Misery loves company – and so do film superheroes, apparently.
Whenever Hollywood successfully brings a comic book hero to life it saddles him with too many supporting characters.
Case in point: “Batman Forever,” “Batman & Robin,” “Spider-Man 3″ and, now “Iron Man 2.”
The latter leads off this week’s DVD and Blu-ray release list, and while it’s seriously flawed it also delivers some of that superhero magic – just enough to recommend it.
- “Iron Man 2” – Robert Downey, Jr. is back as Tony Stark, and for a while all is right in the “Iron” universe. But the overstuffed story – chockablock with savvy co-stars like Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke – leave too little room for Iron Man to soar anew. The copious Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Jon Favreau, eight deleted, extended and alternate scenes and a four part “Ultimate Iron Man” making of documentary series.
- “Get Him to the Greek” – Russell Brand rides his breakout role in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” to a leading man gig with “Greek,” and the results impress. Brand’s Aldous Snow is trying to revive his career, but his taste for anything illegal and addictive could derail his comeback. Strong supporting work from Jonah Hill and – shockingly – Sean Combs wrings enough laughs out of a thin premise. The Blu-ray extras include an alternative beginning and ending, a trio of “making of” featurettes and an extended look at “Blind Medicine,” the faux TV show starring Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell).
- “The Killer Inside Me” – This noir thriller casts Casey Affleck as a small town cop with bit-time rage issues. His temper explodes when he’s asked to nudge a prostitute (Jessica Alba) out of town. “Killer” sure is ugly, but Affleck’s portrait of evil isn’t easily forgotten. And check out Kate Hudson in a small but compelling role that’s better than anything she’s done in years. The spare Blu-ray extras include the main characters discussing their take on their roles.
- “Frozen” – The best thrillers don’t need elaborate set-ups or buckets of gore. Take “Frozen,” a chiller set on a closed snow slope. Three pals get abandoned on a ski lift chair and are left with few options for safety. The Blu-ray extras include a feature-length documentary on the making of the movie.
(Photo: War Machine (Don Cheadle) revs up for action in “Iron Man 2.” Photo credit: Industrial Light & Magic/Marvel © 2010 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.
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