Iron Man 2: A Love Letter to Ronald Reagan?

Pajamas Media ^ | May 7 | John Boot

[AJKauf]

and the movie is also a virtual love letter to Ronald Reagan.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr., whose performance seems meant to school Christian Bale in the art of playing things loose) finds himself in trouble with a weaselly senator (Garry Shandling). The lawmaker accuses Stark, who has been boasting to the world of his ability to keep the peace, of purposely developing an offensive weapon that he misleadingly calls a defensive weapon.

That this is exactly the argument liberals (and the Soviets) used to excoriate Ronald Reagan and his SDI plan is delicious — but it gets better. As played by Shandling, the senator, who is from Pennsylvania, bears more than a slight resemblance to Arlen Specter, the classic Capitol Hill weasel who called himself a Republican for as long as he found it convenient and is now not only a Democrat but one of the most reliably liberal members of his caucus.....

[maddog55]

I don’t look at movies for their conservative or liberal view points unless it’s a documentary type. It’s a movie, it’s entertainment and you can spend many hours trying to figure out some hidden message when to me it’s a frigging movie.

I finally watched Avatar.. great movie, excellent special effects but the whole military Vs liberal BS just wasn’t there. I could make arguments for it or against it but that would have been opinion only.

[Frantzie]

This might be woth renting because Mickey Rourke is also in it. Another redemption story. Mickey said his faith and dogs saved him and he blamed himself for screwing up his life. No one in Hollywood usually takes full responsibility for anything.

[Erik Latranyi]

A storyline from the Iron Man comic has Tony Stark becoming an alcoholic. Downey want to take the franchise in that direction to explore the dark side of addiction.

[Siena Dreaming]

He may be a Repub but I wish he hadn't been in George Clooney's screed against McCarthy "Good Night and Good Luck".

Downey has always been an interesting actor even years before he just recently got mega-famous.

[E Rocc]

“My only beef with the movie is they made Nick Fury BLACK ( he was white in the comic books ). Why do they have to do that ? To prove they’re not racist ?”

Maybe the actor they liked best for the role was black. Does it matter?

[dfwgator]

Even Salma Hayek couldn’t save that turkey.

[netmilsmom]

In Marvel’s original continuity Nick Fury is white(he still is in most of the comics). When Marvel started doing the “Ultimate” continuity is when they made him black. The “Ultimate” creators specifically drew him up with the likeness of Samuel L. Jackson in mind, even got his permission. He’s a Colonel in the regular universe and a General in the Ultimate universe. So he’s both lol.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Ni…;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Fury

[SeekAndFind]

Since I am not a Iron Man comic I do not know if race has anything to do with the character.

I think race has got to have something to do with it. Maybe affirmative action ( as Jess Jackson used to whine that there were not enough black actors being hired for main roles ).

Nick Fury at Marvel Comics had an eye patch. Well, Samuel Jackson who played Nick Fury had an eye patch too. The reference to the comics character is of course deliberate. So, the main difference is this --- Marvel's Nick Fury had an eyepatch and he was White. The movie's Nick Fury has an eyepatch but he is black.

There Jesse Jackson, happy now ? Hope you are appeased.

[netmilsmom]

I’m seeing this tomorrow!
Can’t wait!

[Frantzie]

He was always a bright guy. I think he and Mickey Rourke could never crash and burn then get back in the business and do great work unless they had talent.

Another thing I like about Mickey is he would put in a good word for Eric Roberts trying to get him work. It shows some loyalty to your friend.

[netmilsmom]

It was the Marvel artists that made him black.

[brownsfan]

“Will Smith turned down the lead role in The Matrix series to star in Wild Wild West with Kevin Kline.”

Bad choice by Smith, but it didn’t hurt his career.

Keanau Reeves is a terrible actor, but somehow was perfect for The Matrix. I only consider the first one, since the other two stink on ice.

[tarheelswamprat]

Any actor who can intelligently use the phrase “informed my proclivities” in a non-scripted conversation gets my respect. ;)

[spetznaz]

I like the analogy of this article. Robert Downey Jr. even looks like the Tony Starks of Marvel. My only beef with the movie is they made Nick Fury BLACK ( he was white in the comic books ). Why do they have to do that ? To prove they’re not racist ? Notice how they had to make James West black in the movie remake of the Wild Wild West.

Well, that is for two reasons: First Jackson is superb in that role. However, the Second reason is even more important ...in the comics Nick Fury is black.

Now, I am certainyou remember a white James Bondish Fury with an eye patch ...that is true. However Marvel has been a multi universe for a long long time, with many alternate universes present. Of those many universes, TWO rank supreme. The 616 universe (eg where Fury is white, or for instance the first Hulk movie) and the Ultimate universe (whereFury is black, bald, and more direct, or for instance the so called 'reboot' that brought the second Hulk more recent Hulk movie). Fury is both black and white ...with the white version being more so in the older comics.

Anyways, that outburst of nerddom is simply to show not everything is due to race. Fury being black made a lot of sense and was very true to the comics. Particularly for movies where tolerances to historical narrative are quite lose ...for instance no one cared that Wolverine in the movies was the tallest character almost, due to Hugh Jackman being the actor, when in the comics he is a short runt.

Fury being black is honest with the comics(Fury has been black in the Ultimate universe from the start), honest with the reboot where he first came up in the movies (the Hulk reboot), and enables a superb actor to play the part.

[ClarenceThomasfan]

I was going to skip this movie because of the mixed reviews but now that I hear that Downey may be a conservative, I’d like to go out and support his work.

We need more conservatives in Hollywood. Mel Gibson and Downey are about all we got.

[SeekAndFind]

Now I understand.

I haven’t followed Marvel since I grew up and started reading books instead of comics.

I was told that we now have a black Green Lantern ( name is not Hal Jordan anymore ). Very hard to follow the plot lines when you haven’t followed them for years.

Next Question : What race is Peter Parker in the Ultimate Universe ?

[proud American in Canada]

It shows some loyalty to your friend.

I agree. Loyalty is probably a rare commodity in Hollywood.

[proud American in Canada]

LOL, good point. :)

[Frantzie]

I am not a huge Eric Roberts fan but supposedly his sister has been horrible to Eric. Mickey is always trying to help him. Sort of nice to see both Mickey and Downey’s redemption story considering both are apparently not raging libs.

[Crimson Elephant]

Thank goodness. Will Smith as Neo? I can’t see that at all. I’m no huge Keanu Reeves fan, but his....what would you call it....blankness?..fit the part IMO.