Iron Man 2 - Review

To my loyal readers, I apologize for taking so long to post another review. I really wanted to post this review right after I saw the movie but I've actually been quite busy working on a film of my own (more details on that coming soon). I know I'm way to late to make a difference on whether you'll see this in theatres or not, but if you happen to be on the fence about Iron Man 2 for this long, here's my review.

Iron Man 2 is arguably the most hyped summer blockbuster this season. The sequel to the critically acclaimed 2007 film, Iron Man 2 reunites cast members Robert Downey Jr, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Samuel L. Jackson as Tony Stark aka Iron Man, Pepper Potts, and Nick Fury respectively. New to the cast is Don Cheadle replacing Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes aka War Machine, Scarlett Johannsen as Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, and villains Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash and Justin Hammer played respectively by Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell.

Iron Man is based on the long running Marvel Comic series. Tony Stark is a wealthy and brilliant inventor who designs a high tech suit of armor and uses it to protect the world. As the first live action adaptation of the comic, the 2007 film was a critical and commercial success, complete with solid performances, fun action sequences, and a unique spin on the superhero genre. Despite being a popular comic, Iron Man was generally unknown to those unfamiliar with comic books, allowing it to be released with minimal expectations. Iron Man 2 is, however, riding off the heels of its super successful predecessor and the hype is substantial. Does it live up to the hype or just crash and burn?

The story picks up about 6 months after the first movie ended. Tony Stark has revealed to the world that he is Iron Man and has been using the armor to fight terrorism and help people around the world. However, numerous officials of the US government, particularly Senator Stern, demand that Stark turn the armor over to the country for military application. Stark refuses, claiming that his competitors are years away from replicating his technology. Unfortunately, Ivan Vanko, the son of a disgruntled former partner of Tony's father, is able to replicate the technology. With his high tech weapons and a vengeful soul, he commits himself to ruining Stark and his legacy, while catching the attention of Stark's competitor, Justin Hammer.

What separates Iron Man from many superheroes is Tony Stark's personality. Unlike the darker persona of Bruce Wayne or the brooding Peter Parker, Stark is a fun loving and eccentric billionaire. Sure he has his dramatic moments, but usually he's partying, hooking up with ladies, and drinking like a fish. As much as I relish darker and more dramatic comic book storylines, its refreshing to see a fun superhero flick that doesn't fall into campy territory. Now, with Stark's health failing due to the palladium in his arc-reactor (the chest piece keeping his heart beating and powering his suit), he lets loose more than usual, leading to concerns from his friends and partners, and making him an easier target for the new villains.

The original Iron Man did have a lot going for it, but what launched it from good to greatness what definitely Robert Downey Jr's portrayal of Tony Stark. Thankfully Downey Jr is back and is just as enjoyable as before. There's also a bit more development with Gwenyth Paltrow's character, Pepper Potts, to go alongside her fine performance. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury, head of SHIELD, still putting together a team of superheroes. All I can say is this, its freaking Samuel L. Jackson! Even in the worst movies he's in, he always brings some charm to the table.

The two new major additions to the cast are Don Cheadle and Mickey Rourke. As I mentioned before, Cheadle replaces Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes, a prominent military official and Stark's closest friend. Rhodes gets some major development, as he takes the mantle of War Machine, Iron Man's sidekick and partner. Cheadle is good in the role, not too much to say. I liked Terrance Howard and I like Don Cheadle too, no better no worse. Mickey Rourke, in the comeback tour of the century, is the main villain, Whiplash. Here's the thing about his character... he's a fun bad guy that's not taken advantage of enough. Rourke is clearly having a good time in the role, and his appearance is dead on for a comic book villain. Unfortunately, his screen time is cut short, making action scenes not nearly as cool as they could have been. Don't get me wrong, when he's in action, he's awesome, but there's not nearly enough of him.

Some other new additions are Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, and Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury with much more screen time. I won't go into too much detail, but rather say that it looks like everyone was enjoying themselves in the movie. Rockwell's portrayal of Stark's competitor, Justin Hammer, was very enjoyable and made for an interesting, if not somewhat predictable, adversary for Iron Man. Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman aka Black Widow was fairly generic but by no means bad. Jackson is great as always, and I look forward to seeing him give it all he's got as Nick Fury when the Avengers movie finally arrives.

The storyline does make a legitimate effort to develop Stark's character and story arc. At times it works, delving into his alcoholism, strained relationships, and personality conflicts against his superhero duties. Stark's story arc is quite good, but its when the filmmakers feel the need to tack on numerous subplots and characters that the script gets muddled. Unfortunately, Iron Man 2 does suffer a bit on this front. Like I mentioned before, Whiplash is totally underdeveloped, there's too much predictable character drama, and there are a number of plot holes than are left unaddressed. Granted, Iron Man 2 didn't fall victim to this NEARLY as much as a number of other comic book flicks (Batman & Robin, Spider-Man 3, X-Men 3). Its by no means a great screenplay, but its still a step above most summer blockbusters.

The action scenes are pretty awesome once again and the special effects are all very cool looking. The cgi may not look as fresh or innovative as it did the first, but the effects team bring some decent designs to the newer guys. War Machine in his armored glory was pretty neat, Vanko's atomic whips were a blast to watch, and the finale was appropriately exciting. None of the action scenes blew me away as much as I hoped they would have, but they were still great fun to see and there's really not a whole lot to complain about.

In a sea of bland and uninspired blockbusters that usually plague the summer movie season, Iron Man has once again shown that he has an edge over the usual crowd. Iron Man 2 is not as great as the first, but a great blockbuster and another solid entry into Marvel's movie lineup. Really looking forward to the Avengers movie coming out in 2012.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5!

P.S.

There are a ton of hints toward the upcoming Captain America, Thor, and Avengers movies. Stay for a scene after the credits ;)