Finally saw "Iron Man 2" last night (spoilers)

[NewJeffCT]

My expectations were fairly low, as the movie was kind of panned and considered a crappy follow-up to the good first "Iron Man" movie. However, my DU poll told me that Iron Man 2 was the summer movie of choice.

I enjoyed it. Wasn't great, but it was fun. ScarJo was under-utilized, I thought, and the movie was in danger of having too much going on it, like a lot of superhero movies (Spider-Man 3, I'm talking to you), but I don't think it quite slipped over the edge.

You had Tony Stark dying from the Palladium
You had Pepper becoming CEO
You had Ivan Vanko and his history with Stark and Stark's family
Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
Justin Hammer
Rhody and his issues with Tony Stark
Black Widow
and, the after-the-credit ending with the Shield guy finding the hammer of Thor.

[wysimdnwyg]

1. Busy? yes - but handled well

I thought Spiderman 3 was all over the place, with no real unifying story. IM2 had a little of that, but I thought they did a much better job of integrating the different story lines. Not great, but definitely better.

As for the post-credits ending, they're just throwing in a teaser for the upcoming Thor movie. They desperately want people to start viewing these (IM, Hulk, Thor, etc) as pieces of a larger story they will bring together in The Avengers.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

2. I just saw it a few days ago and actually liked it quite a bit

I too read several reviews about how awful it was, but my gf and I both enjoyed it about as much as the first one.

There was one plot point though that neither of us could really figure out. (Maybe cause we've never read the comics?)

Anyway...maybe you can help.

SPOILERS

Stark always says that he is the suit, the suit is him, etc. as he has the mini-reactor in his chest that powers the thing. If this is so, how was Rhodes able to use the Mark I suit at the birthday party? He certainly doesn't have a reactor in his chest, and if anyone can just put it on, I don't understand the whole "I am the suit" thing? (I also don't understand why he didn't/wouldn't make a few prototypes for the military if you didn't need the reactor in your chest.)

[NewJeffCT]

3. Other than the uniqueness of being the only one with the suit

I don't really see a reason for him not to make a few more suits for trusted friends. Maybe because of the palladium radiation poison, he didn't want to build them for others?

[Beer Snob-50]

4. "I enjoyed it. Wasn't great, but it was fun."

Isn't that why we go to movies in the first place?

[NewJeffCT]

6. Good point

it was entertaining.

[Fire Walk With Me]

5. I agree that Spider-Man 3 was too "busy". Thanks for the heads-up on IM2.

[NewJeffCT]

7. Superhero movies seem to get busier after the initial movie

Batman with Michael Keaton & Jack Nicholson was pretty good, but then they had Penguin & Catwoman in #2 and it was too much, and the rest of that run of Batman movies just sucked.

Spider-Man 2 was busier than Spider-Man with the whole Harry Osborne/MJ bit, but it didn't cross the line.

[kedrys]

8. I saw it last week - liked it a lot

Not sure how much that had to do with sneaking out of the house and seeing it by myself :P, but I got a big kick out of it.