The Dark Knight was a rare example of a sequel being better than the film that preceded it. I suppose you can also include Spiderman 2 and X-Men 2 in that category as well. Hell, you could argue that movies based on comic books tend to get better on the second go around. So, it is not out of the question to have high expectations for Iron Man 2. Director John Favreau put forth a great effort on the first go around. All the components were there to make Iron Man 2 the superior film. The same director was back along with the same charismatic lead actor. On top of that, the power of the internet allowed for the absorption of feedback from the movie’s fan base.
The problem for Iron Man 2 is high expectations. There really is nothing wrong with the movie as a whole. It is a fantastically fun movie that I enjoyed immensely. The expectations may have even blinded me a bit as to how well the movie really was. Stand alone with no comparison, people would be head over heels for Iron Man 2. Unfortunately, most people are already in love with the first movie and will be loyal to it. That’s a shame.
Robert Downey Jr. once again oozed with charisma while Micky Rourke brought forth an understated performance as the movie’s villain, Whiplash. Technically, there wasn’t a bad performance in the movie. Sam Rockwell delivered as Tony Stark’s professional rival, Justin Hammer. In fact, Rockwell more often than not, was a scene stealer, which is an accomplishment when Downey Jr is on screen with him. The person that enjoyed the most was Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Tony Stark’s assistant. I never really cared for her until the first Iron Man. She has grown on me because she demonstrated that she can be funny. The best parts of the movie are when she is on screen interacting with Downey Jr.
I’ll leave my assessment at that. No need to dwell on the plot and break down all the nuances. Just trust me when I say Iron Man 2 is worth your time. Also, please trust me when I say it is ridiculous to compare the movie directly to The Dark Knight. There is no question that The Dark Knight was an Oscar quality film. It is one of my all time favorites. However, it is a completely different kind of movie when you compare it to the Iron Man films. The only thing the movies have in common is that they were based on comic books. That isn’t stopping people from comparing the movies. I think it is ridiculous because it is like comparing apples to oranges. The movies have vastly different tones. Sure, both have plenty of action, but the down time between the action differs. The Dark Knight was moody and dark whereas Iron Man 2 is light and comedic. So I ask all of the naysayers to think twice when trying to compare the quality of these two sequels.
That’s all I have on Iron Man 2.
Did anyone catch Saturday Night Live last night? You know, the one with Betty White. The most watched SNL of the year. The one that everyone had been waiting for. As it turned out, the wait was well worth it. There is no question that Betty White delivered with her appearance on SNL.
Inititally there was some concern that her appearance would be downplayed because a half dozen or so former cast members were going to be on the show as well. As it turns out, White was in every sketch. I had expected them to give her a couple breaks since she is 88 and was up way past her bed time. Nope. My assumption is that she didn’t want it that way. And that was fucking awesome.
The lesson last night on SNL was that there is no substitution for old fashioned comedic delivery. Betty White is a funny person, so she can make even the poorly written bits at least somewhat funny just by delivering the lines. If you haven’t seen it, you should catch it on Hulu. You should especially like the reference to the “Wizard of Ass”.
This afternoon I took in The Descent Part 2 on DVD. The Red Box machine had it, so I figured it was worth a buck. Very few movies aren’t worth a dollar. I loved the original Descent. It was one of the few movies I can recall making me legitimately jump since I was a kid. Hell, it even gave me a nightmare the night after I first saw it. It is a creep fest. The sequel was unnecessary, but since the movie was cheap to make, they went ahead and did it.
The Descent Part 2 was not bad. It wasn’t anything earth shattering either. They did a couple of cool bits that kept the story and kills a little fresh. If you are bored on a rainy day, this one wouldn’t be your worst option.
Brewers swept the Diamondbacks this weekend. Good for them. They scored quite a few runs while doing so, as well. The pitching seemed very solid as well. Narveson was a force in the 5.1 innings he completed today. The kid is getting strike-outs, which is fine as long as he keeps the run totals down. 6-1 win, so I can’t complain.
The Packers will be sending out notices as to what games that Brown County lottery winners will be going to. I paid immediately, so I would think that there is a damn good chance that a regular season game will be awarded to me. I have four tickets to the game, whichever it may be. One is already going to Nate Dizzle. I may sell the other two if for some reason I get awarded tickets to the Vikings game. That would be epic. Nate hates Favre with a passion, so it would be a fun experience for him to go to his first Packers game with Favre on the opposite team.
There are my weekend rants. Sorry for the lack of excitement.
No comments:
Post a Comment