Zombies are the big thing nowadays.  But what if the world went out with a whimper instead of a bang?  What if it went out with a cough?  It may not have the cool kids cachet of the stumbling dead, but Contagion‘s well thought out scientific underpinnings make it a compelling thriller for the brainy set, those who are aching for a different kind of action movie, or anyone who has a love affair with medical procedural shows.

As the film starts, you hear a cough.  Then another, and another.  Beth Emhoff, a businesswoman who is returning home to the States from a trip to Hong Kong, isn’t looking so good.  That’s pretty damn serious, considering she’s played by Gwyneth Paltrow, a woman that would look good after a 3-day cheesecake and whiskey bender.  Anyone who has seen the trailer for this film knows that Beth isn’t recovering from this business trip bug, and quickly other people come down with the illness.  Before long, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are racing against time to stop the pandemic before it’s too late.

The beginning of Contagion is much like the start of Stephen King’s novel The Stand in how it shows just how easy it is to pass along a virus.  We see Beth pick up a drink, then put it down.  The busboy picks up the empty glass, he grabs onto a bus rail on his way home…and suddenly millions of people are dead or dying.  But this film plays down the horror aspect, going instead for a fast-paced thriller focused on how to find a cure while the world is falling apart.  Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Syriana) uses his skill working with an ensemble cast to show many different points of view; from CDC doctors and WHO officials to janitors and families in far-out villages, there is hardly a social demographic that is missed.  Writer Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum) amps up the audience’s adrenaline by crafting scenes that show how government, big business and the blogosphere all strive to come out of this smelling like a rose, regardless of the toll it takes on humanity.  Meanwhile, humanity ain’t exactly holding hands singing Kumbaya, and scenes with crowds of frightened people pushed to their limits have a frightening ring of truth.

Yes, there are themes here, but they don’t beat you about the head to get you to submit, they slide into your conscious bit by bit as the action progresses.  They’re also grounded in common sense; think for yourself, take care of yourself and those you care about, take care of the world.  It’s easy to see why H2O Africa Foundation co-founder Matt Damon signed onto this project; it’s a wake-up call cunningly disguised as an action-packed thriller.  It’s also easy to see how this film attracted it’s all-star cast, as Soderbergh’s deft touch with subject matter that shoots off in many directions at once, and Burns’ ability to craft a thriller that takes time to let you care about the folks in the thick of it, was probably catnip to these stars.  Everyone rises to the occasion, giving performances that are believable in their humanity.  Bonus points for getting Dr. Sanjay Gupta to play himself in a cameo piece.

There are problems with any movie that tries to cover such a broad scope, and Congation isn’t immune.  Although Paltrow’s character isn’t on screen — alive, anyway — for long, the connection audiences build with her after her Psycho-esque early end gets shattered by a revelation that is wholly unnecessary.  And Lawrence Fishburne’s Dr. Ellis Cheever puts himself on the line for someone, and we find out after this storyline is almost entirely played out that someone is Cheever’s wife.  But for these flaws there are many more positives.  Jude Law’s blogger Alan Krumwiede, who is trying to do the right thing but can’t seem to help being a dick about it.  Matt Damon as Beth’s husband, who will stop at nothing to keep his daughter safe.  Marion Cotillard as WHO official Dr. Leonora Orantes, a woman that gets a first-hand look at how things are going outside of the big cities.  Not everyone lives, but not everyone dies either, and that gives viewers the hope they need to keep rooting for the world to survive.

With cold and flu season hitting us right about now, I’m sure there will be quite a few people who will be a bit more careful this season after seeing this film.  Meanwhile, I picked up a bug at the screening, and can’t seem to shake this sore throat.  I’m trying not to freak out about it, but after seeing what can happen if a bug gets nasty?  I think I’ll be staying in to rest this weekend.

“I want to go to there” to quote the great Liz Lemon that’s exactly how I feel after watching the trailer for Michel Gondry’s blockbuster. I don’t want to run this point through the ground but Michel Gondry (director of such art house classics as Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Be Kind Rewind) doesn’t make blockbusters and after watching this trailer you can’t help but feel like you’re seeing a bizarro Iron Man (directed by regular Jon Favreau). I hope that this film just proves how great a director Gondry really is, able to give us beautiful artsy films as well as this mainstream production, a much more difficult task than one might think. Then there’s our star Seth Rogen, who looks very comfortable in this role (which I found surprising) even delivering a very Seth Rogen line such as “I want you to take my hand. I want you to come with me on this adventure.” which could have come from any Seth Rogen film to date (Pineapple Exress, Knocked Up, Observe and Report). We don’t see enough of Christoph Waltz’ character and we probably see all we need to see of Cameron Diaz who looks like she’s impersonating Gwyneth Paltrow from the Iron Man series… oh well, you can’t have it all. Anyway, I cannot wait to see The Green Hornet when it’s released in theaters January 14, 2011! Enjoy the trailer-

Twice the iron men, twice the Tony Stark narcissism, twice the villainous rage and even twice the smoking hot red-heads; this film couldn’t be more aptly named.   Jetting into 3000+ movie theatres to kick start the summer movie season, is Iron Man 2.  No doubt this film will open huge – audience polls nationwide rank it as one of the top 3 most anticipated films of Summer 2010 (anybody else miffed that “Tron: Legacy” was pushed to December?)  It has the effects, the action, and the running time (just over 2 hours), to give you exactly what is displayed on that cineplex ticket in your hand – Iron Man 2.

I was a comic book fan in the 80’s and 90’s, and although the Iron Man series  wasn’t on my weekly allowance busting trip to the comic store, I still knew of the character and that stoked my interest in seeing the first Iron Man movie.  The film was smart, witty, had an edge, and made me regret having never committed to reading the series in my youth.  Iron Man 2 doesn’t deliver the same payoff.  The film starts strong and ends with a blast but loses itself in between.  Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.: Chaplin, Weird Science) is just as witty as you’d expect him to be and Downey delivers yet again in the role, but his character gets twisted in the script.  Tony gets a heart (no, not a real one), and even experiences human frailty which you might say is the natural evolution of his character, but it plays on screen as an attempt to fill time and not a natural progression of the psyche of Tony Stark as we know him.

IM2 picks up where IM1 left off, Tony has just revealed he’s Iron Man and his press conference is being beamed about 6000 miles to Moscow where a physicist Ivan Vanko sits in his dark and tattered apartment watching and fuming.  Turns out he has a deep seeded hatred for the Stark family, having knowledge that Tony’s father, Howard, sold out his own father that helped develop that super cool ARC energy source that keeps Tony alive.   Ivan (Mickey Rourke: Angel Heart, The Wrestler), using the original ARC schematic, builds what can only be described as light saber whips wrapped in a an energy ribbon.  He sets his sights on the United States, and finding Tony to enact the revenge his recently penniless dead father deserves.   Ivan’s character is somewhat of a visual misnomer.  He appears within a dreary shanty-town in Moscow, yet his abode contains some pretty high-tech equipment and his wardrobe is straight out of this month’s Vanity Fair.  From his D&G signature glasses, to his retro new century hair (where do you go in the slum streets of Moscow to find a colorist that good?), Vanko seems more like a spin on the real life art and style of Mickey Rourke, and less like a character from the comic series.  With the help of an unscrupulous defense contractor Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell: Galaxy Quest, The Green Mile), Ivan builds an army of Iron Men to help him dispatch of the Stark legacy once and for all.  Secretly placed within Stark Industries is the new red-head on the block Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson: The Horse Whisperer, Vicky Cristina Barcelona).  Unfortunately her character, as both Stark employee and S.H.I.E.L.D. undercover agent, isn’t given enough film time.  Scarlett is an amazing talent and shines in every moment on screen; even her fight sequences leave you wanting to see more of her.  Her playful interactions with Tony evoke that same spark you saw in the original film when Tony and Pepper were close, only this time it looks steamier – more intense.

The supporting cast returns and in the case of Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow: Shakespeare In Love, Shallow Hal), are given more room to grow around Tony’s ever increasing ego.  Screenwriter Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder) crosses that flirtatious line that you loved so much in the first film.  The chemistry between Tony & Pepper has always been undeniable, but it was kept at bay for the sake of Stark Industries business and to keep the audience wondering when, and if, they would eventually fall into the relationship you so desperately want to see them in.  This time around, you find out.  It’s important to note that even the filmmakers must have questioned this aspect of the story line.  If you’ve seen the early teasers and trailers for IM2, you might remember a bit where Iron Man is diving in to a celebration below.  Just before he leaps, he asks for a kiss, which Pepper is more than happy to lay on the facemask as she tosses it off the plane for Tony to catch.  That scene was pulled from the film just prior to release.  It’s replaced by Tony merely jumping and that was a good decision.  The love side of Tony and Pepper’s relationship is a line that should not be crossed, but inevitably happens in the third act of the film which is the payoff we all wanted, but still feels contrived when it’s delivered.  Tony’s personal driver Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau: Daredevil) is back too.  Not content to be a mere butler, this time Hogan becomes a fist swinging heavyweight.  Favreau should stick with being behind the camera, and away from being an actor.  His role seemed larger because he was the films’ Director, not because his character needed this level of growth. .

The film drags at various points especially as you watch Tony deal with his own mortality.  It wastes solid screen time as Tony prances about as a drunken buffoon in an Iron Man suit at his own birthday party and made worse when watching Justin Hammer whine about how inventive Tony is and how mediocre his company has become as a result.  If the CEO’s of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are anything like this character, the state of national defense in the United States is in really big trouble.  I can’t get over how this film has twice the iron and twice the action of the original but you leave feeling half as fulfilled as with IM1.  The flight sequences are amazingly imaginative and the digital effects are top notch, but it’s not enough to save the film.

If 2+ hours of high flying action aren’t enough for you, stick around until the credits end – you’ll get a nice sneak peek at the next Marvel comic book/movie franchise.

“Iron Man 2 (2010)” is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action, sci fi action, violence and some language.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Below we have embedded the ever fabulous interactive trailer put out by the fine folks over at Paramount for their upcoming sure fire hit, Iron Man 2.

According to Paramount there are hotspots within the embedded video and will release further content and information on the characters.

With the upcoming release of this film there has been an onslaught of pictures, TV spots and trailers all over the net. Stay tuned to Atomic Popcorn for updates on this upcoming blockbuster.

Iron Man 2 is easily one of the most-anticipated movies of this summer, and there has been a lot of hype around the movie. We’ve waded through dozens of redundant image sets to bring you 50 high-resolution images from the film.

Check them out below and click for full resolution:

Here are some posters for the movie:

Iron Man 2 stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, and Sam Rockwell and hits theaters May 7th.

Images courtesy of FilmOFilia, Collider, ComicBookMovie and CinemaBlend.

And now for a special bonus – a new 2-minute clip from the film:

Taking on a fairly interesting duo of roles, Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicole Kidman have both signed on to star in The Danish Girl.

The film is based on the real life relationship between Danish artists Einar and Greta Wegener, but is adapted from a David Ebershoff novel dealing with the same story.

Although dealing with a relationship, the film is not your typical boy meets girl, girl meets girl, or boy meets boy tale. Einar Wegener was, in fact, the first post-operative transsexual, and the film follows his and his wife Greta on the journey Einar takes from playing around with gender roles, to finally getting a sex-change operation.

In The Danish Girl, Paltrow will play the role of Greta, a portrait painter who asks her husband Einar to step in when a female model fails to show up for a sitting. Kidman will be playing the role of Einar, who after donning women’s clothing for the portrait continues to sit for Greta as a woman, and eventually undergoes a sex-change.

Ebershoff’s novel was adapted for the screen by Lucinda Coxon, and will be directed by Thomas Alfredson. Gail Mutrux, Anne Harrison and Linda Reisman will serve as producers, along with Kidman and Per Saari.

The Danish Girl is a collaborative production between Pretty Pictures in association with Harrison Productions and Blossom Films.

Entertainment Tonight has posted one of their typically superficial, bare bones set visits, this time of Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2, in which their reporters interview Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and the Black Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson.

Most of the footage revolves around the race track sequence we’ve seen a dozen set pictures of already, in which Tony Stark first encounters Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash.

Also investigated is Downey’s workout routine, just in case you want to have a rock-solid Tony Stark set of abs by the time this movie is released on May 7th, 2010.

Check out the footage below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

MARVEL COMICS DOES IT AGAIN!!!…another comic book turned into a great motion picture and this year’s mega-blockbuster. Director John Favreau captured the essence that is the Iron Man comic book and brought it to life in a fun way that will have the whole family cheering. His choice of actors was superior as each person was able to capture the essence of their comic book counterpart.

Iron Man is the story of billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey, JR). Betrayed, tortured, and left for dead, Tony battles back for life by dedicating his scientific and technological skills to stop the misuse of weapons bearing the Stark Industries name.
The “Iron Man” is a way to use the Stark Industries weapons as they were originally intended to be…protecting the innocent.

Robert Downey, JR does a magnificent job in his portrayal of Tony Stark. Call it typecasting but whom else could play a womanizing, self centered, drunken, billionaire? He pulls off this role as if he was born to play it.

Stark is joined in this quest by his sexy assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) who helps keep the day-to-day items running in the Stark world. She knows all of Tony’s secrets and will help him with everything. Sidekick James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Terrance Howard) is the moral compass that aids Tony with the technology research.

Iron Man has a believable group of adversaries that help keep this adventure grounded in the real world. The terrorist organization called The Ten Rings is the Al Qaeda of the Iron Man world. The Ten Rings want to use the ill-gotten weapons as a means to an end and won’t let anyone or thing get in their way. The organization is run by Raza (Faran Tahir) and long time Iron Man readers will notice that he resembles the Mandarin, an ancient warlord that longed to hold the ten mystical rings of power. Tony’s business partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), is a master of the corporate world and has his own plans for Stark Industries. He’ll stop at nothing to gain power via the arms sales to the US Government and any organization that can pay for his services.

Humor, action, and adventure, are all at hand making this movie suitable for a family outing this weekend. With a nice balance between action and story, Favreau was able to move the plot forward without compromising story elements for un-needed/thrown in, action sequences. Staying true to the source material was the number one priority and it shows.

I stayed to see if there were any additional scenes after the credits and in the screener copy I saw there were none. However, I have read that the version hitting theaters will have a bonus scene after the credits. Either way, I’m sure that it will be on the DVD when released. Here is a link to Slashfilm.com detailing the story.

Iron Man is rated PG-13, has a run time of two hours, is directed by John Favreau and distributed by Paramount Pictures. This is the way to start the summer of 2008.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆