Iron Man 2

The start of the Summer movie madness has officially begun!! The sun is out, the weather is hot as hell, and Iron Man 2 is finally here!! I love everything about the Summer time. But the things I like most are the Summer blockbusters that soar into theaters and create sell out midnight showings and cheering crowds. It's almost like going to a rock concert every Friday for 3 months straight....except better. This Summer started off quite nicely with Iron Man 2 as I had the pleasure of seeing it opening night this past Thursday at midnight.

If you haven't already seen the first Iron Man just stop what you're doing and go buy it now, it's great. If you have then you're like me and have been waiting for the sequel ever since the credits started to roll after the first one. The film opens with the Russian Ivan Vanko, played by Mickey Rourke, sitting by his father as he dies right there at his side. Ivan becomes....how can I put this....fucking PISSED. For some reason or another we learn in the following scene that this is somehow Tony Starks fault and Ivan immediately goes to work on his own suit to be able to get revenge on Tony and the Stark family name. We then cut to Stark flying into his own Expo in the Iron Man suit followed by a court appearance where we then learn that he has yet another enemy who want's to put Stark out of biz, Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell. Following that scene we realize that Tony is becoming poisoned by the Iron Man chest piece heart thing and he's slowly dying. That's really the entire story right there in a nutshell.

After an incredible scene at the Monte Carlo race track in Italy where Vanko and Stark battle it out, Justin Hammer soon realizes that he needs Vanko's skills, badly if he wants to create a suit that's tough enough to face the Iron Man. Hammer soon breaks Vanko out of jail and they immediately get to work. Vanko and Hammer were my favorite characters in the film and although Robert Downy Jr. is always great, I thought Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell did the best acting jobs in the film. Rourke spent some time off screen in a Russian prison to conduct research fro the role, researched and learned how to speak the Russian language, and apparently wore his own clothes during his scenes. His overall appearance was a little over the top but I actually really liked it. It was original.

Although it was fun I definitely had some complaints with the film. First off there's about a half hour of the film in the middle that I thought was really bad. It's the scene where Stark has a birthday party at his house and he ends up fighting War Machine. It was so over the top, goofy, and just kinda stupid. It just didn't work for me. Second, I hated how War Machine (Rhodey) was introduced. I mean he just hops in the suit and starts fighting Iron Man, his friend, at his own party. I understand why he did it but I thought it was poorly done and I thought in place of that ENTIRE party scene/fight we should have seen Rhodey actually learn how to use the suit. It would've been more epic. Now the result is that I don't give a shit about the War Machine character, they lost my interest now. Also they should've just kept Terrance Howard in the role because Don Cheadle didn't bring jack to the role, he sucked. Thirdly, Tony was a TAD just a TAD over the top with all his comedy. I mean it was to the point where I didn't believe that Tony Stark could even have a serious conversation with someone without cracking a joke and talking a mile a minute. But I DID like him, that was just a minor set back for me.

All in all I enjoyed Iron Man 2 but not quite as much as the first one. It's definitely a blu-ray that I will buy for sure and watch many more times, especially the Monte Carlo scene. Also another thing I loved was John Favreau's character, Happy Hogan. He was hilarious in this and had much more screen time than in the first one. Favs did a great job playing him. SPOILER- Stay after the credits to see Thor's hammer. Iron Man 2 gets a 7 outa 10.

Sherlock Holmes

Christmas is now officially complete. The presents have been opened and the family time has been shared. But most importantly I've been able to see the flawless Robert Downey Jr. tear up the screen one more time before the new year as detective Sherlock Holmes. The best present a movie goer could have this Christmas weekend.

This is a fast paced, action packed Sherlock Holmes from director Guy Ritchie. It's probably Guy's most hard hitting action packed adventure that he's made thus far, and a good one at that. The script is witty, well written, and smart. Very smart, it keeps us guessing right up until the end and has a brilliant use of flashbacks that reveal just how Holmes is actually solving this crime and the little clues he found along the way that we thought the film had skipped over. The films opens with a bang as Sherlock and Watson are racing against time to save a woman from the evil Lord Blackwood played by the creepy Mark Strong. After Blackwood is caught and then put to death by way of a hanging, questions arise when he supposedly turns up alive and Sherlock Holmes and his dear Watson pursue the case.

There is not a moment of boredom in this take on Sherlock Holmes as the fast talking, inventor/detective, runs, jumps, and smashes his way through to solve this mystery. Robert Downey Jr. may be the best actor of this generation. After Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Zodiac, Iron Man, and Tropic Thunder his comeback has proved that we have missed his presence dearly on screen, the place where he truly belongs. You can tell the man is brilliant because his physical appearance doesn't change much in Holmes. He still looks just like Downey Jr. in the Holmes wardrobe. But yet he completely changes into Holmes. The accent, the movements, the witty dialogue delivery, and the stunning choreography. These are the signs of a best actor Golden Globe winner if you ask me. He's simply brilliant and an absolute pleasure to watch on screen.

The supporting cast were also enjoyable. Jude Law's portrayal as Doctor Watson was right on. Nothing award worthy, but right on none the less The way he played Holmes' friend was very well done. He's annoyed and a bit aggravated at times with Holmes and his stubborn ways, yet he can't help but laugh at him and join him on his destructive missions. He always seems to be there for him when Holmes needs him, a true friend who knows him better than if not better than Holmes himself does. Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, Holmes' ex, was nothing special but still a pleasure to watch, as Rachel McAdams always is.

Sherlock Holmes would have worked just a well if it were released in the Summer among the huge blockbuster films. But hey, Christmas day works for me. It's just a big fun film with action, comedy, and suspense that will keep entire family entertained. If you think the film can't get any more entertaining the score by Hans Zimmer, who has been my favorite composer since Days of Thunder, makes it just that much more enjoyable. The score is phenomenal, an itunes purchase for sure. The script is smart, the performances are great, the London setting is perfect, and I'm giving Sherlock Holmes a 4 and 1/2 outa 5 because of it. Go watch it and have some fun.