Iron Man 2, Edwards AFB and SpaceX

I got to see Iron Man 2 last night at a special premier at Edwards Air Force Base in California (since parts were filmed there, and to thank the USAF for their help with the movie).

I was happy to see "Hammer" (fictional defence industry company) facilities was actually SpaceX (where they filmed)!

The movie was cool comic book action as well!

Premiere? It's been playing for weeks here, so this means that we're not always after parts of US when it comes to Holywood movies?

Anyway - cool fact!

Premier for me at least

I know it's been out other places for a while now.

I saw it yesterday. When the movie cut to the Hammer labs I wondered what all the thinly disguised rocket parts were for. Then I recognized the SpaceX Facility. I took a tour last summer. They did almost nothing for the shoot. They just wheeled the Merlin engines and the dragon mock-up out of the shot. They would have been too obvious.

The engineer who showed me around said it had been used, but I figured it would not be very recognizable in the movie so I was caught off guard (and pleasantly surprised) to see it.

How about Elon's Cameo? "I have an idea for an electric plane." To me that was funny because he actually does. I would like to hear more details on that plan though. I have a few ideas myself but the batteries are nowhere near close.

I didn't catch this! When was he in the film?

He was in the restaurant in Monaco. He and Tony Stark have a quick conversation. It lasts about 3 seconds. Enough for them to be introduced. Elon stands up from his table says "I have an idea for an electric airplane." Tony never stops walking by but does shake his Elon's hand and says "We'll make it work." over his shoulder as he leaves. Elon sits back down and we never see him again.

This is all right before he Talks to Mr. Hammer and then enters the open wheel race himself.

Yeah, I saw Iron Man 2 over the weekend, and I likewise thought I was looking at SpaceX's facilities during those scenes at Hammer Industries. After reading about it later on through the internet, I was pleased to find out I was right.

Elon Musk's cameo was cute, as was that of Oracle's Larry Ellison.
Musk is also apparently given thanks in the end credits.

It's nice to see the tech visionaries -- fictional and real -- all standing together.

I've read about SpaceX's facilities being used as Hammer Industries here in this thread before seeing the film (just came back from seeing it), but I would have recognized it anyway, all those Falcon 9 parts weren't disguised at all

Fortunately I didn't read about Elon's cameo and I was really surprised by it. It made me one very amused space geek! Guess I was the only one in the cinema laughing at that moment, got some puzzled looks instead

Haha, I knew it! I saw that factory and I said to myself, "That's SpaceX!"

I didn't realize that was Elon Musk though! Cool. I'll have to watch it again sometime.

I thought it looked familiar.

Thought the movie was typical Hollywood, long on visual effects, short on story.

Honestly?

Funny, because most people I know complained about "not enough action, way to much talk"

I guess I'm an outlier because I would have preferred the whole movie to have been nothing but guys tinkering on their gadgets (to which a big chunk of time was devoted).

I just think the writing could have been a lot better and still been true to the comic book origins.

Just say it today... almost missed Elon's cameo, until I heard thw words 'electric jet'.

Tony Stark also mentions the Merlin engine to Musk in the cameo appearance, also. That was great.

I got a tour mid-june from a friend who just started working there. There's now a life-sized IronMan statue between the cafeteria and the production floor signed by Robert Downey Jr and more of the cast and crew.

Oh, and a life-sized Cylon

Right next to the frozen yogurt bar. If I lived in LA area I'd be beating their door down for a job.