Posts with tag iron man
Posted Oct 2nd 2008 9:15AM by Monika Bartyzel
Filed under: Action, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
July 16th became the new Christmas this year, when Eugene revealed the scribe for the
Iron Man sequel --
Justin Theroux. Really, the actor's inclusion is a nice metaphor for why I like the first
Iron Man to begin with -- it's a wonderful mixture of sexiness, smarts, and charm. (I mean, heck, I accepted him as my
personal saviour.) So now we're getting more, in capable hands, and one
Mr. Jon Favreau shared some details during a live web chat with
LA Times readers.
First off, Favreau says that he's currently working with Theroux on the first draft, and they're playing with who the villain of the next pic will be. I imagine that this decision might be influenced by visual possibilities, as Favreau is also presently working with a storyboard artist and costumers. From there, Jon has a take on Mandarin, "that allows us to incorporate the whole pantheon of villains. The whole 10 Rings thing in IM 1 was a good tease for it," muses over the possibility of a female villain, and confirms that #2 will focus on the aftermath of Tony's "I am Iron Man," statement.
Best of all, Favreau says that things are coming together smoothly with "fewer casting issues" than the first round, so I imagine we will start getting casting notices soon, and with that, an idea of what villains ol' Tony will face.
Oh wait. Here's one last piece of food for thought from Favs: "Sam Rockwell could've been a cool Tony if not RDJ." What say you,
Cinematical readers, could Rockwell have pulled it off? And of course -- who do you want Iron Man to face this time around?
Posted Sep 30th 2008 3:32PM by Kevin Polowy
Filed under: DVD Reviews, New on DVD, Home Entertainment
Iron ManAt the risk of drawing the ire of Batfans everywhere, I'll just come out and say it:
Iron Man is
the best my favorite superhero movie of the year. (Dear Comic-Con: Please don't revoke my press pass.)
Dark Knight is indeed brilliant, and brilliantly dark, but
Iron Man is just so much more ... fun (AND it has social messages!). Poor
Jeff Bridges may not hold a candle to the late Heath Ledger in the villain department, but Iron Man wins out elsewhere. Its characters are colorful and layered, its action is supremely stylish and never overbearing (unlike
Transformers, even in its hot metal-on-metal action) and thanks to sensibilities of
Robert Downey Jr. and director
Jon Favreau, it's flat-out funny. Man-crush alert: Downey Jr. is fast on his way to becoming an acting icon, right up there with Al Pacino and Jared from Subway.
Buy it!!!
(Available in both single disc and two-disc special edition)
Forgetting Sarah MarshallThe latest from Camp Apatow stars a far-too-naked
Jason Segel, an almost unrecognizably sexy
Mila Kunis 2.0, a scene-stealing
Russell Brand, and
Kristen Bell. The film definitely has its moments, but I'm just not sold on Segel as a leading man, who seems to equate "comedic skill" with "revealing your junk." And as much as we enjoy rooting for a lovable loser, at some point in the movie it helps if he stops moaning, crying and being generally so extremely pathetic. After
Pineapple Express,
Tropic Thunder and
The Happening,
Sarah Marshall will have to settle for being the fourth funniest movie so far this year.
Rent it, or buy it in the discount bin (Available in both single disc and two-disc collector's edition)
Continue reading Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 9/30
Posted Sep 30th 2008 8:43AM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Deals, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and Clips
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Happy New Year to all my brothers and sisters. May 5769 kick a whole lot more ass than 5768. While over 98% of Hollywood takes the day off, here's what's happening:
Variety reports that Michael Bay has taken a page from Christopher Nolan and will shoot "at least three action set pieces" using IMAX cameras during
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Usually I'd reserve this spot for a Bay joke, but I truly think this is a great thing for a film like
Transformers. The action scenes in the last one felt claustrophobic (especially toward the end), and so utilizing IMAX would allow Bay and Co. to open it up and really have fun with the thing. Visually, this could add a lot to the film. Hopefully they'll use it for some massive robot battle. Other films also mentioned in the article as possible contenders for a similar IMAX approach include
Iron Man 2 and
Y: The Last Man.
Looks like the old gang is making a play for
Spider-Man 4 (and
5?), as
Kirsten Dunst told
MTV that she's "in" when asked whether she'd be returning to the mega-franchise as Peter Parker's old lady, Mary Jane. However, she did follow that up with "I'm not saying anything. I know there's rumors ..." -- which, in actor-speak, means "We're still negotiating and I'm not really allowed to open my big mouth." I'd expect a big announcement soon stating the return of Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst for a back-to-back shoot of
Spider-Man 4 and
5.
Thomas Dekker (aka that dude who stars in
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is in talks to snag a lead role in MGM's remake of
Fame, so says
The Hollywood Reporter. The original 1980 film, which was nominated for six Oscars, follows several aspiring young performers and teachers at the prestigious New York Academy of Performing Arts. Considering the times we live in, I envision this update to feel like a mix between
Step Up, You Got Served and
American Idol: The Movie.
Much more after the jump ...
Continue reading News Bites: 'Transformers 2' Goes IMAX, Mary Jane Returns and More
Posted Sep 12th 2008 10:02AM by Scott Weinberg
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, Fandom, Home Entertainment, Comic/Superhero/Geek
OK, the first thing I noticed was the lack of an audio commentary of any kind. I mean,
Jon Favreau and
Robert Downey Jr. are certainly known for their affable and garrulous nature -- and they're also damn funny guys. So I was definitely looking forward to a chat track with Favreau, Downey and
Jeff Bridges -- with maybe an alternate track for the producers / screenwriters / etc. -- but I can only assume those commentaries are being postponed for a later DVD. (And I checked: No commentaries on the Blu-Ray release either.)
So with that minor and very nerdly disappointment out of the way, I dug into the other stuff. And wouldn't you know it? The 2-disc
Iron Man Special Edition is every bit the fantastic package that this movie deserves. Will the film warrant a big, fat THREE-discer once
Iron Man 2 rolls around? Almost definitely. But that's a few years away, and for twenty bucks you can get a whole lot of Marvel-ous fun out of this set.
On disc one we have the 125-minute feature film in glorious 16x9 widescreen. Also included on this disc are about 18 minutes of deleted bits and extended scenes. Nothing too revelatory, but there are some nice exchanges and interesting takes here. Best of all, none of the excised sequences make you wanna smack someone and go "D'oh! That shoulda been in the movie!!" Plus we get a bunch of promos for
Star Trek,
Indiana Jones,
The Incredible Hulk, and the animated series
Iron Man: Armored Adventures.
Ahhh, but then we get to Disc Two!
Continue reading An Early Peek at the 'Iron Man' DVD Goodies!
Posted Sep 11th 2008 5:02PM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, RumorMonger, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
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With the success of
The Dark Knight in both IMAX and conventional theaters, chances are our next big superhero movies will take a page out of Christopher Nolan's playbook and shoot a few scenes in IMAX. Not only does it look hella cool, but it's also a great marketing tool. Beyond that, it won't be long before we're watching our first live-action Marvel flick in 3-D too, and if
Jon Favreau has his way,
Iron Man 2 might just be that film.
Speaking during a mini press conference for the
Iron Man DVD, Favreau addressed a few questions regarding the highly-anticipated sequel.
Collider tells us this: "... the highlight was Jon saying he'd love to do
Iron Man 2 in 3D! He also called the IMAX
Dark Knight footage a game changer and he said he'd love to shoot part of
Iron Man 2 in IMAX. Regarding the 3D, he said it's all about the cost, but if they can make it happen he'd like to do it. He talked about getting to see the armor in 3D and how cool it would be."
Personally, I'm not so sure I'd want to see
Iron Man 2 in 3-D. That, coupled with the whole IMAX what-to-do, just feels a little too gimmicky for me. I'd rather see them concentrate on creating a sequel that's more entertaining than the first, with a better story, engaging characters and awesome fights. I'll take the IMAX scenes, sure, but hold back on the 3-D for now.
But what do you think?
Iron Man 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on April 30, 2010.
Posted Aug 30th 2008 9:03PM by Scott Weinberg
Filed under: Action, Animation, Comedy, Horror, Music & Musicals, Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Mystery & Suspense, Theatrical Reviews, Fandom, Family Films, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Games and Game Movies, Lists, Summer Movies, Fan Rant
It's difficult (and a little silly) to try and judge an entire quarter-year's movies in one lump sum -- but that's what we seem to do at the end of every
Summer Movie Season. That's when all our excitement, expectations, and final reactions come colliding together and we find ourselves thinking: "Was I actually looking forward to that piece of
crap for four months?" But to me, each summer is like a walk through a carnival: Some of the attractions dazzle me, others simply don't interest me, and a few are just a waste of tickets. But once early May rolls around, I'm always ready for another trip to the Hollywood Movie Carnival. (It's where you find all the tentpoles!)
So while I'm elated to greet the upcoming season of "prestige movies," there's little denying that we've had one hell of a good summer, cinematical-ly speaking. I'm not talking about box office grosses, because frankly that stuff is so unimportant. What matters is that we got some good flicks, a few pieces of mindless (yet well-made) popcorn adventures, and even a few great films that will enjoy a very long shelf life. So while I'm not exactly sure that 2008 represents the finest Summer Movie Season of all time, I'd definitely say it was more good than bad. But if you can think of a summer that was better than this one, you know where to throw your comments. (In the comments section.)
Continue reading Discuss: Summer Movie Season 2008 -- The Big Recap
Posted Aug 17th 2008 9:02AM by Christopher Campbell
Filed under: Foreign Language, Independent, Exhibition, Columns
Week after week, I focus on the good and/or bad concerning moviegoing and the movie theatre industry. But as passionate as I am about the subjects of this column, I've never really felt strongly enough to label any one person either a hero or a villain to moviegoers. Perhaps the closest I've come to calling someone a hero was when I finally had
my first experience with an Alamo Drafthouse cinema. On the other hand, I've certainly wanted to call a lot of people villains, including whoever was responsible for
my worst moviegoing experience in years and whoever came up with
the awful idea to produce scented pre-show ads.
So, it was by some sort of coincidence that last week actually brought news of both a remarkably heroic moviegoer and a terribly villainous theatre owner. Of course, you're welcome to disagree with me as I celebrate the former and castigate the latter. The interesting thing about these two individuals is that some of you may see my hero as a villain, and vice versa. In fact the law has deemed the former a criminal, and meanwhile tons of moviegoers in the UK are championing the actions of the latter. No wonder film exhibition is in such dire straits when there's such disagreement about how to improve the moviegoing experience.
Continue reading The Exhibitionist: Heroes and Villains
Posted Aug 15th 2008 5:40PM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Action, Fandom, Home Entertainment, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Trailers and Clips
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Remember this photo above from
Iron Man? Got it ... now remember where exactly this was in the movie? You don't because this particular scene wasn't included in the theatrical cut, but
is included as a deleted scene on the DVD. Access Hollywood has a first look at the scene in question (watch it after the jump), which follows Tony Stark and Pepper Potts to Stark's home in Dubai where he travels to use as a cover before attacking terrorists in the Middle East. Of course, why not throw a party while there ... and in typical Stark fashion, said party is packed with beautiful girls in skimpy bikinis.
At one point, after telling Pepper to cue up the fireworks, Stark takes two girls up to a pimped-out room for a little ... company. On their way up to the room, they pick up a third girl and away we go. Sure, I understand why the scene existed (in order to get Stark, the socialite, from Cali to the Middle East so that Stark, the superhero, could take care of some business), but I also see why it was left on the cutting room floor. Too much playing, too much suave ... too much period. But what do you think?
Iron Man arrives on DVD this September 30. Check out tons of
DVD details over here, and the clip after the jump.
Continue reading 'Iron Man' Deleted Scene: The Foursome We Never Saw
Posted Aug 14th 2008 11:02AM by Monika Bartyzel
Filed under: Fandom
Some, I'm sure, watched
Iron Man wishing they were the lucky one-night paramours of Tony Stark. Others, of course, just wanted that super awesome suit. Well, if you're one of the latter, you should really head on over to
hacknmod.com. The website has been posting a bunch of DIY projects they've found on building your own personal Iron Man. (If only someone could also come up with a money tree or a sweet inheritance DIY project too ...) There are step-by-step guides, videos of the creations, and pictures of it from the film.
Make the
hand repulsor. Whip up an
arc reactor. Better yet -- make yourself an
Iron Man mask. What's next? The whole flipping suit? If someone pulls that off, I'll be mighty impressed.
However, if
The Dark Knight is more up your alley, they've also posted a super-cute
USB bat spotlight. To the bat cave!
Posted Aug 13th 2008 12:02PM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Action, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
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Since it's shaping up that the two largest fan favorites of the summer will be
Iron Man and
The Dark Knight, it's only right to hear what one superhero has to say about the other. And when you're talking about
Robert Downey Jr., it means you're guaranteed a tremendous quote. Our friends over at
Moviehole sat down with the
Tropic Thunder/Iron Man star to shoot the sh*t and came away with one helluva quote from Downey Jr. on
The Dark Knight. So, did Iron Man like the Bat Man?
"My whole thing is that that I saw 'The Dark Knight'. I feel like I'm dumb because I feel like I don't get how many things that are so smart. It's like a Ferrari engine of storytelling and script writing and I'm like, 'That's not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.' I loved 'The Prestige' but didn't understand 'The Dark Knight'. Didn't get it, still can't tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I'm like, 'I get it. This is so high brow and so f--king smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.' You know what? F-ck DC comics. That's all I have to say and that's where I'm really coming from."
God Bless that man. Sure, I get that
TDK was a tad confusing and complex at times, but so is the character and so is his universe. Personally, I enjoyed both films very much for different reasons, and think Downey Jr. is being a tad rough on his competition. Then again, maybe that's the point.
Posted Aug 11th 2008 10:02AM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Action, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Remakes and Sequels, Monday Morning Poll, Polls
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I'm heading out to watch
Star Wars: The Clone Wars later on today, and while a part of me is excited to be revisiting some of my all time favorite characters, the rest is sort of "eh" about the whole thing. And I'm not sure why, either. It's funny, too, because Campea over at
The Movie Blog wrote up a similar piece recently where, prior to attending this film's premiere, he was trying to figure out why he wasn't excited about going to see a brand spanking new
Star Wars movie. For him, it seems dude wasn't keen on watching another between-episode story.
Me? Not sure. I really enjoyed the last
Clone Wars series, and ever since the original flicks I've always wanted to see this time in the
Star Wars mythology played out a bit more. Honestly, I think I'm just spent on summer movies. I mean, is it just me or does it feel like
Iron Man came out seven years ago already? I'm hyped out. I'd rather spend the last days of summer watching simple comedies or dramas (especially before a heavy awards season) than with a beloved franchise like
Star Wars. So yeah, for me maybe it's the release date. A movie like this in late February, early March or early April and my excitement level is higher. End of August and, well, I'm just burnt. Still, though, I really do hope it rocks.
What about you? Are you excited for a new Star Wars movie?
Posted Aug 8th 2008 11:02AM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Fandom, Newsstand, Home Entertainment
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Paramount Home Entertainment has officially announced the first major summer movie on DVD, and trust me when I say this will be worth the money. Yes,
Iron Man will arrive on shelves this September 30 in a 2-disc Ultimate Edition on both DVD and Blu-ray (the war is over, so I trust you've upgraded by now). There will also be a single disc for those not interested in the ridiculous amount of special features, but something tells me those types of people don't hang around
Cinematical much. Okay, here's what we're looking at:
The IRON MAN Ultimate Edition two-disc Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 Dolby True HD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. Bonus features include:
Disc 1:· Hall of Armor
The Invincible Iron Man (HD)
-- Origins
-- Friends & Foes
-- The Definitive Iron Man
-- Demon in a Bottle
-- Extremis and Beyond
-- Ultimate Iron Man
Deleted/Extended Scenes (HD)
BD Live:
-- Iron Man IQ
Disc 2:· I Am Iron Man (HD)
-- The Journey Begins
-- The Suit that makes the Iron Man
-- The Walk of Destruction
-- Grounded In Reality
-- Beneath the Armor
-- It's All in the Details
-- A Good Story, Well Told
Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man (HD)
Robert Downey Jr. Screen Test (HD)
The Actor's Process (scene rehearsal with cast) (HD)
The Onion "Wildly Popular Iron Man Trailer to be Adapted into Full Length Film" (HD)
Theatrical Trailers (HD)
Image Galleries
Regular DVD special features after the jump ...Continue reading Holy 'Iron Man' DVD Details!
Posted Jul 25th 2008 8:02PM by Jeffrey M. Anderson
Filed under: Columns, 400 Screens, 400 Blows
It's all about
The Dark Knight this week. Part of the hype is the twin performances by Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, which is not undeserved. But both Bale and Ledger belong to a certain school of acting, and it's worth discussing the other schools, especially since one type tends to overshadow the other. When it comes time for acting awards to be doled out, I'm afraid that these two performances will blot out others, especially Robert Downey Jr.'s in Iron Man (375 screens). Actors use many different methods in their craft. One is what I'll call the "Brando" school. When Marlon Brando exploded onto the movie screen in the early 1950s, he brought a new style that was dubbed "raw" and "sensual." He used his entire being in his performances; his study of the "Method" taught him to reach deep into his own experiences to find real emotions to adapt to his characters.
The other school is the "always plays himself" school, of which John Wayne was probably the most pre-eminent member. Wayne had a very limited range and couldn't play all the various characters that Brando could, but he had a very specific onscreen personality that was emotionally satisfying all on its own. Moreover, within his small range, not even Brando could beat him. No one could have been better in
The Searchers (1956), for example. Robert Downey Jr. belongs in this second school. Although he happens to possess the skill to play a wide range of parts, he remains chiefly true to his own personality. When you see him, it feels like you're visiting him again, rather than seeing a whole new person. His hijinks in
Iron Man are wonderfully energetic and hilarious, but they bear a resemblance to his similar, wiry performances in Home for the Holidays, Two Girls and a Guy and other films.Continue reading 400 Screens, 400 Blows - Up with Downey
Posted Jul 22nd 2008 10:30AM by Erik Davis
Filed under: Action, Fandom, Newsstand, Home Entertainment, Comic/Superhero/Geek
The first giganto film of the summer has been given a DVD release date, according to
Video Business, and if all goes accordingly it looks like you'll be able to enjoy
Iron Man in the comforts of your own living room (legally) on September 30. There's no word on special features yet, however
Amazon now allows you to pre-order three different versions, including your standard single-disc ($34.99), a two-disc special edition ($39.99) and a Blu-ray Special Collector's Edition ($39.99). (Note: Those are the list prices and each DVD is cheaper through Amazon.) The article also says to expect
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to hit DVD in October with
Kung Fu Panda in November. One imagines (and hopes)
Hancock,
WALL-E and
The Dark Knight will all hit DVD by Christmas as well.
But back to that Iron Man DVD. Those of you attending San Diego Comic Con might want to listen up because Marvel will be hyping up the DVD at their Comic-Con booth by passing out a flash drive containing a sneak peek at the
Iron Man DVD. Of course, should we get our hands on one, you'll be the first to know what's on it.
So, who's buying this DVD?
Update: Thanks to
Cinematical reader Jeffrey for pointing us toward a look at the limited edition Crystal Skull packaging for the
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull DVD over at
Amazon. Check it out below ...
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Posted Jul 15th 2008 3:03PM by Scott Weinberg
Filed under: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Fan Rant
I was recently enjoying a fast-food lunch with my old friend Josh, and we were discussing the film we'd just seen. (A little something called
The Dark Knight.) And in the middle of my ramblings I accidentally said something slightly insightful. It went a little something like this:
"The thing about superheroes is that, on the outside, what with the costumes and the nifty gizmos and all the punching, they're kids stuff, which is great. But once you scratch the surface just a little bit, you're dealing with acres of subtext that kids can barely comprehend."And then Josh asked me what my point was. It's this: We finally have some filmmakers who aren't afraid to handle superhero movies for grown-ups. I'd hardly call
Hancock a family-type flick, both of the recent Marvel movies (
Iron Man and
The Incredible Hulk) managed to treat their "older" audiences with respect, last weekend's
Hellboy 2 is chock-full of dazzling ideas, and now this:
The Dark Knight. Dang. My review will arrive later this week, but I won't be the only one calling it the
Godfather 2 of superhero movies. (In a lot of ways it's also a bit like
The Empire Strikes Back! Tonally, anyway.) Best of all, the movie is a big meaty DRAMA, and I don't mean "drama" as in "masterpiece theater."
Continue reading Fan Rant: Let's Hear It for the 'Darker' Superhero Movies
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