DVD
A heavy-metal sequel "Iron Man 2" (Paramount, $30-$40 on DVD and Blu-ray) is a polished, high-octane sequel, building once again on a quirky performance by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The zillionaire is near death with a failing energy source and protecting his Iron Man from a covetous Defense Department and a jealous rival (Sam Rockwell). The rival hires a bitter Russian genius with a score to settle (Mickey Rourke), Stark's faithful assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) holds the empire together, his comrade Rhodey Rhodes (Don Cheadle) stands at his side, and an enigmatic warrior woman (Scarlett Johansson) creates mystery. It's not as good as the original, but it gets the job done.
ROGER EBERT, UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE
Also out Tuesday: "Babies," "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky," "Dark Night of the Scarecrow," "Ellery Queen Mysteries," "Family Guy: Partial Terms of Endearment," "Frozen," "Get Him to the Greek" "The Killer Inside Me," "Legend of the Seeker" (Season 2), "Midsomer Murders" (Set 16), "Rich Man, Poor Man," "Scrubs" (Season 9), "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse," "Top Gear" (Season 13), "The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts," and Blu-rays of "King Kong" (1933), "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence," "The Thin Red Line."
GAME
Dead on arrival? Capcom has positioned "Dead Rising 2: Case Zero" ($5 download for Xbox 360; rated Mature) as a piece of purchasable marketing that doubles as a prequel to the upcoming "Dead Rising 2." But for those who got excited about the original "Dead Rising" but hated how Capcom laid it out in 2006, "Zero" might accidentally serve as a cheap reminder not to make the same mistake twice. Like "Rising," "Zero" is a third-person zombie-slaying simulator. The game still lets players massacre schools of zombies with just about any object not bolted to the ground. But "Zero" also reintroduces players to "Rising's" unique structure, which places hard time limits on every objective in the game and stacks them in a way that forces players to forgo certain missions in order to complete others. While those who loved that system will adore Capcom's sticking to its guns, it might make "Dead Rising 2" a non-starter for those who didn't.
MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE
WEB
Call it the class struggle As the Skip Class Calculator (www.skipclasscalculator.com) gains popularity, college students across the country could be relying on computer-generated reasoning on whether it's worth it to put on real pants and head to class. Great for the indecisive, curious or clueless, the website is a free service that asks students questions pertaining to their class. Based on the answers, the calculator suggests to the student if it is "safe" to skip class. Even a person who hasn't skipped a day of class can be given a hesitant answer: "Hmmm ... looks like it's OK to skip but I wouldn't say you are Ferris Bueller safe." Pop culture references like this are the things that make Skip Class Calculator so addictive and popular among students. But Skip Class Calculator isn't all laughs, especially when it shames you: "What are you thinking? You need to go to class."
MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE
