Iron Man 2

In "Iron Man 2," billionaire industrialist Tony Stark's (Downey Jr.) dual life as the armored superhero and inventor is now known, and Stark faces pressure from the government, the media, and the public to share his invulnerable robotic suit technology with the military. Stark is unwilling to give in and must forge new alliances and confront powerful enemies. (Gary Reber)

The three-disc special edition contains on Disc One the feature film and optional commentary by Director Jon Favreau, as well as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Data Vault and previsualization and animatics. On Disc Two there are more special features and Disc Three is the DVD and digital copy of the film. Special features include the documentary "Ultimate Iron Man: The Making Of" in four parts (HD 01:27:08), six featurettes (HD 30:31), eight deleted scenes with optional commentary by Favreau (HD 16:50), concept art galleries, theatrical trailers, other Marvel trailers, and a music video: AC/DC "Shoot To Thrill" (HD 05:37).

The 1080p AVC picture is similar in appearance to the previous "Iron Man" Blu-ray Disc™ reviewed in Issue 136. Contrast is inconsistent and, at times, appears to be blown-out with black levels that rise to a level that givens the entire image a washed-out appearance. But when balanced, blacks are deep and solid and shadow delineation if nicely revealing. Colors appear strong and vivid with generally natural-looking fleshtones, except when pushed, and then a bit orange hued. Resolution is good, especially during close-ups of facial features and object textures. Still the picture appears stylized and a big rough and edgy. Overall, the picture is inconsistent visual weight but engaging visually, with an effective dimensional feel. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack at times is quite spacious and holosonic® enveloping, which creates a wonderfully defined soundfield. But at times, this dimensionality collapses to a frontal presence, leaving the soundtrack dimensionless. The LFE channel is active quite frequently throughout the presentation, and it is integrated well with the rest of the sound design. Bass is defined well, dropping below 25 Hz in the .1 LFE channel. The music score, while a bit reserved in presence and distinctive instrument timbre, provides a wide and deep soundstage. Phantom imaging is incorporated nicely, with seamless pans employed as well. Micro dynamics are articulated nicely, and dynamic range across the board is maintained fairly well. At times SPL is at full energy, and the soundfield is fully energized with aggressively directionalized pans. Overall fidelity is good, though, presence sounds a bit veiled. Dialogue sounds "produced," with at times, poor spatial integration. Overall, this is an engaging soundtrack that is enjoyable. (Gary Reber)