Joe Johnston named Film’s Director

· Joe Johnston has signed on to direct Marvel Studios’ THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA based on characters developed by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. The film will be produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige. Executive Producers on the project are Louis D’Esposito, Stan Lee and Marvel Studios’ Chairman David Maisel. Paramount Pictures will distribute THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA worldwide. The film will come to theatres domestically on May 6, 2011.

· LOGLINE: In the early days of the Marvel Universe, Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

· Johnston is currently directing THE WOLF MAN, which comes to theatres early next year. He is developing THE DEATH AND LIFE OF CHARLIE ST. CLOUD. Johnston previously directed OCTOBER SKY, JUMANJI, JURASSIC PARK III, THE ROCKETEER, and HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS. Johnston won an Academy Award® in 1982 for Best Visual Effects for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

· Marvel Studios most recently announced an agreement with Raleigh Studios to film each of its next four films at Raleigh’s facility in Manhattan Beach, CA which will include THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA.

· Johnston is repped by CAA and attorney Lawrence Rose.

About Marvel
Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel’s strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com.

As part of his four picture deal with Marvel Studios, Robert Downey Jr. is appearing as Tony Stark in THE AVENGERS motion picture, as well as reprising his starring role as the larger-than-life leading character in IRON MAN 2. Jon Favreau will return to direct the sequel to the blockbuster IRON MAN, which to date has grossed over $578 million worldwide, as well as executive produce THE AVENGERS.

Academy Award® nominee Downey was most recently seen in the summer comedy blockbuster TROPIC THUNDER starring opposite Ben Stiller and Jack Black. Before Iron Man, he was best known for his film roles in KISS KISS BANG BANG, WONDER BOYS and CHAPLIN, the film for which he was nominated for an Oscar®.

In addition to directing the first IRON MAN, Favreau has previously directed ELF, ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE and MADE. He is also well known for writing and starring in SWINGERS. He will next be seen acting in FOUR CHRISTMASES, I LOVE YOU MAN and COUPLES RETREAT.

DON CHEADLE WILL STAR AS RHODEY IN IRON MAN 2

Marvel Studios is pleased today to confirm that an agreement has been finalized with award-winning actor Don Cheadle to take on the role of Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes in Marvel’s IRON MAN 2 due in theaters on May 7, 2010. In casting Cheadle, Marvel replaces Terrence Howard who appeared in the role of Rhodey in IRON MAN.

Cheadle is also signed on to perform the same role in THE AVENGERS and subsequent installments of the IRON MAN franchise.

“We are very excited about working with the extraordinarily talented Don Cheadle as we expand the role of Rhodey in Iron Man 2. It has already become apparent as we prep the movie for production, that the dynamic between Robert and Don will take Iron Man 2 to new heights,” said Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios.

Cheadle is best known for his Oscar® nominated lead performance in HOTEL RWANDA as well as his role as Basher Tarr in the OCEAN’S franchise, CRASH and SWORDFISH.

Based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero, IRON MAN 2 continues the story of this summer’s box office blockbuster IRON MAN, the first feature film produced independently by Marvel Studios. IRON MAN 2 will be produced by Marvel Studios’ President, Kevin Feige, and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, David Maisel and Denis Stewart.

In a movie event, THE AVENGERS will bring together the super hero team of Marvel Comics characters for the first time ever, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk and more, as they are forced to band together to battle the biggest foe they’ve ever faced.

The highly anticipated sequel to IRON MAN will be released in theatres on May 7, 2010 and THE AVENGERS will be released July 15, 2011. Both films will be distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Cheadle is represented by UTA. Downey and Favreau are represented by CAA.

David weighs in on the DVD:

While Ernie checks out the Blu-ray:

FEATURE: B+
The Incredible Hulk occupies a strange place in the hierarchy of comics-related movies released this year. There are a ton of comics films that have come out, and are coming out, but Hulk came out sandwiched between the biggest of the big name comics movies– Iron Man and The Dark Knight. To call those two films “juggernauts” would be underselling both of them. The Incredible Hulk was immediately put into the unenviable position of coming out between two of the biggest films of the year.

For my money, The Incredible Hulk held its own very well. It avoided the risks of getting too far from the Jekyll & Hyde foundation of the Hulk and told a very straightforward movie with plenty of depth for those who care to pay attention and look for it.

Edward Norton’s Bruce Banner is as perfect a portrayal of the character as you’re likely to see. He hits many of the high notes from the comics, such as the intense level of self-control Banner must maintain, or the wish to get rid of the Hulk by any means necessary, and even brings a few more traits to light. His self-control extends past his emotions and into everything that could possible spread his problem. When he bleeds, he isolates and purifies the blood. Norton brings a lot to the character of Banner, and delivers a great performance because of it. The quirks, mannerisms, and even vocal inflection sells the character.

Norton’s other half, rather than the Hulk, is Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky. While he’s been changed up from his comics incarnation, the change is largely for the better. Blonsky is calm, self-assured, but still in search of glory. If I had to put a word to him, I’d say that he’s hungry. He wants to be better, bigger, faster, and stronger, to borrow a cliche, and he eventually downs the Super Soldier Serum to get it done.

The most interesting part of the movie, at least the most interesting part that didn’t involve the Hulk, was the dichotomy between Banner and Blonsky. Banner is quite literally on the run from the monster inside him. He has let the monster dictate the course of his life, and has spent his time running from the monster itself. Blonsky, on the other hand, embraces his inner monster to the point of being the monster himself. Everything he does, he does in pursuit of power. I would have liked to have seen more interaction between them, but that’s a minor quibble.

Of course, what is a movie about the Hulk without smashing? The Incredible Hulk delivers on that point, as well. Seeing the Hulk in action is a huge thrill, thanks in no small part to the lifelike animation provided by Rhythm & Hues. Hulk’s muscles stretch beneath his skin, rainwater pools and runs realistically, and an angry Hulk is one to behold.

PRESENTATION: B
The edition I reviewed came with three DVDs in total- one for the feature, including commentary, a bonus features disc, and a third disc with a digital copy of the movie. The third disc is in a white envelope tucked into the inside, while the other two discs are in your standard two-disc DVD configuration.

The menus for the DVDs are simple, but attractive. There is a loop of a vaguely hexagonal DNA matrix, with points on the matrix serving as menu items. Selecting a point pops up a new menu. It’s pretty much exactly what I look for in DVD menus. They are simple, but attractive, and there is not a long animation involved when selecting an option. Getting into the movie or adjusting options is quick and easy.

I’m a big fan of the new trend of including digital copies of movies with the DVD release. iPods or other portable media devices are a huge market, and making it easy on users to view movies on the go can only lead to good things.

EXTRAS: A
There is a lot to like on this DVD, not the least of which is the fact that there are a ton of extras. There are featurettes on how the Hulk was animated, characters were cast, and comic book connections. It is a very thorough offering, and one I’m glad to see happen on DVD as well as on Blu-Ray, rather than just on the Blu-Ray disc.

The evolution of the Hulk in particular was an interesting feature, as we get to see how they modeled the Hulk, what designs were almost used, and a good look at the power of the software and hardware Rhythm & Hues used. Could we have had a gray Hulk? Definitely.

The commentary is between director Louis Leterrier and Tim Roth. Edward Norton is noticeably missing, but the commentary doesn’t suffer for his absence. Leterrier and Roth talk like old friends, and there are a lot of jokes and laughter. If you watch commentary for technical details, there are plenty of those, but the majority of the commentary is of the fun variety. Special mentions are given to guest actors, notable scenes, or fun memories from the shoot. I like hearing technical details about how certain shots were pulled off, or previously unknown homages, but hearing the crew having fun with the commentary is just as good in my book.

OVERALL: B+

I found The Incredible Hulk to be almost just what I wanted out of a film about the Hulk. The proportion of smashing to acting is very reasonable, the visual effects are as great as anything else, and it doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s a fine addition to any collection, and the DVD’s extras and commentary make for worthwhile repeated viewings.

Feature: B

When I say “Hulk!” you say, “Smash!” Ready?

“Hulk!”
“Smash!”
“Hulk!”
“Smash!”

It should have been that easy to come up with a Hulk movie that satisfied fanboys and average movie goers alike. But Ang Lee, bless his indy heart, over-worked the concept into a muddy green mess that was too complex where it didn’t need to be and and conveniently simple where it didn’t need to be. Rest in peace Absorbing Man. Give Marvel Studios credit though for hanging in there, forging ahead despite the apathetic reaction to a reboot, and made another Hulk film. Lee’s origin spin wasn’t forgotten completely nor does it hold this newer film hostage. It was back to basics.

Three big reasons this film works. 1) Bruce Banner/Hulk (Edward Norton) is given a threatening opponent in Emil Blonsky/Abomination (Tim Roth), a formidable foe who outclasses Banner in physical ability and strength and works in Marvel Studio continuity of the super soldier serum. 2) Banner is back on the run. That’s the hook from Hulk/Banner story that the average person identified with. With the advent of cellphones, GPS, and the internet though it’s a lot harder to stay off the grid these days. The story’s taken out of the United States and into the favelas of Brazil. Banner’s only outside contact is Mister Blue, a mysterious friend helping Banner try to cure himself of the monster within. This plot is best remembered in the novelist, Bruce Jones’ stint on the comic several years ago. And finally 3) We get to see the Hulk obliterate some shit! Battle scenes were explosive, inventive, and pulled out all the tricks from Hulk’s hat. The pummeling earthquake punch, the hurricane hand-swat, using vehicles as boxing gloves and the wreckage of mass destruction left behind in his trail made for an over-the-top action pleaser.

For balance, the focus shifts on Banner’s coping mechanisms, managing his anger and emotions through meditation, self-defense, and preparing himself and others for when he does lose control. Obsessed with canning that raw power as a military weapon, General Ross (William Hurt) employs Emil Bronsky (Roth)–a soldier full of rotten teeth and an unmatched hunger for the manhunt–to bring him Banner, even if that destroys his relationship with his daughter, Betty (Liv Tyler). The architect of this drama amongst all the rampage is director Louis Leterrier who deserves to be applauded for not only having a clear vision of what a Hulk film should be, but managing his star actor who wanted to be very involved in this film.

Norton brought that special something movie viewers needed for Hulk to work whether they know it or not, the duality of a tormented soul. Affixed permanently in cult favorites such as Fight Club and American History X where his roles evolved, Norton earned his stripes for being able to pull off the transformation of a Bruce Banner, a gamma ray scientist to a monster. From the introduction you’re instantly sold on his feeble face and as he devolves down his tragic path, we believe that this is his destined path. He’s marvelous at it and it’s something Eric Bana didn’t have. For that reason alone, he was the right choice. Norton leaves the screen with a chilling grin, telling the audience he has controlled the monster within, but is he a friend or is he a foe, and more importantly will he reprise the role?

Based on the it’s less-than-expected returns at the box office, Hulk should make it back to the big screen at the very least for the Avengers film in 2011, but only Roth and Leterrier are contracted. Marvel Studios producer, Kevin Feige confirmed at Comic-Con this past summer that Hulk will return to the big screen but I implore whatever needs to be done, make it so to ensure the character stays on its corrected path. A monster return indeed.

PRESENTATION: B

The first thing noticeable on the packaging is the plastic housing is neon green, not the trademark blue. The front of the slipcase is a lenticular three-dimensional cover that “moves” when you move it side-to-side. A 30 second loop of music and clips repeats while you thumb through the menu bar on the left-hand side. Billed as a two-disc blu-ray, everything actually fits on one disc. The other is the digital copy disc (which is the new vogue extra) for folks who want to download the film onto their computer or portable media player. The digital copy is compatible with both PC and MAC computers and sits in the booklet holder with an instructional sheet. I’ve yet to have use for the digital copy discs but won’t dock the disc for anyone who does find use for them. There are 20 chapters in all although the scene selection on Universal’s blu-rays are a bit more complex with the U-Control grid included. It’s very dark and sometimes hard to see clearly. There are no clever load up screens or custom time bars. White subtitles are accessible in English, French and Spanish.

AUDIO: A+

I’ve always found DTS sound to deliver a heavier punch than Dolby Digital and that benefits certain movies–especially ones that require a lot of oomph. This DTS-HD soundtrack does not disappoint. The weight of characters’ movements are captured accurately as both Hulk and the Abomination will romp and stomp into your family room. Subwoofers will get a workout in the fights on the college campus, the bottle factory, and the climactic ending. Sound swoops from all directions at the lively parts and your floorboards should rumble throughout the the film; but the most impressive thing felt is the weight of the sound. To describe it to a flawless True-HD track would be like describing the difference between a graceful windmill dunk by Michael Jordan to a powerful and thunderous rim-shattering dunk by Shaquille O’Neal. Both will get you out of your seat but only one has that run-for-shelter effect. Also included are Spanish and French DTS: 5.1 tracks as well as an English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track. You can also control the picture-in-picture volume and the button sounds.

VIDEO: A-

The film was shot in 1080p high-definition 2.35:1, AVC encoded and everything is rock solid. The night grotto scene reproduces nicely, as well as gritty textured bottle factor and favelas. The computer-generated scenes are much improved over the last film, and have more high speed camera work, but everything looked very clear. Through no fault of the transfer, there are scenes where you’re taken out briefly because you can easily tell it’s CG work, other times it all blends together. The nature of HD can work against the film sometimes because you’re taken out of the moment ever so slightly. I found this especially distracting with Spider-Man 3, but think it’s been improved greatly with The Incredible Hulk. Pay close attention to all the detail on the skin of the close-ups of Hulk and Abomination. Rhythm & Hues raised it to the look of these characters to higher level and that work shines in high def.

EXTRAS: B+

Universal put a nice package of substantial extras that’s light on the marketing fluff while places you in the director’s chair. Letterier, Norton and Roth participate extensively in the featurettes by way of interviews and behind-the-scene footage. Some other important contributors seen throughout the extras are Kevin Feige (Marvel Studios Producer) Kurt Williams (Visual Effects Supervisor), Laird McMurray (Special Effects Coordinator) and Kirk M. Petruccelli (Production Designer) who along with their respected crews can be proud of the assembly of supplemental material. All of the featurettes except the alternate opening are in DD 2.0 Stereo, anamorphic widescreen, 1080i/p high definition.

A lot has been made about the arctic ALTERNATE OPENING (2:34) (shown in widescreen and 5.1 DTS-HD) because of what’s hidden in its landscape. As Marvel Studios continues to roll these films out, the universe begins to flesh out towards an imminent Avengers film and to avoid spoiling anything or for those not internet savvy, just look in the snow at the bottom left as the scene ends. It’s best to go frame by frame, then rewind it and watch it from the beginning and see why the current introduction works better. Like this scene are 23 more DELETED SCENES (42:45) that are longer takes of Bruce in the favelas, Emil Bronsky with his superiors, the pizza delivery angle, and more of the Leonard, Betty and Bruce triangle. It’s a big slug to take all at once but you can always break it up individually. The MAKING OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK (29:54) has the most promotional fluff but touches on all of the success points of the film like courting Edward Norton, scheduling and logistics, the effects, the favelas, working with the military and giving Yonge Street in downtown Toronto a Harlem facelift. In both BECOMING THE HULK (9:22) and BECOMING THE ABOMINATION (10:14), the digital effects team, Rhythm and Hues explains how they got Norton and Roth to resemble their digital counterparts. Lots of motion-capture work is shown and especially their faces with a different technique than I’ve seen using a bright neon face paint as they act out different emotions. It’s noticeable throughout the film in close-ups that even though these guys are not physically on the screen, they are a part of these creatures. ANATOMY OF A HULK OUT breaks down the stuntwork and practical effects behind the three most complex shots: The Bottling Factory battle, On Campus and In Harlem. This will appeal greatly to people who can’t get enough of the filmmaking process and probably my favorite of all the extras.

Comic book fans will enjoy FROM COMIC BOOK TO SCREEN (6:33) where an exceprt from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Hulk: Gray graphic novel was used to inspire the grotto scene. I had hoped they would have done the same for the Mr. Blue sequences and Dale Keown art. In an ideal world, these types of extras would inspire someone to pick up the better runs of the comics. Louis Leterrier and Tim Roth team up on the AUDIO COMMENTARY. Both men have accents, not heavy but could be enough for those who don’t have ears for European accents to turn up the volume. They keep on topic, their conversations constant, quick and casual adding insider notes on specific scenes and anecdotes and much laghter throughout. Leterrier proves himself to be a hands-on director and one willing to really open his process to the fans.

The blu-ray exclusives start with Universal’s patent U-CONTROL experience used best on the subsequent multiple viewings of the film. At different moments of the film, the user can see SCENE EXPLORER where screens pop-up with four quadrants that can be expanded to fill the screen displaying the storyboards, the animatics, and multiple angles documenting the shooting. THUNDERBOLT FILES detail General Ross’ factoids full of intel tracking Banner, mission overviews and active personnel. PICTURE-IN-PICTURE pops up to show some behind the camera footage of that particular scene. The COMIC BOOK GALLERY is supposed to show iconic images that complete scenes were designed around. It is a waste though as only four images pop up when there should be a lot more. Longtime Hulk readers will recognize the Hulk’s appearance resembles Keown’s artwork from the 1990’s era so there was potential for this to be an extensive interactive experience but fell well-short of my expectations. The BD Live features include cutting up the film and sending those clips to your friends and a live chat while you’re both watching the film.

One thing noticeably missing are the theatrical and teaser trailers. It’s not asking too much to have these standard in every blu-ray release, is it?

HULK LIKE THIS BLU-RAY! Overall: B+

If you come in with reasonable expectations, The Incredible Hulk provides what we had all hoped would have been the first attempt at a Hulk film. Try, try again as they say and everything comes off better in this mulligan: the computer generated Hulk, Banner, General Ross, and the idea that this guy is walking amongst us or in isolation plays on the imagination much-much better. On blu-ray, the jealous green giant gets a technical spa treatment with booming sound and sterling video treatment.

And there you have it. My question is: Is this awesome? Is this a great nod to the fanboys?

At first I thought Marvel’s strategy of linking all of their films together and creating a movie version of comic book continuity was a bold and risky move. Would Marvel really risk alienating mainstream audiences by creating a tight little Marvel world. But I think this blurry image points to how it will be done across the board: they fanboy nods will be slight and subtle, the non-comic reader won’t even register the difference.

But that strategy leaves me hoping for more. How cool would it be to have the Hulk confront a man frozen in ice in Antarctica: Doesn’t that idea speak to Bruce Banner’s imprisonment inside the body of the Hulk? The connections are there and if Marvel can make them in the right way then the movie continuity could be a great boon, a thread that binds them all together and makes them stronger rather than a much talked about, blurry, throw-away image.

What is even more interesting about the news is that it confirmed some upcoming film projects that fans have been speculating on for quite some time. Even better than that, we even know the anticipated release dates for the films as well.

The five movie deal includes:

‘Iron Man 2′ Anticipated Release Date: May 7, 2010
‘Thor’ Anticipated Release Date: July 16, 2010
‘The First Avenger: Captain America’ Anticipated Release Date: May 6, 2011
‘The Avengers’ Anticipated Release Date: July 15, 2011
‘Iron Man 3′ Anticipated Release Date: TBD

We’ll have more information on these projects as they break. In the meantime, you can read PopCultureShock’s review of the Blu-Ray release of ‘Iron Man’ right here.

FEATURE:

Forgive me to open an old sore but remember when Tom Cruise wanted to make an Iron Man film, and star as Tony Stark? Hot off of his terrible yet somehow profitable Mission: Impossible franchise and New Line Cinema aggressively trying to make it happen. Think about that for a second… with his obligatory running scene, lots of deep inhaling and sighing…indeed… what an awful film that could have been! Instead, patient Iron Man comic fans were rewarded with Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwenyth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Director Jon Favreau. Up to that point, Iron Man was a just a rocking Black Sabbath song to the rest of the country. Keyword: Was.

For those still in the minority, Stark, a billionaire industrialist and arms dealer to the US government, is wounded by shrapnel and captured by terrorists. He is forced to create them a powerful weapon but instead builds a battle suit of armor for himself and escapes. Ridden with guilt when he sees the weapons he created fall into the hands of his captors, Stark gets inspired to engineer new armors modifying them and testing them becoming a hero to rid the world of his warfare and thwart those trying to steal his tech. Though not your typical hero, Stark balances his shrewd businessman tactics with smooth playboy moves as a public persona, but when alone is a technological genius.

With such a heroic arc, Downey was an inspirational casting. With so many clouds that hovered over career, he had turned it around with memorable roles in Scanner Darkly (2006), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) and Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), but the one thing that escaped him was a blockbuster role that everyone could reach the masses. Here he’s the center of attention delivering the brash and cocky side to Stark while channeling the brilliant engineer. We experience his discovery while he tests the suits and dream for a bit. He’s not perfect and that’s how we’re sold on Tony Stark. In the pending sequels Downey will face Stark’s bout with alcoholism and battling demons from within something he brings to the table from personal experience.

Paltrow ravished as Stark’s strawberry blonde assistant, Pepper Potts, Howard’s Col. James Rhodes complimented Stark and Bridges’ played up a villainous Obadiah Stane. The cast chemistry was there and with a script devoted to please the comic fans with the timing of computer effects advancement, Iron Man laid it all out.

Favreau gets Co-MVP (Swingers, Elf), by breaking out of the small film world and tapping into those sensibilities with the blockbuster tools. When he created a Myspace page devoted to Iron Man brainstorming sessions with longtime readers, it showed this guy cared about creating a faithful, yet modern adaptation of Iron Man. The result is a slick composite of stories spanning the 70’s and 80’s Armor Wars with Obadiah Stane to the Extremis re-launch and even the under the helmet experience of the 90’s comics. Though asked to compress all of Stark’s story elements, Favreau wisely chose to save some of those (alcoholism, Rhodey in War Machine) for the eventual sequels. The ability to do that without the nagging pressure of the usual big studio heads (See Spider-Man 3) and the confidence in Favreau’s plan paid off!

For the big screen, Iron Man was made contemporary taking it out of the Korean War origin and applying the Middle Eastern angle showing the timelessness as well as its relevance in the modern world. Because of that it struck a nerve with longtime readers of the comics and those introduced in the theater. More importantly Marvel Studios had a successful launch and could develop many more quality films if they take a similar approach to their vault of characters and ideas.

Presentation:
A slipcase holds the usual Blu-Ray disc holder. At Comic-Con, Marvel was giving out lenticular slipcases for the DVD release but sadly none for Blu-Ray. Menu design is simple, having a slick animation sequence with video feeds and the Jarvis HUD (Heads-Up Display) spiraling Iron Man. There are a total of 15 chapters although you can add bookmarks while watching the film. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese. DIsc one also has preview trailers of Star Trek, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Incredible Hulk as well as a commercial for the Iron Man animated series.

Video:
The feature is in 1080P, AVC encoded and sparkles in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Blacks are deep, and colors pop like in the Santa Monica pier or the Mark III armor. All of the reflective metal surfaces and battle worn textures the video show nicely. There’s still some film grain and softness to the image which, personally I enjoy because it recreates the theater experience rather than mucking up the picture with edge enhancement. There are only a few scenes, like when Tony is either lifting off or landing, where you truly know the armor is done by CGI.

Audio:
There are three soundtracks: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. There will be a bit of disappointment with the lack of a English Dolby Digital track for those who may not be fitted with a receiver that can read the HD Audio tracks, it simply defaults to a DD 2.0 mix. The Dolby True HD track though is a lively track, with lots of punch when Stark is testing out the repulsors and the big battle at the end. Dialogue is clear whether Jeff Bridges is shouting or Downey Jr. is whispering something to Paltrow’s Pepper. The heaviness of all of armor and metal comes booming through with resounding explosions, thuds, and clanks that will have your neighbors covering their ears. You’ll have fun replaying the opening scene and chapter 11 (the jet scene) as demo material. With all the flying and gun shooting there’s plenty for your surrounds to create an encompassing aural environment making this a definite reference disc in home theater rooms across the country. The upgrade to HD audio is worth every single penny.

Extras:

DISC ONE

Starting with Stan Lee, Gerry Conway, and Gene Colan to the characters’ renaissance in the Bob Layton, David Micheline and John Romita Jr. era, THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN (47:04) is a very comprehensive documentary on the men behind the comics of Iron Man. Warren Ellis and Adi Granov were rightly spotlighted for their modern-day reboot of the character (Iron Man: Extremis) that would later become the template for the film. Others who participated were editors, Joe Quesada, Tom Brevoort, writers Joe Casey, Dan and Charlie Knauf and artist Patrick Zircher. Every major landmark is covered even Ultimate Iron Man except the current Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca run on Invincible Iron Man. This feature was probably produced well before those comics were planned but it is one of the best superhero comics today. This feature can be seen in one sitting or in six separate chapters.

In the 11 EXTENDED/DELETED SCENES (23:56) two smaller arcs are taken out of the film: Stark’s very tight friendship with Rhodey and in Dubai, how Pepper stumbles on Tony’s secret adventures. Both arcs also revealed more of Stark’s playboy lifestyle which to some of the tame may have been too unlikable. There’s also an alternate ending showing a more emotional parting of Obadiah and Tony. When you go back to how smooth the film runs, these cuts were better left on the floor but deleted scenes always show the importance of the editing process, where if you decide to cut out one thing, everything related to that scene must go as well.

Of the Blu-Ray exclusives the HALL OF ARMOR takes users on an interactive tour of the Mark I, II, III, and Iron Monger suits with 360 degree views and close-ups on specific parts and their functionality. BD-LIVE features include being able to fly around in the different suits, 3-D schematics of the weapons and a IQ Trivia quiz.

DISC TWO

The beef is in the 109-minute behind-the-scenes, I AM IRON MAN featurette which can be viewed into seven parts separately or all altogether covering principle photography, the acting underneath the armors, contributions from Stan Winston Studio (molding and body casting) and Kyle Cooper’s Prologue Films (the cool end credits and HUD), and the incredible mass of post-production work orchestrated by Favreau. See him bounce from different parts of Skywalker Sound and you’ll see how he lost so much weight over the course of Iron Man. Comic book fans will get a kick out of Marvel’s top brass editorial and writing staff that included Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar, Axel Alonso, and Joe Quesada touring the studio and giving their input on how Stark is portrayed in the comics. These types of meetings should be mandatory for all comic book film adaptations because of their closeness and familiarity with these characters. It was also a surprise to see former
comic artist, Stephen Platt show up as one of the conceptual artists.

Favreau attempted to use special effects only where it was needed and when viewing WIRED: THE VISUAL EFFECTS OF IRON MAN (27:00) the development and contributions of Industrial Light and Magic (Mark II, III, Iron Monger), The Orphanage (HUD Interface), and the Embassy (Mark I) are explained and it’s amazing to see just how seamless their work was in the film.

After watching the ROBERT DOWNEY JR. SCREEN TEST (6:03) you’ll understand why he’s one of the best actors today performing three scenes, in addition to THE ACTOR’S PROCESS (4:13), which shows a rehearsal of Bridges and Downey Jr.’s pivotal scene guided by Favreau. THE ONION WILDLY POPULAR IRON MAN TRAILER TO BE ADAPTED INTO FULL-LENGTH FILM (2:38) is a comedy short done by the popular media spoof, The Onion, that works especially well if you or someone you know overreacts to movie trailers, subsequently expressing defamation on the internet. There’s an extensive GALLERY of conceptual art and production stills. Comic book fans familiar with Adi Granov’s art will enjoy looking at alternate armor designs and how much the art direction was based off his stunning work. Rounding out the second disc are four Theatrical TRAILERS in DD 5.1. The two domestic trailers show you the goods throughout while the international trailers do a better job of concealing the
Mark III armor until the end.

All of the featurettes are in high definition, widescreen (except the Onion short) and in Dolby Digital 2.0. It is however lacking a commentary track, which is disappointing, only because Jon Favreau and crew really devoted themselves to making a great film and would have provided an entertaining track. A very minor gripe, and greedy but there’s still plenty to pique the interest Iron Man whether it’s casual and diehard.

The Round-Up

Marvel Studios took a second tier character and made him a house-hold name. Concerns of what Marvel has to offer after Spider-Man and the X-Men have been squashed because not only have they established a new franchise in Iron Man, but they’ve laid the foundation to open the rest of their universe if you wait to watch after the credits. There was no doubt in my mind how much fun Iron Man was this summer; if Spider-Man was a home run, then this left the ballpark! It’s with my biggest recommendation that if you want to recreate that experience at home that this blu-ray release is the best way to do that.