[b]Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)[/b] Bruce Willis is back as John McClane, the tough, resourceful cop who always ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It\'s Christmas again and this time he\'s waiting for his wife at the airport when terrorists take hold of the complex to rescue in incoming insurgent. The dialog isn\'t nearly as sharp here as in the first. Due to the more open setting there is less tension, and the villain is certainly not commanding in the way that Hans Gruber was. The whole thing feels like kind of a generic action thriller. However, that\'s not to say it isn\'t worth watching. There are some great sequences especially in the second half, and the finale is probably more exciting (though less realistic) this time around. Plus, did I mention John McClane? And a young Robert Patrick a year before his breakout role as T-1000 in Terminator 2. [b]7/10[/b] [b]Iron Man (2008)[/b] Of all the recent comic book movies, this one is might be the coolest. It\'s slick as snot with good-looking CG, a strong script, and a centerpiece in Robert Downey Jr. who IS this movie. I don\'t even want to know how this would have gone down with anyone else playing Tony Stark. He takes already good dialog and makes it sharp and hilarious. He\'s doesn\'t show a whole lot of heart here, though - actually the film as a whole feels just the least bit cold (how did they deal with the icing problem?). It spends a long time getting up to speed, sort of like a Batman Begins with more buildup and less payoff. Also the science is pretty unbelievable even for a superhero movie. The fact that Stark talks to his computers like he would to a human (or at least to a dog) and they understand and respond is pretty out there. Even if we can imagine him being capable of producing things that the rest of science hasn\'t caught up to, in my mind I was asking logistical questions about a lot of it. I had an easier time buying the new Batman. Still, though, it\'s definitely a strong film that\'s very enjoyable and Gwyneth Paltrow has never looked better. Ever. [b]8/10[/b] May go up to an 8, but a second viewing will have to confirm.