Okay I was supposed to do this review two days ago(granted I have no deadline who reads this blog, me and well me) but here it goes.
Yes that is a play on an eastwood movie title, and yes I am gonna go through and do my usual what I liked what I didn't like and what was awesome. A few things, this will be the hardest do not give out any spoiler blogs for me ever simply because this movie rocked, rocked like an early 80's metal band, and then went out and tore up the hotel room. Was it perfect no, a few things could have been either further delved into or left out completely and had absolutely no impact on the movie whatsoever.
The glimpses into Tony's dad Howard stark(while some might mistake this as an attempt to link tony to Howard Hughes Tony is Howard Hughes his dad just got the first name) were interesting and yet, I mean its was jumbled, kinda rambly almost like it was thrown in at the last minute. Now yes it seems that Jon was admitting that tony may have hereditarily gotten his alcoholism. And that like many kids we don't know our parents all day like they don't know us. But past the wow this is just what I needed, this is the case breaker(My cousin vinny reference) moment it could have been done better maybe there will be more on the DVD deleted scenes. Continuity wise they get a gig for the Terence Howard to Don Cheadle change, I know you can't control who the studio decides to hire and fire I know that but thats still a gig. Justin Hammer while I love the actor playing him and he played the part well TECHNICALLY Hammer is older then Tony he is between Tony's age and his dad's age. In Essence Justin Hammer was the up and comer in the game while Tony was a kid and Howard was building Stark International into the power house that it was going to become. Hammer always looked at Tony as an upstart not a rival, as an inexperienced brat interfering with his plans of corporate domination.
The age is the only thing I will complain about Hammer would have hired Vanko, would have been naive enough to let Whiplash paint him into a corner, as well as tried to sweet talk his way out of any problems that arose. So too young but otherwise spot on.
For those wondering what this movie's connection to the "iron man timeline is" this is technically linking us to Armor Wars. There was a time when Tony during the height of his alcoholism started running into villians powered by tech made by AIM, Hydra and one other organization that was basically based on Stark Tech, and by stark tech I mean Tony's Iron man Armor. Upon defeating a villian(it was either whiplash or titanium man I forget which and you know what google it, well maybe I will later and edit this post) Tony studying his armor was struck with grief because he realized all the pain caused by that villain was his fault(yes for like a year Tony stark had Peter Parker syndrome "it's all my fault god I have to fix it"). So Tony creates a virus or a device(I forget which it's been retold a few times since and both have been used) that basically completely disables anything based on his tech. Which you know would be okay if Tony hadn't of gone overboard. Any and EVERYTHING based on his tech his was taking out, so he took out the government guards at the vault, he took out super villians, he took out Heroes INCLUDING his good buddy War Machine AKA James Rhodes yes Roady is wearing stark tech(given to him by tony stark) and in his depressed/remorseful state not even his good friend is above his penance.
As for War Machine, they slightly jumped the gun in the telling of how James Rhodes becomes War machine. Because actually James Rhodes was Iron Man before he was War Machine, wait what James Rhodes was Iron Man. Yes a few times when tony was either sick, or unable to put the armor on himself James Rhodes his best friend and confidant would don the armor to either save Tony's butt, deflect suspicion away from Anthony Stark himself as being Iron man, or just come save the day when Tony was not available. There was an interesting occurrence where James Rhodes ran into the Mandarin while in the Iron Man armor and the Mandarin mentioned he always thought his Nemesis Tony Stark was the man under the helmet.
As for War machine I loved everything about how War Machine looked save the missing Missile launcher. Yes all that high tech that tony stark invents and War Machine really does look like a walking flying tank. With that huge Gattling gun on his shoulder, bullets flying from his wrists, yes the whole nine. If the two of them show up yes you know Iron man is going to kick you butt but war machine is the one who makes you wanna change your shorts. And yes armor wars(save Rhodes was fully war machine and tony took a few gattling and chain shots to the tuckus before he disabled his friends armor) did have tony fight against his friend in full armor. So the Two Tony vs Jim Rhodes armor fights were awesome.
This movie is full of hints to future Marvel projects, that I refuse to reveal here. The other Marvel Holy Grail metal is inferred but never mentioned by name, I guess that project has yet to be green lit. Pay close attention to the object tony uses to prop up his particle accelerator. If you see it and wonder whats so special look at the center again and the overall shape.
There are 3 avengers seen in Iron Man 2 and 3 hinted at, to see the third one you have to stay after the credits. For those wondering who the three are: War Machine, Iron man and Black Widow the red head from the trailer in the black suit. Granted that widow doesn't show as much cleavage as her comic book counter part, and her "accessories"/utility belt isn't silver but she is just as good a fighter. Technically widow is a russian Weapon Plus/nick fury super spy attempt. Depends on which timeline or telling you are talking about. She has been said to be highly trained in some and physically enhanced in others whether it be bionically, cybernetically, or "super serum". There are to my flawed memory 4 serums that have created super beings in marvel usually 1 shots save of course the green goblin formula because harry, Norman and one of the later goblin/hobgoblins have all gotten their hands on it. The super soldier serum that was given to cap, the centennial/whatever soldier serum given to fury, and whatever the russians injected into black widow. Because nick fury is actually older then captain america they both fought in WWII cap is still alive due to being frozen in ice fury due to his formula which slowed down the aging process in him and keeps him in pretty much top physical condition.
Now as for the villain(s) yes whiplash is an iron man villian, he does have those arc power "whips" and he did give Tony fits the first time they fought. But like Peter Parker for tony stark the first is the only free one. Because once you smack tony around the first time he goes back to the lab and cooks up an Armor especially made to beat the brakes off you. I wanna say it was nice to see the brief case armor, tony has life 4 of those. Like his DC counter part Tony Stark believes in being prepared, in the Movie it shows you 4 suits on display which are of course the four he wore in the last movie(for those who did not realize the suit from the iron monger fight was not the same as the suit from the tank fight) so yes you had the mark I, the Mark II(soon to become war machine), the Mark III(the first one to sport the Iron man Gold and Red) and the Mark IV. In actuality Tony and Bruce Collect suits like it's going out of style because they fight so many varied villains they never know what they are going to need. The only thing Jon hasn't delved into much is attachments. All the iron man(and even War Machine) suits are modular you can take off, add on and mix and match pieces if the armor you are wearing isn't fully prepared for the fight you are in. Granted this was only the second movie and as of yet tony really hadn't met anyone (before whiplash) who could at least stay in an extended fight with him. Now he has and of course he will be more prepared in the next movie. While Hammer may not in a sense be a "villain" in the sense that he never goes toe to toe with tony on the battlefield he does tend to supply some of tony's villains later in the story line. And yes the Hammeroids(hammer droids) are actual stark enemies too, but yes tony usually beats them up like he did in that fight scene in the trailer.
As for Nick Fury yes I like Samuel L as fury and I like the way he is playing fury: hard nosed, cocky, deceptive, bossy and while respected by some of the big kahunas of the marvel universe he also annoys the hell out of them. The Fury Stark interaction is perfect, Fury respects starks abilities hell most of the tech Fury uses for shield comes from Stark enterprises because it works period. He has known stark was IM for years(yes calls him shell head), has turned his head sometimes when tony has fallen off the wagon but has come to believe tony is a valuable hero. Doesn't stop him from steppin on his toes or spying on him from time to time. Tony respects what fury is and what he does he just can't stop the spoiled playboy in himself sometimes. Tony stark does not make as many weapons as he used to but when he does, he makes them for one Colonel Nick Fury. The shield Helicarrier developed by stark industries, the weapons they use, some of their ships/air craft all stark designs.
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are the founding members of a few Marvel Teams the first of course being the Defenders, the most memorable being the Avengers. Now as the Avengers movie is due out in either 2012 or 2014 I can't wait to see who else they introduce us to in the next few years.
Yes go see Iron Man 2, go see it a few times, because me and the baby bro are probably heading back this weekend.
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