Iron Man 2 came bursting through theatres all across America to start off the Summer. And according to reports, did pretty daumn well:

“Iron Man 2,” the sequel starring Robert Downey Jr. as Marvel’s gadget-happy billionaire superhero, earned $133.6 million domestically on its opening weekend, according to distributor Paramount Pictures’ estimates Sunday. The opening rocketed past the original $98.6 million debut in 2008 and landed the record as the fifth-biggest opening weekend.

Despite having already been leaked on the Internetz, I decided to wait until the weekend to catch the second installment of yet Another Marvel Creation. Was it worth catching in theatres? You betcha! Should you watch it? Of course! And here’s why I think ya’ should:

Remember: there will be spoilers! SPOILers! SPOILERS!

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Straight out the gates, you can tell that Iron Man 2 will be filled with tons of action asTony Stark jumps out of a 757 hangar all suited up in his Iron Man clad outfit. It’s all action and explosions as the Iron Man lands onstage in true heroic fashion, while a news reporter, who has an uncanny resemblance to Olivia Munn, introduces him and the Stark eXPO. HOh-right! Welcome a Summer bockbuster! A brief (and as-always) cameo-appearance by Stan Lee, funiAzifug banter among all characters, new suits, replaced characters, new foes, and of course – Scarlett Johansson – what else can you ask for? (Who would you rather: ScarJo, Gwyneth, or Olivia Munn?)

As sequels go, many believe that the originals are almost always better. And in most cases, you’d be right. But considering that a comic-book only gets better with time, I’d say the second installment of the Iron Man Trilogy is right on track for an even bigger story to come.

All that is for a later time, but right now it’s all about Iron Man, man!

We open up with Tony Stark caught up in a funk with the government over who should retain ownership over the Iron Man suit. Tony Stark claims that it’s his own creation and property, thus, rightfully his own property. Whereas, the governments’ stance on the Iron Man is that no one individual or Entity should possess that much power and should, therefore, be handed over to the government. Hmm. Interesting politics. What do you think?

Wiki explains the Plot further, in stark detail:

Six months after revealing his identity as Iron Man, Stark Industries CEO Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), has helped maintain world peace. He re-institutes the Stark Expo in Flushing Meadows, New York, to continue his father’s legacy. A United States Senate committee, led by Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), demands Stark release the technology for military application. Stark refuses, declaring that he and the suit are as one while also claiming his competitors are years away from successfully recreating the technology.

Stark is slowly being poisoned by the palladium in his arc reactor, and attempts to find a substitute element have failed. Growing increasingly despondent and thrill-seeking as a consequence of what he believes to be his impending death, he appoints his former personal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) CEO of Stark Industries, replacing her with Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson).

While racing in Monaco, Stark is attacked by Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who has constructed an arc reactor of his own, along with whip-like energy weapons. Stark defeats Vanko with the aid of his portable briefcase armor. Afterward, Stark learns that Vanko is the son of his father’s old partner, Anton Vanko, who collaborated with Howard on the first arc reactor but was deported to the Soviet Union and died in poverty. Ivan blames the Starks for his family’s fate, and seeks revenge. Rival weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) has Vanko broken out of jail and recruits him to perfect a line of armored combat units he will use to upstage Stark at his own Expo.

Stark throws what he believes will be his last birthday party and gets drunk while wearing the Iron Man armor and indulges in dangerous activities, forcing his friend, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), to intervene. Rhodes dons Stark’s silver Mark II armor and after almost destroying Stark’s house in the resulting fight, carries out his previous orders to deliver the armor to the military. The next day, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of S.H.I.E.L.D., approaches Stark and reveals Natalie is undercover agent Natasha Romanoff and that Howard Stark was a S.H.I.E.L.D. founder. Fury gives Stark some of Howard’s old artifacts to aid in finding a cure for the palladium poisoning. A hidden message in the diorama of the 1974 Stark Expo proves to be a diagram of the atomic structure of a new element. With the aid of his computer J.A.R.V.I.S. (voiced by Paul Bettany), Stark synthesizes the new element and cures himself. Afterward, Vanko contacts Stark, revealing he is still alive and set on revenge.

At the Expo, Hammer unveils his new military drones, captained by Rhodes in a heavily weaponized version of the Mark II armor. Stark as Iron Man arrives to warn Rhodes, but Vanko seizes control of both the drones and Rhodes’ armor, setting them to attack Iron Man. Potts has Hammer arrested while Stark’s bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Romanoff race to Hammer’s Queens facility. They find Vanko has already left, but Romanoff is able to turn over control of the Mark II armor to Rhodes.

Eliminating the remaining drones, Stark and Rhodes are confronted by Vanko in his new, more powerful suit of armor. He is defeated when Stark and Rhodes fire repulsor rays at each other, triggering an explosion beside Vanko. Too injured to continue the fight, Vanko ignites his and drones’ self-destruct bombs, apparently killing himself in the process. Stark races to save Pepper amid a series of explosions. Pepper quits her position as CEO, and she and Stark kiss. Rhodes departs with the Mark II armor without serious objection from Stark.

At a debriefing, while showing news footage of another event, Fury informs Stark that while he is “unsuitable” for the “Avengers Initiative”, S.H.I.E.L.D. wants him as a consultant, which Stark agrees to.

In a post-credits scene, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), at a giant crater in the New Mexico desert, informs Fury of his team’s find: Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor.

In the end, Iron Man 2 is great flick to watch with friends and family. The Action? Jam-packed. The CG? Amazing. And although I wish the fight sequences would have lasted longer, I say that Iron Man 2 is a great way to start the Summer.

Don’t forget to stay until after the credits! Promise. There will be a little surprise for you at the end. Can anyone say Avengers? Anyone…?

Details are pouring in on the upcoming release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3. I asked resident gamers, J.P. and PM Dawn, to shed light on the upcoming release. Here was their response:

J.P. (of J.P.‘s Reviews): OH SH!T SOONNNNNNN!!!!

PM Dawn: Its been long awaited! Marvel vs. Capcom 3 2011 will be out and about…WOOO-HOOOOO!!!

Would you agree with all this hype?!? Tell us on Facebook!

While we all anxiously await the release (scheduled next year), check out the game trailer and some Artistic teasers works:

What’s to come? Check out the Haute game trailer:

[via]

You like comic books? Who doesn’t?!? With Marvel’s Comic Book Creator, you now have the toolz and skillz to make your very own! The Comic-book Flash program will allow you to create a comic strip/comic book based on various Marvel characters. But instead of the bad-aZiRy of the current Marvel style, you can create your comic using chibi-style (cute and short) Art. Although its aimed for kids, I have a feeling that the comic book creator is perfect for…well, anyone really.

Notable Haute Azifug features:

The world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark is the armored Super Hero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts and James Rhodey Rhodes at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces.

tokidoki and Marvel have joined forces to form one Haute Super-Team! Yes, that’s right. The Marvel Universe is getting the Simone Legno transformation via the tokidoki x Marvel collection – coming February 25! Ever since San Diego Comic-Con 2009, I always wondered when we’d be able to get our hands on this…

Can’t wait!

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