Iron Man 2 DVD

Iron Man 2 DVD

Released: September 28^th

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Grade A

When Iron Man 2 hit theaters in May, fans of the franchise lined up around the block to see it at the release, and the film became the third-highest grossing of 2010. Now, Robert Downey Jr.(Sherlock Holmes) and his costars are invading living rooms in high definition thanks to the September 28^th release of the Iron Man 2 DVD and Blu Ray.

Iron Man 2 picks up where the previous film left off, with the hilariously eccentric corporate giant turned superhero Tony Stark adjusting to his role as Iron Man, America’s first line of defense against terrorist threats. This time though, Iron Man has more on his plate than a few Middle Eastern militia groups and an insane father figure. Along with attempting to keep Stark Industries and his playboy persona intact, Tony has realized that the Arc Reactor that powers the Iron Man suit and keeps dangerous shrapnel from entering his heart is also killing him.

As he struggles to find a suitable replacement for the power source, he must also deal with an overzealous and increasingly paranoid United States Department of Defense, hell bent on confiscating his suit and using it for themselves. As if that weren’t enough, Stark quickly realizes that he has a new enemy in town, Ivan Vanko, played by Mickey Rourke (The Expendables)  who claims that the Arc Reactor was his father’s invention, and is determined to bring honor back to his family’s name by causing the great Tony Stark to fall from grace.

The plot of this star-studded sequel is definitely entertaining and the perfect balance of action, suspense, and hilarious one-liners from Downey. While Downey flawlessly reprises the role of Stark and if possible even tops his performance in the previous film, his supporting cast proves to be even stronger this time around, with Sam Rockwell (Moon), as the suave wannabe, Justin Hammer and Don Cheatle(Brooklyn’s Finest) taking over Terrance Howard’s previous role of Col. James ‘Rodey’ Rhodes. Samuel L Jackson (The Other Guys) reprises his role as S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Nick Fury, bringing the role of the classic eye patched badass into living colour on the big screen.

The two disc special edition, available at Wal-Mart and other major retailers features numerous special features including: Deleted and extended scenes, film commentary by Jon Favreau, Ultimate Iron Man: The making of Iron Man 2, and quite a few features on S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury, and their background in the comics. Overall, for fans of the film, the DVD combo pack is well worth the price, so don’t be afraid to splurge a little and bring all the action of Iron Man 2 home today.

Hands all over: More like originality all over.

Hands All Over

Maroon 5

Released: September 21

Octane Records

Grade: C

Three years after their last album, It Won’t be Soon Before Long, American rock group Maroon 5 returned last week with their third studio album, Hands All Over, bringing their unique funky sound to the table yet again with 15 brand new songs.

While the album as a whole has been met with mixed reactions, the first single, Misery reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being released in June.

Hands All Over starts out on a high note with Misery, which showcases the band’s classic rock-funk sounds, and the sultry falsetto of lead singer, Adam Levine, which fans have come to expect. The song itself features an upbeat pop feel, with the dark undertones that have become a signature of the band. The classic Maroon 5 sound of Misery is easy to get into and hard to not sing along with. Despite the merits of Misery as a catchy pop single, it also possesses an unoriginal flair as it sounds incredibly similar to their previous single, This Love, from their most famous album, Songs About Jane.

Give A Little More gives listeners a chance to appreciate the skills of Jesse Carmichael, the band’s guitarist, with a funky opening guitar riff that’s hard to resist. The vocals, while not as catchy as some of the band’s previous songs still feature the typical sound and feel of the band, and make Give A Little More an enjoyable listen.

The album definitely falters with Never Gonna Leave This Bed, which has a slower beat than the rest of the songs, and is completely forgettable, and one that listeners will probably skip more often than not. This track also marks the decline of the album, beginning a streak of songs that while not intolerable, also don’t leave the listener wanting more. By the end of Hands All Over, most of them end up sounding pretty much the same.

The bonus tracks however, are definitely worth a listen, featuring some live and acoustic renditions of some of the earlier album tracks. Also included in the bonus material are two cover tracks, where Lavine takes on the sounds of Alicia Keys, and Freddie Mercury with If I Aint Got You, and Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

Overall, though Hands All Over doesn’t completely fall flat, it also doesn’t define the band, or do more than provide a few more catchy singles to their resume. While people who are already fans of the band will probably enjoy the new tracks on the album, people who haven’t already come to love Maroon 5 will not be convinced to jump on the bandwagon.