DVD Review: Ironman 2-Disc Special Collector's Edition - Page 2

Man, the special features are lengthy, but worth it. There’s no wasted space here. There are the usual deleted scenes, screen tests, trailers, and even a preview for the new Ironman cartoon coming in 2009.But, there are some real stand-out special features. “I Am Iron Man” is a seven part making of that runs well over an hour and starts from day one of planning and goes all the way through the wrap-up of shooting and the special effects editing that went on at ILM. This is an enormously comprehensive making of feature. We get to see the fledgling beginnings of the team in a small office building. Then Robert Downey Jr. shows up and steals most of the documentary with his quick and witty remarks. After watching him for a while you wonder if he really had to act at all to be Tony Stark.Watching them build the suits at Stan Winston Studios was the absolute best part for me. It was nice to see the detail that it took to build these suits, and that the filmmakers actually took the time to do it properly. They could’ve easily rendered everything via CGI, but they didn’t. Most of the time, when you see the suit walking around, it’s real. That amazes me.The other fantastic special feature is for both the die hard fans and people who know nothing beyond this movie about Iron Man. “The Invincible Iron Man” chronicles the birth of Iron Man, and all his subsequent variations and storylines in comics. It’s great to see all the different artists and storytellers describe Iron Man and why they did what they did. It’s interesting to see how the story evolved and developed over time.Ending Thoughts

This is a DVD worth owning, no doubt about it. Not only is it a great movie that has almost unlimited re-watch value, the special features are well thought out and offer the viewer more than just a few deleted scenes and an underwhelming gag-reel. The special features here are of the highest caliber and you can tell that they were planning the DVD release from day one. If that’s not enough for you, the making of documentary even chronicles Jon Favreau’s weight loss.I love this set. It looks great on my shelf and wonderful on my TV. The acting is brilliant, the story is top-notch; overall it’s just a great time at the movies.

Article Author: Aaron Peck

All of Aaron's reviews first appear in print for The Herald Journal Cache Magazine. He's also running the fledgling film site The Reel Place.com.

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