully it will stand the test of time.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
I just watched Dollhouse Season 2 episode 11
My mind is blown. I mean, seriously blown. I'm having a BSOD moment. I'm probably typing this just to stay sane. I'm in shock. Of all plot twists I've ever seen, this one is the one that's thrown me for the biggest loop. I'm completely baffled. This is absolutely crazy. My mind has been blown. My mind has been blown. My Mind Has Been Blown. MI MIND has been blown. my mind has been blown.
Monday, June 24, 2013
A Look Back at the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One Part 4: Thor
Thor was yet another Marvel film that was stuck in development hell. Originally meant to be a made-for-TV movie for UPN, Sony eventually bought the film rights. Through more legal shenanigans, the rights to make the film ended up with Marvel, while Sony got the distribution rights. After trying for years to find a director and a script writer, eventually the story was written by Mark Protosevich and J. Michael Straczynski, who had a successful run writing for both Thor and Spider-Man, in addition to being the creator of Babylon 5. The script itself was written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, and Don Payne. Knowing that they needed a director who could capture the Shakespearean elements of the story, Kenneth Branagh was finally approached to direct, and the pre-production work was over. Now all that was needed was the cast.
After a failed audition, Chris Hemsworth was called back to read again, at was eventually given the part of Thor. For the part of Loki, Branagh brought in Tom Hiddleston, whom he had worked with before. Eventually Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Anthony Hopkins, Kat Dennings, Jamie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, Joshua Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, Colm Feore, and Idris Elba were cast as main and supporting characters. Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg were brought on to reprise their roles as Nick Fury and Agent Coulson, and the filming began.
When creating the effects for the Bifrost Bridge, many of the visuals took inspiration from pictures from the Hubble telescope. These effects were worked on by BUF Compagnie and Digital Domain. While the film was filmed in regular 2-D, the effects were shot with 3-D in mind, a format Branagh believed would be to the movie's benefit. The Frost Giants were created through Motion Capture CGI.
The film was released on May 6, 2011. While the box office score wasn't out of the park, it was still very successful, and nearly tripled its $150 million budget, and currently holds fourth place among the MCU films for worldwide gross. Critically, it received mostly positive reviews, though some figures like Roger Ebert, and A.O. Scott disliked it. On Rotten Tomatoes it received a 77%, being hailed as a 'mighty Marvel achievement'. As for me?
Thor is a very different film from the Iron Man movies and The Incredible Hulk. The scope is enormous, stretching across three dimensions. However, one thing that makes it similar to its predecessors (except for Iron Man 2) is that the heart of the film is the main character's journey, and his relationship with the people around him. This is one of the reasons Branagh was an absolutely brilliant choice to direct because the family dynamic between Thor, Loki, and Odin is something that genuinely feels like it was plucked from a lost Shakespeare play. Their story is incredibly moving, as they go from close to strained, to all-out brawling with each other. The supporting cast does well too. Stellan Skarsgard is brilliant as Selvig, portraying a character who, while cautious and skeptical, is very likeable, and his viewpoint is easy to understand. Kat Dennings does a good job with the comic relief, though beyond that she has little to do in the film. Sif and the Warriors Three do what they can with what they have, but unfortunately they receive little screen time. However, the real show-stealer is Idris Elba as Heimdall, who makes every single scene count. In about six minutes of screen time, he turns in one of the most memorable performances of the movie. However, now the main characters need to be addressed. Starting with the most normal of the four, Natalie Portman does a fairly good job as Jane Foster, but for some reason. I can't help but feel she falls a little flat. Maybe it's the writing, maybe it's the acting, maybe it's the direction, I don't know. Something just doesn't sell me with her character. Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins, is yet another case of 'I make what little I'm in count' as he's the main cast member with the least screen time. Though we probably shouldn't be surprised that he does well, because, well, it's Anthony Hopkins. Tom Hiddleston knocks it out of the park as Loki, managing to turn an annoying, bratty twat of a villain from the source material into a genuinely sympathetic character. Sure, he may be doing things that are wrong, but you can understand where he comes from. This is part of what makes the final fight of the film so engaging. While as an action piece it's nothing we haven't seen before, it ripples with raw emotion. You're so engaged in both characters, you can't help but feel a sense of futility in the fight, that all this could've been avoided. However, this brings us to Thor. Chris Hemsworth brings his A-game, as Thor starts out the film brash and arrogant, yet still charming and likeable. You really get a sense for why he and the Warriors Three are such good friends. His growth as a person feels natural, and leaves us all the more engaged in the aforementioned final fight. Also, kudos to the writers for using the scene where Thor smashes the mug not only for comic relief, but also character development. As a character piece, this film is very solid. However, the romance between Foster and Thor felt a little forced, and it was definitely their scenes that were the low point of the movie. They weren't bad, there just wasn't much chemistry there. Where the film really works is Thor's relationship with Loki, and how it deteriorates over the course of the film. When I first saw it, I genuinely believed Loki when he said Odin was dead, and nearly bought into his ruse. He was a difficult one to predict, which is a very welcome change, considering the last several villains. The fight scenes were pretty good to, though sadly the first one is the highlight. The visual creativity behind Jotenheim was astounding, and definitely deserved an award. This really helped the fight, as it was clear that all of the budget and then some was on display. The Destroyer battle is powerful in it's representation of Thor's growth, but other than that it's nothing really special. The same can be said for the final battle with Loki, though the emotions ratchet up further. Overall, Thor was a success, even if it felt more like an epic fantasy than a super hero movie.
Trivia:
Stan Lee cameos as a truck driver trying to pull Thor's hammer out of the ditch.
Before the UPN movie, Sam Raimi approached studios with an idea for a Thor movie. They didn't get it, and subsequently rejected the notion.
Guillermo del Toro was in talks to direct, but backed down to work on The Hobbit.
Joshua Dallas, who played Fandral of the Warriors Three, was unable to return for Thor: The Dark World due to schedule conflicts. He will be replaced by Zachary Levi. Ironically, Levi was the original choice for the part, but also left for scheduling reasons. I love the twists and turns of life.
Samuel L. Jackson nearly didn't appear in the movie, though once again, negotiations ended up working out.
The post-credits scene with Dr. Selvig and Nick Fury discussing a cube that could potentially be an unlimited energy source was directed by Joss Whedon.
After a failed audition, Chris Hemsworth was called back to read again, at was eventually given the part of Thor. For the part of Loki, Branagh brought in Tom Hiddleston, whom he had worked with before. Eventually Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgard, Anthony Hopkins, Kat Dennings, Jamie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, Joshua Dallas, Tadanobu Asano, Colm Feore, and Idris Elba were cast as main and supporting characters. Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg were brought on to reprise their roles as Nick Fury and Agent Coulson, and the filming began.
When creating the effects for the Bifrost Bridge, many of the visuals took inspiration from pictures from the Hubble telescope. These effects were worked on by BUF Compagnie and Digital Domain. While the film was filmed in regular 2-D, the effects were shot with 3-D in mind, a format Branagh believed would be to the movie's benefit. The Frost Giants were created through Motion Capture CGI.
The film was released on May 6, 2011. While the box office score wasn't out of the park, it was still very successful, and nearly tripled its $150 million budget, and currently holds fourth place among the MCU films for worldwide gross. Critically, it received mostly positive reviews, though some figures like Roger Ebert, and A.O. Scott disliked it. On Rotten Tomatoes it received a 77%, being hailed as a 'mighty Marvel achievement'. As for me?
Thor is a very different film from the Iron Man movies and The Incredible Hulk. The scope is enormous, stretching across three dimensions. However, one thing that makes it similar to its predecessors (except for Iron Man 2) is that the heart of the film is the main character's journey, and his relationship with the people around him. This is one of the reasons Branagh was an absolutely brilliant choice to direct because the family dynamic between Thor, Loki, and Odin is something that genuinely feels like it was plucked from a lost Shakespeare play. Their story is incredibly moving, as they go from close to strained, to all-out brawling with each other. The supporting cast does well too. Stellan Skarsgard is brilliant as Selvig, portraying a character who, while cautious and skeptical, is very likeable, and his viewpoint is easy to understand. Kat Dennings does a good job with the comic relief, though beyond that she has little to do in the film. Sif and the Warriors Three do what they can with what they have, but unfortunately they receive little screen time. However, the real show-stealer is Idris Elba as Heimdall, who makes every single scene count. In about six minutes of screen time, he turns in one of the most memorable performances of the movie. However, now the main characters need to be addressed. Starting with the most normal of the four, Natalie Portman does a fairly good job as Jane Foster, but for some reason. I can't help but feel she falls a little flat. Maybe it's the writing, maybe it's the acting, maybe it's the direction, I don't know. Something just doesn't sell me with her character. Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins, is yet another case of 'I make what little I'm in count' as he's the main cast member with the least screen time. Though we probably shouldn't be surprised that he does well, because, well, it's Anthony Hopkins. Tom Hiddleston knocks it out of the park as Loki, managing to turn an annoying, bratty twat of a villain from the source material into a genuinely sympathetic character. Sure, he may be doing things that are wrong, but you can understand where he comes from. This is part of what makes the final fight of the film so engaging. While as an action piece it's nothing we haven't seen before, it ripples with raw emotion. You're so engaged in both characters, you can't help but feel a sense of futility in the fight, that all this could've been avoided. However, this brings us to Thor. Chris Hemsworth brings his A-game, as Thor starts out the film brash and arrogant, yet still charming and likeable. You really get a sense for why he and the Warriors Three are such good friends. His growth as a person feels natural, and leaves us all the more engaged in the aforementioned final fight. Also, kudos to the writers for using the scene where Thor smashes the mug not only for comic relief, but also character development. As a character piece, this film is very solid. However, the romance between Foster and Thor felt a little forced, and it was definitely their scenes that were the low point of the movie. They weren't bad, there just wasn't much chemistry there. Where the film really works is Thor's relationship with Loki, and how it deteriorates over the course of the film. When I first saw it, I genuinely believed Loki when he said Odin was dead, and nearly bought into his ruse. He was a difficult one to predict, which is a very welcome change, considering the last several villains. The fight scenes were pretty good to, though sadly the first one is the highlight. The visual creativity behind Jotenheim was astounding, and definitely deserved an award. This really helped the fight, as it was clear that all of the budget and then some was on display. The Destroyer battle is powerful in it's representation of Thor's growth, but other than that it's nothing really special. The same can be said for the final battle with Loki, though the emotions ratchet up further. Overall, Thor was a success, even if it felt more like an epic fantasy than a super hero movie.
Trivia:
Stan Lee cameos as a truck driver trying to pull Thor's hammer out of the ditch.
Before the UPN movie, Sam Raimi approached studios with an idea for a Thor movie. They didn't get it, and subsequently rejected the notion.
Guillermo del Toro was in talks to direct, but backed down to work on The Hobbit.
Joshua Dallas, who played Fandral of the Warriors Three, was unable to return for Thor: The Dark World due to schedule conflicts. He will be replaced by Zachary Levi. Ironically, Levi was the original choice for the part, but also left for scheduling reasons. I love the twists and turns of life.
Samuel L. Jackson nearly didn't appear in the movie, though once again, negotiations ended up working out.
The post-credits scene with Dr. Selvig and Nick Fury discussing a cube that could potentially be an unlimited energy source was directed by Joss Whedon.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
A Look Back At The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One Part Three: Iron Man 2
After the success of Iron Man, a sequel was guaranteed. Marvel announced immediately that Iron Man 2 was in the works, and managed to get Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Paul Bettany, the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., back. This time, however, the story would be written by Favreau and Downy Jr. themselves, with the screenplay itself being written by Justin Theroux, co-writer of Tropic Thunder. RDJ personally recommended him due to their experience together on that film, and thus the script was written. Due to contract negotiation failures, Terrance Howard declined to return for the film, and was replaced by Don Cheadle. After a near breakdown in negotiations with Samuel L. Jackson, a deal was (thankfully) struck for him to appear in up to nine movies. As for the Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff, Emily Blunt was originally intended to play the role, but complications with another contract arose, and she had to back out. Meanwhile, Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke were signed on as villains Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko, respectively. On the same day Rourke accepted, Scarlett Johansson signed on to play the Black Widow, in a deal that would allow her to appear in multiple films with the possibility of an appearance in The Avengers. Clark Gregg would also return as Agent Coulson, and would begin to play a larger role in the shaping of the MCU.
After filming was completed, merchandising and special FX work began. ILM continued on the work from the last movie, and began upgrading the designs of the suits. A comic prequel was released, along with numerous toys, and a video game. The film was eventually released on May 7, 2010. The critics had mostly good things to say about it, though pretty much everyone said it wasn't as good as the original. A common criticism was that the plot was convoluted, however, many also said that RDJ continued to excel in the role of Tony Stark, In terms of box office success, the movie opened to the fifth-highest opening weekend of the time, and made back roughly three times its budget. So, what did I think?
Iron Man 2 was a troubled movie. It was funny and well-acted, but the script was all over the place, and the action scenes are over just two minutes after they began. The problem with this movie is its script. If you need any more evidence, let me sum up the plot of the movie. Tony Stark is dealing with the after-affects of revealing his identity as Iron Man, with the government wanting him to hand over his suit. An element used in the arc reactor is slowly poisoning his blood, and will eventually kill him. He also has to deal with a business rival, Justin Hammer, S.H.E.I.L.D.'s ongoing investigations of his capability for the Avengers Initiative, and his new feelings for Pepper. Meanwhile, the son of an associate of Tony's father has made his own arc reactor, and is out for revenge. That's six different plot threads, and it just overstuffs the movie. It's basically the Spider-Man 3 of the Iron Man movies. And while I do enjoy Spider-Man 3, that doesn't change the fact that it's flawed, nor does the fact that I enjoyed parts of this movie change its flaws. However, the plot is not the only problem. If you watch the scene where Tony is celebrating his birthday by partying drunk in the suit, the way Rhodey and Pepper react implies that the scene is supposed to be dramatic, and we should be horrified by how Tony is abusing the suit. But the tone is completely comical, and all he's doing is smashing bottles and a watermelon. And this just continues on into the fight between Rhodes and Tony, which should be showing us just how far Tony's fallen, but instead tries to make the tone upbeat with pop songs. While we're on the subject of action scenes, they're VERY short. The longest one, at the end of the movie, barely takes more than three minutes. They're very rushed, and we never have any time to get excited. And let's face it, with everything going on in the story, there's little time to get invested in anything. And on a minor nitpick, how can the government force Tony to give them the Iron Man suit? I'm pretty sure that's unconstitutional. Which therefore makes Rhodes a thief, and Tony is simply to lazy to do anything about it. Quite frankly, this movie either needed to remove Vanko and his sub-plot, or remove Justin Hammer and War Machine. If either of these had been done, it would've allowed the movie a lot more time to focus on a few specific things, rather than dabbling all over, and not really amounting to anything. Quite frankly, I think there was a miscommunication between the script writer and Favreau and RDJ. While it's clear the story wants to be dramatic, so many scenes and lines make this feel like a comedy, like Tropic Thunder. But I suppose I should talk about what I liked in this movie now.
The FX, when used, are very good, and feel very polished. The suits and drones all looked like they were really there, and the CGI on Whiplash's whips were great. However, let's all be honest, it's Robert Downey Jr. we all came to see, and it's him who carries the movie. That's not to say the other cast member don't do well, especially Don Cheadle, who very capably replaced Terrance Howard. Gwyneth Paltrow continues to do well, and Jon Favreau makes the most of what little screen time he has. Clark Gregg stands out, however, as the best supporting cast member. It takes a lot of guts to walk into Tony Stark's armory, where he keep several suits that could easily kill you, and tell him that if he doesn't do what you tell him, you'll tase him and put on Supper Nanny. It was a lot of fun to see him again, and you really get the feeling that this guy has seen it all. Samuel L. Jackson gets to expand his role as Nick Fury, and it's basically him being awesome, but that's what he's best at, so we'll let him continue. Scarlett Johansson does well with what little she's given, but the problem is there's just not much we find out about her. Still, she does well in her fight scene, which, sadly, is the best one in the movie. As for the villains, it's a mixed bag. Again, they do what they can, but they're not given much. They're really at their best interacting with each other, because on their own they just don't have enough weight to carry their roles through. But they were very funny together, and that helps a little. Still, it continues to share one thing with the last Iron Man movie, that being the villains were only passable. Well hey, with Ben Kingsly playing the Mandarin in the next movie, maybe we will finally get a good solid villain. I can't wait to see what he does with the role. Why are you all looking at me like that?
In conclusion, Iron Man 2 limps along, but it's got enough little fun bits that you should be entertained for a while. However, next time we'll bring the hammer down on Thor, and decide if the god of thunder deserves his reputation, or if it's just another light show.
Trivia:
Stan Lee cameos as a man mistaken for Larry King.
Captain America's prototype shield returns, this time much more obvious.
Footage from the scene in The Incredible Hulk where the military tries to capture Hulk at Culver University is shown on a news channel, meaning that the first half of the movie runs concurrent with the events of Iron Man 2.
Tony Stark is recruited as a consultant for the Avengers Initiative, which leads into his appearance the end of The Incredible Hulk.
After the credits, Coulson arrives at a sight in New Mexico where Thor's hammer has crashed.
After filming was completed, merchandising and special FX work began. ILM continued on the work from the last movie, and began upgrading the designs of the suits. A comic prequel was released, along with numerous toys, and a video game. The film was eventually released on May 7, 2010. The critics had mostly good things to say about it, though pretty much everyone said it wasn't as good as the original. A common criticism was that the plot was convoluted, however, many also said that RDJ continued to excel in the role of Tony Stark, In terms of box office success, the movie opened to the fifth-highest opening weekend of the time, and made back roughly three times its budget. So, what did I think?
Iron Man 2 was a troubled movie. It was funny and well-acted, but the script was all over the place, and the action scenes are over just two minutes after they began. The problem with this movie is its script. If you need any more evidence, let me sum up the plot of the movie. Tony Stark is dealing with the after-affects of revealing his identity as Iron Man, with the government wanting him to hand over his suit. An element used in the arc reactor is slowly poisoning his blood, and will eventually kill him. He also has to deal with a business rival, Justin Hammer, S.H.E.I.L.D.'s ongoing investigations of his capability for the Avengers Initiative, and his new feelings for Pepper. Meanwhile, the son of an associate of Tony's father has made his own arc reactor, and is out for revenge. That's six different plot threads, and it just overstuffs the movie. It's basically the Spider-Man 3 of the Iron Man movies. And while I do enjoy Spider-Man 3, that doesn't change the fact that it's flawed, nor does the fact that I enjoyed parts of this movie change its flaws. However, the plot is not the only problem. If you watch the scene where Tony is celebrating his birthday by partying drunk in the suit, the way Rhodey and Pepper react implies that the scene is supposed to be dramatic, and we should be horrified by how Tony is abusing the suit. But the tone is completely comical, and all he's doing is smashing bottles and a watermelon. And this just continues on into the fight between Rhodes and Tony, which should be showing us just how far Tony's fallen, but instead tries to make the tone upbeat with pop songs. While we're on the subject of action scenes, they're VERY short. The longest one, at the end of the movie, barely takes more than three minutes. They're very rushed, and we never have any time to get excited. And let's face it, with everything going on in the story, there's little time to get invested in anything. And on a minor nitpick, how can the government force Tony to give them the Iron Man suit? I'm pretty sure that's unconstitutional. Which therefore makes Rhodes a thief, and Tony is simply to lazy to do anything about it. Quite frankly, this movie either needed to remove Vanko and his sub-plot, or remove Justin Hammer and War Machine. If either of these had been done, it would've allowed the movie a lot more time to focus on a few specific things, rather than dabbling all over, and not really amounting to anything. Quite frankly, I think there was a miscommunication between the script writer and Favreau and RDJ. While it's clear the story wants to be dramatic, so many scenes and lines make this feel like a comedy, like Tropic Thunder. But I suppose I should talk about what I liked in this movie now.
The FX, when used, are very good, and feel very polished. The suits and drones all looked like they were really there, and the CGI on Whiplash's whips were great. However, let's all be honest, it's Robert Downey Jr. we all came to see, and it's him who carries the movie. That's not to say the other cast member don't do well, especially Don Cheadle, who very capably replaced Terrance Howard. Gwyneth Paltrow continues to do well, and Jon Favreau makes the most of what little screen time he has. Clark Gregg stands out, however, as the best supporting cast member. It takes a lot of guts to walk into Tony Stark's armory, where he keep several suits that could easily kill you, and tell him that if he doesn't do what you tell him, you'll tase him and put on Supper Nanny. It was a lot of fun to see him again, and you really get the feeling that this guy has seen it all. Samuel L. Jackson gets to expand his role as Nick Fury, and it's basically him being awesome, but that's what he's best at, so we'll let him continue. Scarlett Johansson does well with what little she's given, but the problem is there's just not much we find out about her. Still, she does well in her fight scene, which, sadly, is the best one in the movie. As for the villains, it's a mixed bag. Again, they do what they can, but they're not given much. They're really at their best interacting with each other, because on their own they just don't have enough weight to carry their roles through. But they were very funny together, and that helps a little. Still, it continues to share one thing with the last Iron Man movie, that being the villains were only passable. Well hey, with Ben Kingsly playing the Mandarin in the next movie, maybe we will finally get a good solid villain. I can't wait to see what he does with the role. Why are you all looking at me like that?
In conclusion, Iron Man 2 limps along, but it's got enough little fun bits that you should be entertained for a while. However, next time we'll bring the hammer down on Thor, and decide if the god of thunder deserves his reputation, or if it's just another light show.
Trivia:
Stan Lee cameos as a man mistaken for Larry King.
Captain America's prototype shield returns, this time much more obvious.
Footage from the scene in The Incredible Hulk where the military tries to capture Hulk at Culver University is shown on a news channel, meaning that the first half of the movie runs concurrent with the events of Iron Man 2.
Tony Stark is recruited as a consultant for the Avengers Initiative, which leads into his appearance the end of The Incredible Hulk.
After the credits, Coulson arrives at a sight in New Mexico where Thor's hammer has crashed.
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