Iron Man 2 Official Discussion

[JonWes]

I have a feeling that the Avengers movie is going to be plagued by a lot of complaints about too little screen time for certain characters--particularly Stark. He's already just a consultant for the Avengers? How much you want a bet he won't show up until after the half way point in the Avengers movie, and will have a role just slightly bigger than Fury has in Ironman 2?

Possibly. Favreau had said he hadn't read the Avengers script yet - and that was after Iron Man 2 was opening. So I don't think it was a direct set-up. I think they did that just to leave it open for the Avengers movie to take place after Thor in the time line (which comes after IM2) and not have Iron Man already be a member. That way he can join at the start of the movie.

It's looking like the time line of Marvel Studios Movies is something like this:

Captain America (well, the bits in the past)
Iron Man 1
Iron Man 2
Incredible Hulk
Thor
Captain America (bits in the "present", but that's a total guess)
Avengers

[King Tycho]

Finally saw it. Not as good as the first, but still great fun, and very little "grim'n'gritty" that Hollywood seems so obcessed with lately. That's a fad I'd love to see die out.

[Mr. Shokoti]

Finally saw it. Not as good as the first, but still great fun, and very little "grim'n'gritty" that Hollywood seems so obcessed with lately. That's a fad I'd love to see die out.

So would I, but as much money as The Dark Knight made, I doubt we'll see the "grim n' gritty" die anytime soon. I just hope we don't get a Superman movie where he's ripping people's heads off.

[TechTrek]

why do many people have such a hatred towards Black Widow?
or the actress that plays her.

I am not "backing her" by any means, but do people not realize that she is a spy????

we "as the readers" are an eye into this world. so in the comics when it feels so cool cause "we know things the person next to her doesnt know...."

but in the movie people are screaming. " dang her, she didnt speak russian!!!"
i just find it funny i guess..

do people want her to all of a sudden break "character" and turn to nick fury and say, in her thickest russian accent, "these people do not know how to fight....."
is that what would make her a better Black Widow?

or the sexy side of things, i have heard complains.... have any of you complaining SEEN her/read her in a comic book??? if my memory serves me correctly, she has slept with several avengers (might be more if i include the rest of marvel universe superheroes)....

and people are mad she was just "candy" for the eyes?



i guess what I am saying is i thought she did everything she was asked to do. if you dont think it was believeable thats fine, but to say, "thats not what a spy would do....." is funny to me.

being mad at her would like being mad at christian bale for his screamy/growly batman voice.

its a directors issue. not actors.

[MOTUfan]

Yup she has been around being a spy and all the list includes, but is not limited too:

The Red Guardian
Hawkeye
Daredevil
Hercules
Captain America (James "Bucky" Barnes) (Current lover)
Iron Man

I think Power Man was in there too. Not sure who else but that list seems short.

[TechTrek]

Yup she has been around being a spy and all the list includes, but is not limited too:

The Red Guardian
Hawkeye
Daredevil
Hercules
Captain America (James "Bucky" Barnes) (Current lover)
Iron Man

I think Power Man was in there too. Not sure who else but that list seems short.

yeah, so as far as "source material" i think she acted out her character very well for not ACTUALLY sleeping with someone....

[Mr. Shokoti]

Black Widow sucked not because she didn't speak Russian or because she was portrayed quite slutty(she's been like that in the comics for years). She sucked because, imho, Johansson is a butterface, can't act, was quite dull in the role(except for her stunt double), and she added nothing to the movie.

[TechTrek]

Black Widow sucked not because she didn't speak Russian or because she was portrayed quite slutty(she's been like that in the comics for years). She sucked because, imho, Johansson is a butterface, can't act, was quite dull in the role(except for her stunt double), and she added nothing to the movie.

thats the kind of reasoning I like

valid, real reasons.

kudos mr shokoti. I respect those reasons more than others that have been stated.

[Mr. Shokoti]

thats the kind of reasoning I like

valid, real reasons.

kudos mr shokoti. I respect those reasons more than others that have been stated.

Thanks! I'm just happy you didn't mistake my disdain for Scarlett Johansson as me attacking your opinion. We all have our own.

[TechTrek]

Thanks! I'm just happy you didn't mistake my disdain for Scarlett Johansson as me attacking your opinion. We all have our own.

not at all, i just didnt like hearing all of the "we dont like who she was, even though it is who she IS in comics" type of arguments....

[carlo]

saw the movie last night and man did it just dragged in the middle of this film.

i wont be buying or viewing this film again... thumbs down for me.

don cheadle playing rhodes now? pass. even his script was less air time.. thank goodness. and him in the suit?

the whole avenger spin.. sucked. boring. samuel jackson, just look like a black jason from friday the 13th.

black widow, just was there to wear a tight dress and walk around.

mickey rouke was also dull. so much time was extended with his character, boring.

not enough iron man at all until the end of film. WTH?!

i knew this film was just gonna be one of those try to hard to overpower the first.

the first iron man ROCKED!

went downhill now in my book

[Uki]

Wow, Carlo...I'm sorry you didn't care much for this...AWESOME MOVIE!!!

[MOTUfan]

COMIC SPOILERS:






Well, since it would be a good three or more years off they could have Pepper Potts don her suit perhaps.

Could liven up the franchise a bit.

As she was just mortally wounded and had a very movie-like procedure done and given her own suit, now goes by the name of Rescue:





The suit also has the AI of Jarvis inside to help her, it is actually pretty cool.

[wyldman11]

Just saw it, the first half I was enjoying pretty well. Then it seemed to start glossing over story to get to the end. Which wasn't bad, but felt rushed.

[G-Man]

I finally saw this and man, it was disappointing. The first one was great but I found this one to be pretty dull and unmemorable.

And, uh ... Scarlett Johansson is beautiful. If she's not, I don't know what is. Yeah, she didn't add much to the film but I just had to say that.

[Vanquest]

1- Best character development - Tony deals with his troubled past/present time and cope with his father's figure in a poetic and effective way.
2- Brilliant dialogues and action/drama/humour timing.
3- Downey Jr. on fire again!
4- Best CGI in a Iron Man "solo" movie so far.
5- Most beautiful aerial fight ever commited on celluloid.
6- Ultra-cool fights. The Formula 1 fight is impressive (even in terms of direction).
7- Flawless direction.
8- Biggest superhero movie with Superman '78, The Dark Knight, The Avengers and Iron Man 1.
9- Interesting villains.
10- Overall fascinating and unpredictable movie.

[Krueger]

Whoa.....Sorry, but I really disagree with you. I think Iron-man 2 is a jumbled mess. It’s too busy setting up the Avengers that it forgets to be its own film. It’s definitely the weakest out of all the Marvel Universe films thus far.

[krugos]

I enjoy it more than the first Iron Man, although I don't think it is a better movie. I think what Krueger mentions as faults, valid as it may be, is one of the reasons I enjoy it more, because I see these films as one single big story and the little bits that connects them make me happy. Iron Man II is great as an episode but not that balanced as a stand alone film. That aside, I loved War Machine and Mickey Rourke's character... although his last fight was rather short. The briefcase suit was awesome, a great nod to the comics. I love this film.

[Brad2dbone]

I thought the first Iron Man was better, along with 10-12 other superhero movies.

[ehenyo]

I like Don Cheadle, but I don't like he was thrown in as a replacement actor for the same character.

[JonWes]

Iron Man 2 has a rough time of it coming off of the first movie, because the first movie was so tightly constructed and fresh. It's my favorite superhero movie. Ever. My expectations were high for Iron Man 2, and I have to say when I first saw it... I enjoyed it immensely! But strange things happen on repeat viewings. I do think the cracks start to show some. Although I just watched it again after seeing Avengers and I kind of came around again to not caring about some of its issues. I think it's maybe less re-watchable than the first, but not a misfire by any means.

I never bought this "its ruined because it sets up Avengers" argument for Iron Man 2. Nor do I buy it for Captain America or Thor, where people try to use the same criticism. The only things in here that set up Avengers are Black Widow and Nick Fury. Could you remove them from the plot? Probably. But would the plot get better for it? I'm not so sure. Nick Fury is not in it any time at all, and it's just to set Stark down the path of looking at his dad's work. Black Widow is more of a presence, but she's one that I personally enjoy in the way she works off of Pepper and Tony both. Plus, BW has a long history with the Iron Man character in the comics so it felt appropriate.

What I think really drags the film down are the things that have nothing to do with Avengers at all:

- Trying to tackle Starks daddy issues AND him dying in one film. Either one of these would have been fine as a focus. Both of them feel like too much maudlin for Stark to have to wade through.

- Whiplash is boring. It's not like the actor doesn't give it his best go, but I was never that interested in his backstory and they whimped out by making his father a traitor in it for the money. If there really had been some shady cover-up in the past and Whiplash actually had some reason to feel the way he did, it would have been more interesting.

- Natalie Rushman is a totally confusing character. I actually really like Scarjo as Black Widow. Her fight in the Hammer compound was great. She was amazing in Avengers. But I have zero clue what they were trying to do with her here. What exactly was she trying to accomplish in the scene with Stark where she basically baits him into partying it up? What is going on when Pepper confronts her? Where did that come from? What WAS she trying to do? I just don't feel like she makes a lot of sense when she's not being Black Widow.

- Don Cheadle is a pretty flat Jim Rhodes. I thought Terrance Howard wasn't a great Jim Rhodes either, but at least he had a little sparkle in his eye. I was excited by the recast at first, but we never get to see the warm friendship between him and Stark played out before he starts acting like an uptight nanny. It's not that I don't think he was right in confronting Stark, but I just don't think he came off that well.

- Shrieky Pepper. I love the character of Pepper Potts as imagined in these movies. Paltrow's interplay with Downey Jr. is great. But I think Favreau should have toned down some of Pepper's shrieking. I like that she's a normal human and is phased by the craziness, but a little goes a long way.

So, I think structurally it's a bit cumbersome and with a little more focus it would have been just as good as IM. But I still think it's a great movie all around, and I certainly don't think it has anything to do with it setting up Avengers, which it does in all of two short scenes max.

[BCreviews4628]

I like it but that's as far as I'll take it. I like the first better personally.

[GP Legend]

Iron Man 2 is awesome. I loved it more than the first, and I really loved the first. I can understand some of the criticisms people have, but what I don't understand is how people who enjoyed the first one think the sequel is bad.

[Dr Kain]

Yeah, I mean, I think IM2 has some great scenes, Black Widow and War Machine are awesome, but a lot of it was average, especially compared to the first one. Not to mention I do not like Mickey Rourke all that much outside of Sin City.

As for your breakdown,

I found the villians to be boring. I wanted Mandarin, not another greedy corporation head and some loser with a grudge.
Best aerial fight is a no. Revenge of the Sith still has a superior one. Hell, I think even Spaceballs has better aerial fight scenes.
Formula 1 fight is hardly a fight. The suit is cool, but there was barely any battle there.
X-Men First Class is by far superior to this.

[He-Dad]

It was a good movie but I felt the climax was....well.....anti-climatic. I also wasn't a fan of Don Cheadle, agree that Pepper wasn't very Pepper-like, and I just thought all around the first was better by leaps and bounds. Honestly, I enjoyed The Incredible Hulk more than Iron Man 2.