Blockbusters of Summer #1 and 2

 

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Read the text reviews after the break!

Iron Man 2 (Released May 7, 2010)

I was a pretty big fan of the first Iron Man movie. I liked how the origin of the character was handled, and how Tony Stark refined the design of his armor throughout. Jeff Bridges was a quality villain, and the fight scenes that he and iron Man had were quite exciting. But how does the sequel hold up?

Iron Man 2 starts out about six months after Stark admitted to the public that he was, in fact, Iron Man. Iron Man is currently unique among the Marvel Film Universe heroes like Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Daredevil and the Punisher in that his costumed identity isn't a secret. I don't really count the X-Men, since the public only knows of them in their code-named, costumed personas. Also, the comic version of Tony Stark has drifted back and forth from admitting he's Iron Man several times over 40+ years.

The sequel's villains were also better than Obadiah Stane. Stane had too much of the "Evil Vizier" vibe about him. Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash were a lot more interesting to me, since they didn't have to pretend to be on Tony's side. Hammer's jealously of the fact that he's basically the poor-man's Tony Stark shines through from the very beginning. Rourke's character, who goes from loose cannon, to hired gun, to the film's mastermind, is a lot of fun too. I've become pretty big fans of both of those actors (Rockwell since I saw "Moon" and Rourke since "The Wrestler").

Many people were worried about the switch from Terrance Howard to Don Cheadle in the part of James Rhodes/War Machine, but I had no problem with it, especially after Cheadle's scene with Rockwell, where they're upgrading the War Machine suit. It also leads to one of the funnier gags in the film, during the climax, when War Machine uses Hammer's ultimate missile against Whiplash. I'll not spoil it for you.

Any action movie is only as good as it's climax, and Iron Man 2's was top notch. I particularly liked the fight in the Biodome where [Spoilers] Iron Man and War Machine team up against the onrushing hordes of Whiplash's reprogrammed drones. That fight is one of the slickest, most exciting fights I've seen lately.  I know it's just CGI popcorn, but it really was quite exciting. The one quibble I had about it was the fact that the 'camera' zoomed around the two heroes as they blasted the hell out of the drones. Wide shots, people! We want to see the whole battle! Matrix Reloaded managed to give us wide shots of the Burly Brawl, why can't you, Iron Man 2.

But really, that's not a critique of Iron Man 2 specifically, but a plea to the modern film industry.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Released: May 28, 2010)

I'd like to go on record as saying I've only played about 25 minutes of the game this movie is loosely based on. Sorry, gamers, but I had better things to do with my time after I bought it. Like graduate college. But based on what I saw in the gameplay, the action and stunts in the film are pretty damn close.

Like comic book movies, video game adaptations haven't been blessed with the greatest reputation. Films like Super Mario Bros., Doom (even though I kind of liked that movie), and the entire filmography of Uwe Boll (I'd like to nominate Jerry Bruckheimer as the official Anti-Uwe) have kicked sand (ha!) all over the video-games-to-movies phenomenon. I think it's safe to say that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PoP:SoT hereafter) could be what the X-Men movie was to comic book flicks. 

Prince Dastan is the adopted son of the King of Persia, and is travelling with his brothers to put down some sort of uprising. They pass by a beautiful and isolated city that their uncle (he's bald AND he's got a goatee; bad guy much?) says is selling weapons to Persia's enemies. The lads gleefully charge in, beat up the city's army and conquer the place. Prince Dastan beats up Sayyid from Lost (Apparently that whole time-travel thing was more widespread than we all thought [I know Lost is over, but I haven't watched it yet. Sue me]) and takes a pretty dagger. Hilarity ensues after the king shows up and puts on the Princess' cloak, which had been helpfully doused in poison. Dutiful son Dastan is set up as the king's murderer and chased out into the desert, beautiful princess in tow.

I'd rather not go on about the plot too much, other than to say the filmmakers managed to turn a fiddly platforming game with a time travel mechanic into a sporting good adventure film. I'm more interested in the characters.

 Jake Gyllenhaal plays Dastan, somehow combining a scruffy surfer-dude look and an English accent into a fairly decent hero.  Gemma Arterton plays the princess, who's apparently another ancestor to Evelyn Carnahan (seriously, the only difference is that Evey is naive and Tamina is a pathological lier). Alfred Molina plays a vaguely anachronistic tax-evading bandit who forms most of the comic relief. I'd complain about how much this guy throws the story out of it's momentum, but it's Alfred Molina, the sole reason I enjoy Spider-Man 2. 

There's quite a bit of chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Arterton, which makes their character's slowly developing relationship seem real and legit. So many times the male and female leads just end up together, without really selling the romance to the audience (Neo and Trinity, I'm looking at you!). Some of their interactions had me going "Aww," and I actually cared about what happened to them at the climax of the film.

So, finally, I come to where I recommend these films to you, the reader. Which I do. Right now. But as they're blockbusters, you've probably already decided whether or not to see them. But you should. They're a good time!