MOVIE REVIEW: Iron Man 2

Finally saw Iron Man 2 with the Other Half on a lazy Memorial Day after tennis from the French Open was done for the day.

The sequel has now grossed nearly 300 million dollars since its release on Friday May 7th. At rottentomatoes.com it has a rating of 74% (which is significantly lower than the original which is rated at 93%).

The film stars Robert Downey, Jr, Gwyneth paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke and Scarlet Johanssen.

Unfortunately, as with most summer blockbusters, the challenge of repeating a success is too much for many films and the sequel is less enjoyable than the original.

The plot literally makes no sense whatsoever, and multiple sequences seem to have been included merely to provide the opportunity for huge explosions.

Downey is fine and replays his narcissistic version of billionaire Tony Stark a bit too convincingly. Oscar-winner Paltrow is merely annoying as Downey's sidekick and purported love interest. The appearance of Don Cheadle to play the character originated by Terrence Howard in Iron Man is just offensive. It leaves the impression the director and producer felt that one black actor is indistinguishable from another.

The best part of Iron Man 2 is Mickey Rourke, who plays an excellent, creepy villain in Ivan Stanko. There is a deliberate effort to connect to the Iron Man character to upcoming Marvel Studios films featuring Captain America and The Avengers which will be arriving in future summers.

The movie has some mildly entertaining sequences but overall it's really a movie you can wait to see on cable.

Running Time: 2 hours, 4 minutes.
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.
Director: Jon Favreau.

OVERALL GRADE: B/B-.

ACTING: B.
IMAGERY: A-.
PLOT: C.
IMPACT: B-.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler has been gathering multiple accolades for Mickey Rourke's shattering performance as professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson. Additionally, Oscar winner Marisa Tomei has a pivotal role as his potential love interest and Evan Rachel Wood plays Randy's estranged (and possibly lesbian) daughter.

Presumably, the film's 98% rating on rottentomatoes.com is fueled by Mickey Rourke's disturbing portrayal of a man who is completely stuck in his 1980s heyday. Rourke's physical transformation into an unrecognizable, broken man who has been wrestling professionally for over 20 years is executed with jaw-dropping verisimilitude. Randy (Rourke's character) is now partly deaf in one ear, riddled with injuries and on multiple medications. He also lives in a rented trailer (that he can't always afford) in New Jersey(!) and is completely alone except for the time he spends in a stripper club called "Cheeks" that lets him in because he has a good line on cheap painkillers for the bouncer.

Cassidy (Tomei's character) is a stripper at Cheeks who appears to think of Randy as more than just a customer and reveals more layers as the film unspools. Stephanie (Wood's character) is Randy's daughter who he contacts after an unspecified number of years at Cassidy's suggestion. All three actors are superb, with Rourke delivering a towering performance that is destined to become widely celebrated. Director Aronofosky, known for his showy visuals in movies like Π and The Fountain, shoots this movie in a very subdued, almost documentary style which deepens its emotional impact.



Running Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes, MPAA Rating: R.


OVERALL GRADE: A-.

ACTING: A.
IMAGERY: B+.
PLOT: B+.
IMPACT: A.