What can I say, I am a bit of a power armor fanboy so it should be no surprise that I am an Iron Man fan. I collected the comics when I was a kid and I pick up Iron Man graphic novels when ever I come across them now. So no surprise, I love the movies and seeing Don Scheadle taking on the role of Brody and ending up as the bad ass Warmachine as seen to my left, you can only imagine my delight.
Last night I descended on my local movie theater at the 12:01am time slot and watched the second part of what I am sure could only end as a three part trilogy, and probably before we ever get to Avengers. So approaching this movie as part 2 of a 3 part story I can honestly say it was a good movie, much better at least then Matrix: Reloaded or part 2 movies of its like (no one has been able to match Back to the Future 2, and I hope they never do).
It featured all the same bits as Iron Man did, but with a twist as all sequels do, falling a bit into how can we make the first movie again... but different trap. As most sequels go they update existing characters, add new ones, and make the whole thing more flashy. The new characters include Mick Rourke as Whiplash (the new villian), Scarlett Johansson as the undercover shield agent Black Widow?, and Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. Rourke does an okay job of filling the shoes to power armored enemy that Jeff Bridges's Obadiah Stane was in the first Iron Man. Scarlett Johansson did what Scarlett Johansson does, dominated every scene she is in and make you forget that there are other actors on the screen, except when facing down Gwyneth Paltrow who out shines her surprisingly in every scene the pair appear in over the course of the movie.
Sam Rockwell does a good job of portraying Justin Hammer, a conceited and jealous rival to Stark's success, who I am sure will be back in Iron Man 3. The real breakouts for me in this movie though were Paltrow's portrayal of Pepper Potts, who moves from a spunky supporting star to full on main stream character in Iron Man 2; and Don Scheadle's Brody, who acted merely as comical relief in the first movie, but ends up as main stream bad ass as Warmachine, the yang to Iron Man's yin, though they completely kill Warmachine's original origins which disappoints me a small amount.
Finally Sam Jackson returns as Nick Fury (still do not like him in this role) and the Avenger plot thickens. He plays his bad ass (read I am Sam Jackson playing Sam Jackson that he always plays) self. Look for nods to many of the Avenger characters through out the movie, they are there to see. Last but not least, remember, stay til after the end credits, just stay till the lights come up, stay...
Good movie, suffered from the middle movie syndrome some, but still a fun film and one I would recommend to the Marvel fanboy and action fan alike.
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