Back for More- Iron Man 2

2008 was an interesting year for the superhero genre, 'The Dark Knight' was expected to be a hit but was a critical and cultural hit as well while 'The Incredible Hulk' sadly meant that the big, green and cranky ultra-ego was all but dead.

'Iron Man' on the other hand never took itself to seriously, had a refreshingly breezy pace that meant it was accessible to a wider audience as well as clever casting in Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow actors not normally associated with such fare.

Nearing $600 million at the box-office and second only to 'The Dark Knight's $1 billion plus, Iron Man's killer combination of DIY hero, cocky multi-millionaire and plot touching on terrorism was something that hit the button for audiences and critics alike.

Now two years on, Tony Stark/Iron Man is back and along with original cast members Downey Jr. and Paltrow comes Don Cheadle (replacing Terrence Howard) and the much hyped casting of Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson as the film's anatagonists.

The film will be a success no doubt about that but will the sequel like up to the standards brought about by the original's uber-cool style?

Rourke looks set to overact and make for a fun villain in Whiplash though despite some early speculation that he might be able to live up to Heath Ledger's iconic tragic performance in 'The Dark Knight' I'm sure are unfounded.

Not to discredit Mr. Rourke but 'The Wrestler' star is in a 'full blooded' action film complete with whips filled with electricity, maybe it's better to compare this type of portrayal to Jack Nicholson's 'Joker' rather than Ledger's.

Johansson on the other hand plays Natalia Romanoff/Black Widow, who in the comics is a Russian spy but for some reason her few words in the film's trailer and TV spots are apathetically in American and her high-wire stunt sequences are somewhat comparable to a mid air Bollywood dance.

Robert Downey Jr. born to play the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man like he has been since 2005's 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' has become one of the most watchable and inventive mainstream Hollywood stars of the last decade.

'Iron Man 2' is on my hit-list of cinema experiences in the future and I'm sure I will be entertained but can it live up to the hype of the original or am I just wishful thinking?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Olpjl_IrE

Resident Evil: Reborn or Undead?

(to the left) Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' (click pic for trailer)

It came as much publicised news recently that a trailer for 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' had hit the internet, the fourth film in the seemingly never-ending action/horror series continues on directly where the third film 'Resident Evil: Extinction' (2007) left off, with mutated and hyperactive experiment Alice (Milla Jovovich) taking down the evil corporation Umbrella's headquarters.

Additionally the film (and something that the trailer makes readily apparent) is using the same camera system that James Cameron used for his $2 billion success 'Avatar' not only making it one of the true '3D' films released this year but also the first videogame adaptation to use the rapidly popular IMAX system.

But one has to wonder how long does the 'RE' series have left after all the videogame series which debuted in 1996 and had it's most successful release with 'Resident Evil 5' last year is even considering rebooting as well and starting the series from scratch.

It was in speculation last year prior to filming that instead of making a fourth film that a new trilogy would be started laughably titled 'Resident Evil Begins' and would basically be a retread of the first film which had commandos investigating an undercover lab used for viral weaponry before realizing that the dead walk.

The first film was in fact a loose adaptation of the first game, though the game was more based on survival horror and scares more akin to the films of George A. Romero (Land of the Dead, Survival of the Dead) who was at one point meant to direct the film and even had a working screenplay before the studio decided on Paul W.S Anderson's more 'Matrix'-style action-thriller.

Anderson himself returns to the director's chair for 'Afterlife' having taken time off and only producing and writing the second and third films, 'Apocalypse' and 'Extinction' in order to direct the failed 'Alien vs. Predator' (2004) and the maginally more successful 'Death Race' (2008).

'Afterlife' again stars Anderson's wife Jovovich along with the returning Ali Larter (playing game character Claire Redfield) and newcomers Shawn Roberts and Wentworth Miller in roles also based on their videogame counterparts.

Worldwide Box-Office of RE films
1. Resident Evil (2002): $103 million on a $35 million budget
2. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004): $128 million on a $50 million budget
3. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007): $146 million on a $46 million budget

Amazingly none of the 'RE' films have earned as much as it's costing (roughly $150 million) for the upcoming 'Prince of Prince: The Sands of Time' (due May) itself also based on a videogame series.

Whether or not a reboot/sequel or new trilogy is in the works will depend largely on the box-office of 'Afterlife' come September but one has to wonder... if a corporation killed off 99% of the human population what would it have to gain?

Questions that certainly won't be answered anytime soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnRJZiiarZQ&playnext_from=TL&videos=L2nZQZZtSkw&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_stronger_r2-2r-3-HM