Iron Man 2-disc Blu-Ray review

So I've finally gone to Blu-Ray partially because of the Iron Man 2-disc collector's set. And if that Iron Man face packaging isn't enough to make you wanna make that jump I don't know what will (with the exception of a few hundred dollars).

PACKAGING:
The Iron Man face plate package is pretty slim considering how big the box was that it came in. It'll be interesting to see how people will want to display this in their collections as it has to be angled just right if you want to show it off. It opens up from the mouth piece revealing disc 1 on the the top of the faceplate and disc 2 in the actual inside. Disc 1 is easy enough to get out, but there is no space around disc 2 for you to push the disc up with your thumb, so you'll most likely have to press your finger in the middle and flip it upside down to get that disc out.

VIDEO:
Very impressive. Though some of mask shots of Downey's face on the CG Iron Man are a little more obvious in HD, I have no complaints. Considering that this is one of the most special effects heavy movies I've seen recently (meaning more than just CG), this is a movie that SHOULD be seen in Blu-Ray.

AUDIO:
Don't listen to those test reviewers who said the Dolby True HD is off-putting. The commercial release of the movie has fixed those problems and it sounds fantastic. Those who spent a fortune on DTS players won't be disappointed.

EXTRAS:
There are over three hours worth extras on these two discs! On disc 1, you get The Invincible Iron Man, which is basically Stan Lee and a couple of the writers and artists who worked on Iron Man talking about how they developed the character over the years. It's pretty interesting for those who want to learn more about Iron Man or just want a retrospective. The exclusive extra to Blu-Ray is the Hall of Armor which lets you get up close and take a look at all the special parts of the four CG robotic suits that were used in Iron Man. Pretty interesting, but the slow loads time mean you'll have to be a bit patient. Didn't have an internet connected Blu-Ray player so I couldn't access the BD-Live function on the disc (sorry). The deleted and extended scenes are fun to watch although you will realize why many of these scenes were cut out or down. For instance, there is an extended scene when Stark and Col. Rhodes are on the jet drinking where they get a lot more friendly with the girls and Rhodes has a hangover that morning. It's funny, but I can see why it wasn't added. Also, Downey drops an F-bomb in one of the extended scenes.

Disc 2 features the 2 hour I Am Iron Man which covers every possible element of the production you'd want to know about. From the stunt work to working with the air force, they cover it all. You get to see a lot of Favreau in this extra (at least, you get to hear his voice most of time) and you get to see him throw himself into the production by doing mo-cap and being convinced by Bridge's to go a little bald. The late Stan Winston is also interviewed in this extra. The Visual Effects of Iron Man is, at least to me, the best extra on the disc as they go to the three CG studios that worked on the film (ILM, The Orphanage, The Embassy), interview the staff, and let you see the entire process including the 3D models and texture maps (awesome stuff). Another notable extras include a feature from The Onion on 'Iron Man trailer being turned into full-length movie' (one of their best bits in my opinion).

OVERALL:
This is one of the best DVDs you can buy on Blu-Ray until Wall-E and The Dark Knight come out. But until then, if you're planning on buying a Blu-Ray player, NOW would be the time and this is the reason why. Buy it.