2008′s Iron Man was a tremendous superhero movie, likely the most popular in recent history. It kicked off probably the biggest summer for blockbuster comic-book movies to date, followed by The Incredible Hulk, Wanted, Hellboy 2, and The Dark Knight. Tremendous summer of remarkable films all based on comic books. 2010 looks to be a record-breaking summer for comic book movies, though, with Kick-Ass and The Losers already upon us, Iron Man 2 days away, Jonah Hex and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World right around the corner, and gentle nods in the directions of Prince of Persia, Marmaduke and The Last Airbender. Odds are good you already know whether you want to see Iron Man 2, the shimmering shell-head’s sequel that adds star power in the form of Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke to the powerful leading couple or Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. I’m not here to change your mind whether you liked the first film or not, but here are three things you may not have considered or even known about this week’s super-action-blockbuster that may pique your interest:
1 – Never Fear Sequelitis!
Usually seeing the number “2″ in a movie title is cause for concern, but Marvel’s movies have shone in their second outings. X-Men 2 (or X2) was by far the best X-Men movie to date, and is still considered by many to be the best superhero movie of all time. Spider-Man 2, Blade 2 and The Incredible Hulk (sequel to 2003′s Hulk) were all arguably the best in their respective film franchises. Free of the necessity or origins and backstories of the first films, these sequels no longer struggled finding their voices (I’m looking at you Spider-Man and Hulk), and had yet to succumb to turns for the ridiculous and laughable (X-Men: The Last Stand and Spider-Man 3).
2 – It Starts With Super Production Art
When it came time to actually block out what the huge action sequences in Iron Man 2 would look like cinematically, director Jon Favreau hired a modern legend to handle to storyboarding duties: Genndy Tartakovsky. Creator of Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack, art director on The Powerpuff Girls and Emmy-award winning director of the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated shorts from 2003, Tartakovsky is the unrivaled master of elegant animated action. On Tartakovsky, Favreau said:
“I really dig his sense of humor and his sense of rhythm, and the way that he acknowledges the same cinematic masters that I really love the work of, like (Akira) Kurosawa and (Sergio) Leone…I feel like I’m really learning a lot from collaborating with this guy.”
3 – …And The Ever-Expanding Universe
It’s no secret that Marvel is milking their properties for all they’re worth these days, but the end results have been pretty damn good ever since Marvel took those projects internal rather than licensing them out to the likes of 20th Century Fox and New Line Cinema. The first Iron Man hinted at the possibilities of a then-rumored Avengers team film. Iron Man 2 drops not-so-subtle hints at the comings of both Captain America and the mighty Thor, both of whom have films scheduled for release next summer with the Avengers movie teaming all of these heroes together the following year. Marvel is already betting on their next three films in this one, and who can blame them with a guaranteed hit on their hands?
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