I chose Compass Rose 65 as the fractal cookie for this post for one reason only--the red and gold color scheme harkens back to the colors of Iron Man's armor. (I couldn't think of anything better so I went with it.) I know the connection is slim but it's the best I had to work with. That being said--on with the review!
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There's a slogan about New York City that goes something like "a place so nice they named it twice." The Producers of Iron Man 2 took this seriously to heart--so much so that they basically remade the first movie again. I was tempted to call this review "Same Song Second Verse--A Little Bit Louder, A Little Bit Worse"--and that pretty much describes the movie. Iron Man 2 to a "T". It follows the same path as the first movie--right down to the long, draggy middle section. The special effects and battle scenes look great but you won't see anything new on the screen. Everything about this movie is bigger, louder and more bloated--pretty much like any summer-movie sequel.
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Yes, there is a lot of cute dialog and the chemistry between Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper Potts (Gweneth Paltrow) is undeniable. Mickey Rourke as Russian villain Ivan Vanko/Rampage is perfectly cast as is Sam Rockwell as Star Industries low-rent competitor Justin Hammer. (He literally steals every scene he's in with his "loveable schlubb" act.) In fact pretty much all the performances are spot-on--even if the movie is stuffed with too many secondary characters. Comic book fan (and true "badass") Samuel L Jackson gives an interesting twist to Nick Fury but Scarlett Johansen gets very short shrift (and no back story) as Agent Natasha Romanoff. I loved her performance but was deeply saddened that she didn't get more screen time. (Hopefully. she'll get more screen time in other movies.) The character of James "Rhodey" Rhodes gets a major upgrade as he becomes War Machine and a new actor in the person of Don Cheadle. (You have to wonder how Terrance Howard feels about that...) Movie Director Jon Favreau gives himself a cameo as "Happy" Harrigan. (I knew this character's story from reading comics long ago but Robyn was left completely confused. "Shouldn't I know him from somewhere?" she asked.) I couldn't decide whether John Slattery as Tony's father Howard Stark (seen in flim clips) was doing an homage to or send-up of Walt Disney.
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Iron Man 2 does exactly what a summer blockbuster is supposed to do--provide mindless, escapist fun. If you loved the first movie you'll probably like this one. It made 130 Million domestic in its first weekend so people were coming out to see it in dorve--but I didn't hear a lot of people raving as they walked out of the theater. If you ddin't care for the first Iron Man you have no reason to see the sequel. Comic fans should look for clues to upcoming "Marvel" releases in the movie--and comic fans NEED to stay for the "credit cookie."
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FINAL GRADE: B+
Star Power seemed just about the perfect fractal for a review of the latest touring company of Dreamgirls. While the cast aren't "quite" stars--they certainly have a lot of power. Read on if you want to know more.
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The Producers of Dreamgirls did a lot of things right: they spent their money where it would do the most good--in top notch vocal talent, elegant, effective (and abundant) costumes and a massive, five-panel LCD background. This show is all about the music and they showcased it beautifully. I didn't even miss the fact that there were no virtually no props and only one set-piece for the entire play. It helped a lot that the show had fourteen musicians (instead of the usual five maximum) common in most touring productions.
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If you've been living under a rock--here's a quick plot review. Dreamgirls parallels the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes (with just enough factual changes to keep the Writers and Producers out of court). The story begins at the Apollo Theater in 1962 where the "Dreamettes" are trying to break into Show Business by winning a talent contest. Their "Manager" (Used Car Salesman) Curtis Taylor Jr. talks them into a gig as backup singer for Jimmy "Thunder" Early (clearly a reference to James Brown). Through hard work (and Payola) Curtis gets the Dreamettes R&B Stardom and a presence on the (then all white) Pop Charts where the "real money" was. Along the way lead singer Effie White (a vocal powerhouse but a fat girl) is replaced by prettier but less-talented Deena Jones. A resentful Effie is pushed out and has to start again. When Effie scores a minor hit a spiteful Curtis has it squashed--which leads to his downfall and a tacked-on happy ending.
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Patrice Covington (the alternate) has all the chops: her runs and the musical tricks she can do are nothing short of spectacular. Still, I found her performance vergining on the desperate in I am Telling You--the closer of Act One. (In all honesty though--that might simply have been her trying to coax some energy out of a listless matiness audience.) Even so, her character Effie suffers from not being particularly likeable (and the best actress in the world can't overcome that. Effoe os a chroic complainer and after a while I just wished she shut up and go away!
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American Idol alum Syeesha Mercado has the looks and a pretty good voice to boot. In fact, the whole cast is pretty damn good--whether they are singing solo or in tight, sweet harmony. What little choreography there is (mostly posing while singing) is done well. Only Chester Gregory as Jimmy gets to do much moving and his voicals are often as blistering as the female leads: his arc from swaggering prince to about-to-be-has-been is totally believeable. Still, I found myself growing bored after nearly three hours: yes, they can SING! but it's just not music I want to listen to for prolonged periods.
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And I did have a few problems with the show. As Curtis, Chaz Lamar Shepherd has a relatively weak voice compared to the rest of the cast. I was able to pick out glaring voical mistakes on no fewer than five occasions (and no non-professional should be able to do that.) I also had problems with the script: luckily I had already seen the movie adaptation so I knew the story but I'd have been lost a few times if I'd come to this play
ithout that background. Lastly, there are some leaps in logic in the script that left me going "say what???" more than once. Still and all, Dreamgirls is a worthy effort--if only for the music up on that stage. Fans of big voices, show-stopping numbers and sweet soul music should definitely make the effort to check out the show live.
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FINAL GRADE: A-
