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Iron Man 2 starring Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke and Don Cheadle

Posted on June 23, 2010 Written by ripitup

And Tony Stark is back!!!

The first movie is about how Iron Man gets to be Iron man, his complicated relationship with his assistant Pepper and even more complicated relationship with his business partner Obadiah You might check the review for refreshing your memory.

Iron Man 2

Well, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is just being Tony Stark. He is mischievous, fun-loving, full of funny one-linters and witty sarcasm, and loving Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). He has reassured the government – by making total fools of them-that Iron Man is a technology that no country has ever come close yet. Of course he has made enemies in the process: the weapons expert and the CEO of weapons manufacturer Hammer Technologies, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). He also has an outraged Russian enemy, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). He is the scientist son of a scientist father who- according to Ivan-was not treated right by Tony Stark’s father, Howard Stark (John Slattery). Ivan is working on re-creating a fine weapon on his own. And Tony has another problem: he is dying. The palladium in his chest is increasing the toxicity in his blood and if he can’t find a replacement element or a cure, he will die…

So while Tony doesn’t go easy on any parties or crazy stunts, he is also making radical changes in his life. He hires a new PA, as he makes Pepper the CEO of his company. His new assistant is Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson): a fiery, intelligent and capable redhead who is just even more capable than Tony can actually imagine and will soon find out. These changes are driving Pepper crazy and she doesn’t know about his condition, are putting a strain on their relationship.

So Tony has to win a battle against himself, Ivan and later a collaboration of Ivan and Sam. It doesn’t help that he might also be screwing up his friendship with his close friend Rhoedes (Don Cheadle)….

New enemies, old and new allies, lots and lots of action (more than the first), great sexual and romantic chemistry, beautiful leads, great sound and visual effects, a kick-ass soundtrack and a very satisfying sctipt: Yes, I loved Iron Man 2. I freaking loved it. I have no idea it is rated less than the first one. Well, we will see what the eventual rating will be as it sits at 7.5 on IMDB at the moment, voted by nearly 50.000 people whereas the first is an 8.0, voted by nearly 170.000 people. I guess it is customary to rate the sequel lower for a lot of movies, no matter how great and fun it is. 9/10 from me.

I am not an Iron Man expert, mind you. I am not a comics reader. I am however a movie nut and I have an addiction for kick-ass entertainment movies like the Iron Man series. Lots of action, visually stunning, a good script and great sense of humor. Iron Man gives just that. I may not be a comic book fan but I am a fan of the movie adaptations. The technology and the fighting, the villain vs the nice guy are fun to watch. You should of course keep in mind Sam Rockwell is as terrific as always and Mickey Rourke makes a great Ivan. It is cool to have Samuel L. Jackson too. And I finally get why men love Scarlett Johannson. Yeah, yeah, she is a fine actress. But she is also playing one of the most gorgeous, dangerous and kick-ass female characters ever and she has red hair. Wow.

Scarlett Johannson as Natalie Rushman/ Natlie Romanoff in Iron Man 2 — Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman/ Natlie Romanoff/Black Widow in Iron Man 2. Image: moviesonline.ca

Fun facts:

– Happy- Tony’s driver/mate/guard/boxing partner is played by Jon Favreau, the director of the series. Before Iron Man, Jon was mostly known as his frequent writing/acting collaborations with actor Vince Vaughn.

– The actor playing Howard Stark, Tony’s father, is John Slattery. Sex and The City fans might have felt he looks familiar. Well, he is. He is the actor who played Carrie’s politician boyfriend Bill Kelley in third season for 2 episodes. Remember the guy who had a really weird request? This might refresh your memory.

– James Rhoedes was played by Terrence Howard in the first movie. He is replaced by Don Cheadle and I have to say I think Don makes an even better Rhodey. He also gets have a lot more fun, wearing the suit: fighting and flying and all that….

The Trailers

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNQowwwwYa0[/pro-player]

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siQgD9qOhRs&feature=channel[/pro-player]

The Last Legion starring Colin Firth & Ben Kingsley

Posted on June 22, 2010 Written by ripitup

The Last Legion starring Colin Firth, Aishwarya Rai, Ben Kingsley, Thomas Sangster, Kevin McKidd and Rupert Friend. Image from: http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia

Romulus Augustus (Thomas Sangster) is the new emperor of Rome. He might be young but he is carrying Ceasar’s blood in his veins. Even though he is protected by his parents and his new protector Aurelius (Colin Firth), they fail to protect him and themselves from the Goth attack. The king and queen are murdered and Aurelius loses his army. Rome is in ruins and Romulus is now a prisoner of the Goths. The only reason he is not dead- despite the wishes of the king’s right arm Wulfila (Kevin McKidd)- is his former caretaker/teacher Ambrosinus(Ben Kingsley)-who persuades the king that killing a young boy will not gain respect. So the kind decides to imprison Romulus and Ambrosinus.

By this time, Aurelius has gathered what’s left of his men and the guard their ally Constantinople’s messenger (Alexander Siddig) has assigned him. To his surprise, the masked guard turns out to be a very attractive woman named Mira (Aishwarya Rai), who fights just as well as he does.

The Last Legion with Colin Firth and Aishwarya Rai — Aurelius (Colin Firth) and Mira (Aishwarya Rai). We knew something was up when we learned he was single. Image from: http://images.allmoviephoto.com/

Colin Firth and Aishwarya Rai in The Last Legion — So, every couple has a different way of foreplay...Image from: http://www.pocandpoch.com

However they soon realize that saving their young emperor will be the least of their problems as even their own senators and allies turn against them and they will need to go to Britannia and find the last legion- their fellow Roman soldiers who never returned home. They will however have resistance and another and stronger nemesis….

This movie is pure fun. It is all there is to it. I am not really interested or knowledgeable when it comes to histories, legends and myths. So while lovers of the legend (I am not going to say which because it might be a lovely surprise if you don’t read the plot or tagline on IMDB) might be disappointed, I don’t see how entertainment and movie addicts like me- who also happen to be Colin Firth fans- will fail to have a good time. It has all the fun and glory of a fun little epic: strong and loyal characters, betrayers, romance potential, lots of fighting and battles, good-looking leads, some true wisdom, friendship, loyalty and more. It doesn’t hurt that it comes with a cast that features Colin Firth, Kevin McKidd, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend and Alexander Siddig. For those of you who have seen Love Actually- also featuring Colin Firth and Thomas Sangster- might enjoy watching Thomas as a teenager. Love Actually was made 4 years prior to this film and featured an almighty British cast including Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant. Thomas plays the stepson to Liam Neeson’s character. And they do have an adorable relationship. Which reminds me, I should write about Love Actually.

Kevin McKidd seems to be getting his fair share in epic movies as he also co-starred in Kingdom of Heaven (starring Orlando Bloom) and he played in the critically acclaimed TV show Rome. I first watched Scottish Kevin as he played the Scottish fiancé of Michelle Monahan- the love of Patrick Dempsey’s life-in Made of Honor. He and Patrick continued to act together when Kevin joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Owen Hunt. It is nice to see Kevin go all evil here.

I am pretty sure Ben Kingsley needs no introduction but I feel his roles in Gandhi (as Gandhi) and Schindler’s List should be mentioned. He is also seen in a big role in Prince of Persia alongside Jake Gyllenhaal as his uncle.

Well, watching Alexander Siddig- albeit in a small role- was fun all the same. My recent admiration for the actor comes from watching Cairo Time. May he be in more and more leading roles without killing people. As he is quoted (from imdb)on his role in Cairo Time: “It was a real treasure, a treat, to find a character, a role, that wasn’t intent on trying to blow up the White House or hijack an airplane”. Well, he has been cast in 24. Boys might also remember him from Star Trek Deep Space Nine TV series.

Rupert Friend plays in Pride and Prejudice, Chéri and The Young Victoria.

Of course, I need to mention James Cosmo. Did you think the big warrior next to Kevin McKidd’s Wulfila seem familiar? It is because he played Campbell, Hamish’s father in Braveheart.

So, this is a movie about honor, loyalty, love and friendship. It may not be one of the best but it does show a good time. Of course there are many who disagree as the movie was rated a 5.4 on IMDB. Watch and see for yourselves. I think it is a 7.

Posts Featuring Colin Firth and his movies:

Dorian Gray

The British Actors We Love

22 Tall Actors From Hollywood

Apartment Zero

Trauma

St. Trinian’s

The Accidental Husband

From Paris with Love starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Posted on June 14, 2010 Written by ripitup

From Paris with Love starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Read for kick-ass entertainment? Good. Image from: divxplanet.com

Paris. James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is the US Ambassador’s(Richard Durden) assistant As far as the ambassador is concerned, James is the perfect assistant. He is timely, efficient and organized. He speaks foreign languages and he is a great chess player. What the ambassador doesn’t know is that Reece is also trying to be a spy in the name of the American government. Sure, it is patriotism but it is enough to make Reece’s life complicated. He needs to do secret tasks in front of his boss or he needs to leave his beloved girlfriend Caroline (Kasia Smutniak) behind to leave for an operation.

Reece’s most important and dangerous mission to date arrives when he is asked to drive American Charlie Wax around. He is a field-rated spy and is very unconventional, to say the least. Pretty soon, Reece finds himself in the middle of shootings, gang beatings, prostitutes and their pimps…He is freaked out. Before he can get used to one hectic and deadly situation, another one breaks out. ..

Fun. This movie was really fun. Before I say why you should see it, I want to talk about what you might not like.

Cons:

*If you want to look for poor character development (Caroline)or some unrealistic situations, you will find it.

* And you might be bothered that almost none of the criminals/terrorists are white. The bad guys are either black or Asian or Pakistani. Our two Americans are out to save the day….But if you can past this, the movie is a real riot.

* You might think that John Travolta’s bad ass characters seem incredibly similar.

Pros:

*John Travolta. His character is so much fun. And if you do think you may have seen him as a bad ass one two many times, start thinking about his good roles and then you will appreciate the range After all, he was in the ever popular musical Grease. He was in Saturday Night Fever. He did comedy and romance in Look Who’s Talking He played a governor in Primary Colors. And do remember that he played an angel in Michael and a woman in Hairspray. Add that all up and it becomes even more fun to watch him.

* Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He is a good actor. So far he played King Henry, Elvis, a social-ladder climber, a misunderstood bad boy, a girls’ team football coach and more.

* Action. Tons of it! The story belongs to Luc Besson, the guy who created the Taxi series and Taken.

*The chemistry between John and Jonathan’s characters. The opposites are entertaining.

Favorite Scenes:

Well, almost any scene where John Travolta is kicking ass – especially the car chase with a “heavier metal”.

6.4. on IMDB. If you start analyzing characters and plot, it might very well be a 6. But if you don’t, it is at least a 7. It is mindless action and it is pretty damned good at that. And is it just me, or does Travolta still look at home in action movies?

More on John Travolta

6 Good Movies with Brilliant Casts

Favourite Actors to Play Villians

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors

More on Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Jonathan Rhys Meyers Movies and Roles

Air Force One starring Harrison Ford, Glenn Close and Gary Oldman

Posted on May 23, 2010 Written by ripitup

Air Force One starring Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Glenn Close. Image from http://www.kotiposti.net/

With the collaboration of Russia and USA, a tyrant leader is captured and put the jail. This is seen as a triumph by both countries. However US President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) is skeptical. He is determined to favor humanity over politics and save more people the next time.

It is time for the President to go home on Air Force 1. The plane has The First Lady (Wendy Crewson), the president’s daughter, important administrative staff, his press secretary, bodyguards and a Russian-speaking (led by Gary Oldman) group who is supposed to make an interview with the President and the staff. The plane safely takes off. However unknown to the passengers, there is a traitor on the staff and with his help, the Russian group prove that they are something else all together. They hijack the plane, threatening to kill the hostages. Their demand? The release of the tyrant. The Vice President (Glenn Close) does her best to control the situation. The President can leave in his escape pod and jump off to safety or he can stay to fight for the hostages and the family. While it seems like mission impossible, the president will do his best to use his “General” skills, his intelligence and well…adrenaline…

This movie was fun. Pure, unsaturated action/thriller. So what if Harrison Ford will save the world once again? He does it well and we expect him to. Our Han Solo/Indiana Jones/ Jack Ryan sure has the guts and the experience to pull it off.

If there were any major flaws, I didn’t notice. I was too busy having fun. I liked the fact that all the terrorists spoke in Russian between themselves. It added authencity. While some might argue that we get another heroic President with the perfect family life gets to save the world, along with a little help from his friends (Independence Day, Bill Pullman also comes to mind), it is not like the screenplay writer hasn’t rubbed the viewers’ noses in America’s political sins. Movies like this tend to portray a perfect politician: honest, determined, family-oriented, loving and humane. He also comes with a fondness for football and a good sense of humor. I like this type of fictional politicians because let’s face it, movies are the only places we are going to see this politician. So enjoy his character, root for him and well…let the action begin. I guess I don’t really need to mention that Glen Close and Gary Oldman are good as always. I am yet to encounter a role that they sold and I didn’t buy.

Reasons to see the movie:

– The Cast: Harrison Ford, Glenn Close, Gary Oldman, William H. Macy

– The Concept and The Genre: It is so cool to imagine how it would be to fly in that nuclear-war resistant, ultimately gorgeous plane. And action on a plane is a concept I do enjoy.This one is truly well done. It had 2 Oscar nominations: Best Sound and Best Editing.

– The script is good.

Made in 1997. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen (Outbreak, The Perfect Storm, Troy). Written by Andrew W. Marlowe.

6.3 on IMDB. 7 for the art, 9 for the entertainment from me.

Favorite Villain Quote:

– Egor Korshunov (Gary Oldman)- to the First Lady: In a war, people die.

– First Lady: This isn’t war! You just murdered an unarmed woman!

– Egor Korshunov: You who murdered a hundred thousand Iraqis to save a nickel on a gallon of gas are going to lecture me on the rules of war? DON’T!!!!

Six Days Seven Nights starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche

Firewall starring Harrison Ford and Paul Bettany

Gary Oldman Tribute

The Scarlet Letter starring Gary Oldman and Demi Moore

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