Today, Jen and I took got together with some friends and saw Iron Man 2 at the old Vista Theatre in Los Feliz; sold out show. On the way in, my brother Alex called me and said that he had heard it was a "buck full of sucks." I would disagree with that critique.
Was it as good as the first one? No. Why not, you may ask? For starters, it didn't have enough Tony Stark (aka Iron Man). The film got a little too carried away with the side characters, namely whoever the hell Scarlett Johannson is supposed to be and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
Now I enjoy comic books, but apparently not enough to know who these characters are, what their back story is, and how they're relative to the plot. They ate up a lot of screen time where there could be more character development for Mr. Stark; played quite well again by Robert Downey, Jr.
And this one did seem a little bit more absurd than the first one. Specifically, Mickey Rourke's scream of anguish over what will become the driving force of his villainous tendencies seemed especially funny. But for the most part it was only a quick moment or two. The original Iron Man had a great story about a narcissistic corporate weapons manufacturer having to look at himself in the mirror, and the metamorphosis that follows. Tony Starks' struggle in this film is much more physical, but I will not give away details.
But I DID like all the spectacle. Big action sequences, a first rate cast, and a fun premise make this film a quality summer film. "A buck full of sucks." Come on; that insult deserves to be thrown at the likes of Volcano and Godzilla (the one from the 90's).
My rating: Just under *** (putting it at good, but not great)
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Now Disney's OCEANS, on the other hand, was a great movie. Over five years in the making, it provides a level of intimacy with oceans and their inhabitants that makes it much more than just "a nature documentary." It is an experience.
Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, it goes all over the globe showcasing marine life that simply must be viewed on the big screen for full appreciation. One stunning sequence, near the beginning, shows an iguana scavenging for food. After it's catch is complete, it rests on a rock on shore. In the distance a massive rocket blasts off into space, and the picture captures the reflection in the iguana's eye. The camera holds on the iguana's face of awe, and you can almost sense it's feeling that it is facing a force it can not possibly comprehend: us.
This is the sophomore effort of the company's newly launched imprint, DisneyNature. The first, Earth, was criticized for simply containing a lot of footage from Planet Earth. Not here. This is almost entirely new footage, and it without question the most comprehensive study of life under the sea. Catch it on the big screen!
My rating: **** (Greatness)
Oceans is the second film from DisneyNature.
It was unclear if additional productions would
be released, but their next film, African Cats,
has been announced for a 2011 release.
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