I went and saw the new Iron Man film, Iron Man 2, this past weekend and while I believe it wasn't as good as the first (few sequels ever are with the exception of Dark Knight) it was a good summer movie. I must say that Robert Downey Jr. has found the defining role that he probably will be most remembered for as he again nails the role of the quick-witted, comical, and care-free Tony Stark.

In Iron Man 2, the U.S. government is worried about others duplicating Stark's Iron Man suit and thus using it to their individual ill-willed interests. After unveiling his identity as Iron Man, Stark is unwilling to let go of his invention to the U.S. government. Stark seemingly wins his battle to be the sole holder of his invention until Ivan Vanko (another bad guy from Russia named Ivan played by Mickey Rourke) proves he can duplicate the arc reactor technology on national television thus motivating the U.S. military to push even harder to have Stark share his invention for their application. Upon learning of Vanko's duplication, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a rival of Starks', partners with Vanko to mass produce the technology and thus make some money upon selling it to the government. However, Vanko has other plans. Stark has his relationships tested with his secretary Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his best friend Lt. Col. James Rhodes (Played by Terrance Howard in the first film, Don Cheadle in this one), all while dealing with his discovery that the palladium in the arc reactor keeping his heart beating has begun to poison his body, slowly killing him in the process.

Rourke plays Vanko brilliantly and Gwyneth Paltrow is her usual girl-next-door self. New to the series are Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) whom plays the all to familiar role of a disgruntled and angry man that he always serves admirably, and Scarlett Johansson (Natalie Rushman) whom looks beautiful no matter what color her hair is. Director John Favreau (The Replacements, Rudy, Vinve Vaughn's best friend) appears quite a bit more as Starks limo driver (Happy Hogan) in this one to.

While it's not as good as the first and it's hard to follow the plot at times, Iron Man 2 is worth seeing for the great action scenes and special effects along with the quick-witted humor by it's characters. However, it's not Shawshank Redemption or Forrest Gump good (few movies are). I have a hard time buying Cheadle as a Lt. Col. as Howard better fit the role in the first film and it's always tough switching actor mid-series as credibility is lost (See Maggie Gyllenhall in place of Katie Holmes in Dark Knight). The movie is long (over 2 hours) and full of action making it your typical summer movie. While the plot may not be the easiest to follow and maybe this film has too much action I'd still say it's worth the $10 price you'll pay as it easily entertains (I mean, that's what we go to the movies for, right?). I'll give Iron Man 2 a solid B rating. Be sure to stay after the credits as a small preview for Iron Man 3 might be in store! ;)

MIKE'S MOVIE REVIEW FOR IRON MAN 2 : SOLID  B

Today on the show I gave the listeners my top 5 movies that guys and girls can enjoy on Valentines Day. I like to call these movies "RoMANadies" because they mix romance, comedy, and a man will enjoy them! I said that "Just Friends" made the top 5, but a listener reminded me of "The Breakup" and I must make the change!

5. "The Breakup"
4. "Hitch"
3. "The Proposal"
2. "I Love You, Man"
1. "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"

Send me an email and let me know what your top 5 would be. Happy Valentines Day!

It's perfect that the best movie of the year is the first movie I do a review for the blog. I absolutely loved this movie. The story is great and the movie is excellent. It has everything you could want in a movie this time of year...heartwarming, funny, true, great acting, and it leaves you in a great mood. It's technically a sports movie and I rank it right up there with "Remember the Titans" and "Glory Road," as my favorites, but it's so much more than just a sports movie. The director decided to focus more on Sandra Bullock's character, which was fine with me, but because of that it wasn't as much of a sports movie. She was so good and I was already a big fan of hers, but she stepped up her game to another level. The movie could have gone more in depth or taken the movie a lot of different directions, but I think they chose the best angles. We saw how a stranger can become part of a family. We saw how someone could overcome a bad childhood. We saw how a wealthy family can truly make an impact and not be concerned about racial tension. We saw how a person could have a natural inclination to protect people and then use that for a career. I was so pumped during this movie because at every turn it just made me fall more in love with the story of Michael Oher. I became an 'Ole Miss and Baltimore Ravens fan after this movie too. I hope everyone sees this movie and I hope everyone gets motivated to make a difference in people's lives. People who are fortunate to have certain advantages should help those who don't. A great message for the holiday season.