Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 makes a bold move by stepping away from the  awesome array of armament that playboy Tony Stark wields as both casual  and business attire.  For this highly anticipated sequel, the film  grants us access to a deeper, more human side of Stark as he deals with  “riddles of the heart,” learns to accept the helping hands of his  friends, and battles the hardships of being an entrepreneurial wonder  boy and the political pressures that accompany it. Ok, kidding.  Stuff gets blow’d up real good, too.  But those other things were pretty neat!
Iron Man 2 begins where the first film left off: Tony Stark  (Robert Downey Jr. and his facial hair) has just exclaimed that he is  Iron Man during his infamous press conference.  Only this time, we see  this conference being televised on a 13” standard definition(!) TV in a  gritty, poorly lit room oozing with rundown Russian charm.  It’s here  that we meet Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) who possesses neither the charm  nor the resources as Stark, but is not lacking in knowledge and  know-how.  One spark-filled montage later and it’s clear that he aims to  misbehave as he brandishes his newly forged lightening whips, grits at  Tony Stark’s televised voice, and slices his TV in half.  Which is good  because it was about time he made the digital conversion.
In addition to this new threat, Stark is also dealing with his  diminishing health due to overuse of the Iron Man suit, running his  company, demands by the government to turn over his creation, and  corporate competition from Justin Hammer, the Bill Gates of weaponry.   Being the narcissist that he is, Stark also begins to push away his /</gidel/>/giassistant</del> <del>girlfriend</del> <del>not girlfriend</del> “it’s complicated” Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and closest friend  Lt. Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) while chasing the alluring  Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson).  There’s a lot on Stark’s plate  this time around and he nearly cracks completely.  Fortunately, he and  Rhodey make up long enough for Rhodey to become War Machine, hold hands  and use the “buddy system” to give us some ironclad action.
Jon Favreau’s sophomore ground-pound into the Iron Man universe  maintains the realism and action of the first film while adding weight  to the existing characters.  Robert Downey Jr.’s natural charm and  quirks that made Stark simply enjoyable in the first film are now used  as a mask to hide Stark’s failing health.  His boyish aloofness is now a  crutch that alienates those around him.  Rhodey is more a side-kick  than an acquaintance in this film and this brings with it more tension  between him and Stark.  At the same time, Mickey Rourke does an amazing  job at keeping Vanto a subtle foe. Rourke manages to keep it sinister as  he acts as a puppet master behind the scenes using everything he has  access to as a means to an end.  The end being the death of Iron Man;  Tony Stark optional.  There was far too little screen time with Rourke,  but this kept his character fresh.  This can also be said for Sam  Rockwell who plays Justin Hammer and even Gary Shandling who is the face  of the government, Senator Stern.  I only wished we had seen more of  these great actors/characters.  And personally, I’ve never wanted to be  beat up so badly as I do now after having seen Scarlett Johansson  complete an acrobatic smack down.
The chemistry between the actors and their characters and even with each other is where Iron Man 2 stands apart from the first.  It’s clear that you’re watching a fun  summer film and it’s obvious that they know they’re in a fun summer  film.  Sure, there are plot holes.  Yes, Samuel L. Jackson does actually  deliver the line “You can solve the riddle of your heart” with an  embarrassingly straight face.  And yes, some of the sequences feel like  they were created for a lunchbox cover, but so?  This is Iron Man.  It’s  a lot of fun and it’s great to have the silver screen filled with  characters we all loved, good or bad.
-MovieFloss.com

Before 2008's groundbreaking Iron Man,  you'd never have picked the metal-suited vigilante as a surefire cash  cow for the Hollywood studios. Sure, superheroes are the new cowboys,  and Robert Downey Jr. has slowly returned to his position as one of the industry's biggest  draws - but Iron Man was never the coolest hero on the block, and  alongside the likes of Spider-Man, Batman, and even the ill-fated  Superman he seemed destined to stand out like a sore (metal) thumb.

It's only with Iron Man 2, Jon Favreau's swiftly green-lighted sequel, that the sudden popularity of this crime-fighting tin man becomes clear. In many ways Iron Man 2 follows all the predictable superhero sequel cliches - there are more  enemies to fight, a subplot that fleshes out our hero's backstory, and  even an untimely crisis of faith - and yet it still comes out standing  head and shoulders over most of its peers.

OK, it still doesn't come close to The Dark Knight for unexpected sequel magic - but that's more fun than most of us dared to expect.

That's not to say that it's a great movie, and Iron Man 2 definitely lacks some of the wisecracking punch of the original. While  Downey is still the undisputed star of the show, there's far too much  going on around the fringes, and the screenplay could easily have  dropped a subplot or two without impacting our enjoyment in any way. In  particular Scarlett Johansson's  role seems to be little more than a poorly disguised attempt to inject  some eye candy, and while she's undeniably good to look at, we waste  valuable minutes on her largely irrelevant narrative arc.

There's enough to pull Iron Man 2 back from the brink, however,  and while it doesn't come close to the original it still manages to  construct an entertaining action movie out of some fairly basic building  blocks. This time Tony Stark faces off against a business rival -  weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) - while his Iron Man alter-ego battles a Russian villain (Mickey Rourke) with a devastating weaponized suit of his own.

When the Russian and the weapons manufacturer team up it clearly isn't  good news for our (super) hero, but Stark has another problem to tackle  first. The reactor that powers his suit is slowly poisoning his body,  and if he doesn't come up with a viable alternative then Iron Man's days  are already over.

The plot is unnecessarily jumbled and unfocused in places, and the CGI-heavy final showdown is about as engrossing as The Phantom Menace, but Iron Man 2 still pulls us in thanks to the talent behind it. In both films we've  still yet to see a bad guy - or good guy - who isn't wearing a  robot-like suit of armor, but we'll let that slide... at least until the  third installment.

Downey isn't quite as bubbly as he was in the original, but he's still  fizzier than anyone else, while the rest of the impressive cast do their  best with the slightly belabored script. Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Bettany (the voice of JARVIS) and director Jon Favreau all reprise their Iron Man roles, and Don Cheadle slots in seamlessly as a replacement for Terrence Howard.

Iron Man 2 still doesn't quite match up to the hype, but that it  even came close is a minor miracle - and proof of the franchise's  durability alongside its more famous peers. Maybe you don't have to wear  Spandex to fight crime after all.

3/5

It is harsh, inappropriate, and perhaps a bit exaggerated to compare this sequel to the likes of the third installment in the Spider-Man franchise, but I couldn't help but think of how both just seem to deflate any momentum their potential sagas have going. The difference is that while "Spider-Man 3" was over done and downright laughable at times, "Iron Man 2"is just simply... done. There is little to hate about the film, but not much to really like.

This installment lacks the episodic quality most superhereo films require. There is too much downtime and too few points of interest to allow for a wide enough landscape to justify the two hours worth of material. After the exhilarating sense of discovery we experienced on the first film, the sequel needs some emotional draw and high risk scenarios. By the time you reach the super charged final battle sequence it is simply too little, too late.

The film also seems to assume that everyone who saw the original installment stayed past the credits to see Samuel L. Jackson's cameo. The introduction of Nick Fury is nonexistent and it comes off as mildly silly to have this character with an eye-patch (however cool it may look) suddenly come into the scene if you are unfamiliar with the background, which for the most part, I am. The beauty of the original was its accessibility to the masses who aren't familiar with the lore of Iron Man, but this installment lacks that same quality.

The menace that was Obadiah in the original is not given an adequate replacement. Mickey Rourke serves well as Whiplash but the role is reduced to a minimal two main sequences. Justin Hammer is played well by Sam Rockwell but his character's antics and goals are kind of silly and don't really raise the stakes very high. Also, isn't Natasha suppose to become Black Widow or something? Is there not suppose to be a hint that she's going to go through a transformation of some sort? I'm not even sure who Black Widow is but I kind of expected to get some sort of nod in that general direction. That kind of disappointed me. Like I said, I know nothing about the lore of the comics, so forgive me if I had inappropriate expectations.

It's a worthy enough sequel that doesn't carry the franchise forward very much, but also doesn't really hinder the potential for an Iron Man 3.

Last updated: 2010-06-19 14:08:07 by KevinPatterson

The first IRON MAN was a welcome surprise. I hardly expected it to be such the entertaining, funny and fairly smart action flick it was, and casting Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark turned out to be a good idea, since the billionaire scientist fit the actor’s style. Not that this is necessarily a good thing for Downey Jr., whose tendency to talk really fast and act as irreverently as possible is becoming more than a mere trademark, and an actor of his caliber shouldn’t be limited to a single type of character.

 Regardless, his Tony Stark continues to be a pleasure to watch, even if screenwriter Justin Theroux decided to include a retarded subplot in which the man is being slowly poisoned by the palladium on his chest piece, something he seems to consider a low-priority nuisance, not as important as driving racing cars or aiming to fuck anything that moves. The overall story is that Stark is refusing to hand his Iron Man suit over to the American Government (which phrases their request as “to the American People”, of course). In the process of doing this, Stark further antagonizes his main rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), another rich guy in the same business as him. To make things worse, there’s Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a Russian scientist who wants to bring down Stark for the sins of Howard Hug — Howard STARK, his father. In order to do this, Vanko builds his own high-tech suit, consisting of two electrical whips.

 When focusing on Hammer and Vanko, Theroux’s script is competent. Hammer is at the same time a dangerous and sharp businessman and a hopeless imbecile, and Rockwell is clearly having loads of fun playing him, and does it well, because he’s Sam fucking Rockwell. He achieves the balance between convincing the audience Hammer is just stupid enough to act like he does, but smart enough to pose an actual threat. Mickey Rourke, meanwhile — do I even have to say it? It’s Mickey Rourke. I thought I was being redundant when I said Sam Rockwell does a great job in this movie, but Mickey Rourke as a Russian scientist who wields a pair of electrical whips? Take a fucking guess.

 Theroux’s script is equally successful when it comes to comedy, which is not a surprise considering he was one of the screenwriters in TROPIC THUNDER. Most of the humorous moments in the film hit the mark (“Hammer tech?”), but Theroux does go overboard with the scene where a drunk Iron Man fights War Machine for the first time, which seems to be the only mildly relevant scene that directly derives from the “Stark is dying of blood poisoning” subplot — it’s the reason he’s drunk. But c’mon: couldn’t there be another reason he gets drunk? Such as, he’s Tony fucking Stark? A character famous for ingesting enough alcohol to knock out an Irishman? Fortunately, Jon Favreau directs the shit out of that scene, as he does the entire film, but more on that later.

 The dying subplot is staggeringly stupid. I love how Stark constantly looks at a device that tells him the percentage of palladium in his blood — apparently he took the time to have the device built but didn’t follow up with trying to find a cure — and at a certain point the blood poisoning reaches about 70% and Stark can still somehow breathe, let alone put on a suit and kick some ass. (Plot spoilers — skip to next paragraph if that’s a problem) To make things worse, the subplot is solved with another even stupider subplot involving Stark’s dad, who apparently predicted his son would one day be suffering from palladium-poisoning and made sure to leave clues regarding a magical plot-solving chemical element. Which Stark logically synthesizes, by himself, in his office. I can accept this motherfucker building the first Iron Man suit out of junk to escape captivity, but c’mon.

 However, Theroux deserves credit for setting up genuinely good setpieces in a way that doesn’t feel forced, and the climax of the movie truly feels like a climax, also thanks to Jon Favreau, a hugely talented director. With a good eye for composition and camera movements, he’s especially gifted at humor and especially especially at action scenes, always avoiding shaky cameras and going for clarity and coherency. He also knows how to make an audience collectively come from sheer awesomeness (or maybe that was just me), such as in the scene where Iron Man flies down from the clouds, amidst fireworks, to the sound of AC/DC’s “Shoot To Thrill”. But far from being a mindless action director, Favreau also manages to make some of the script’s stupider moments more believable, such as the aforementioned first fight between Iron Man and War Machine. Technically, the film is impeccable, you’ll be surprised to hear: great special effects, excellent sound effects and competent cinematography.

 Favreau also brings together a good supporting cast. Scarlett Johansson turned out to be a good choice for Black Widow, at least until Black Widow is further developed in other Marvel movies, since she barely has any depth to her on this one. But for a first appearance, I’m perfectly fine with Johansson performing amazing coreographies while wearing a ridiculously tight leather suit. Favreau himself, as Tony’s right-hand man Happy, is funny and efficient, and Gwyneth Paltrow manages to play Pepper in a way that is endearing instead of annoying, even though she spends most of the film pissed off at Stark. Don Cheadle does a better job as James Rhodes than Terrence Howard did in the first film, and watching Sam L. Jackson playing Nick Fury is like watching a Bryan Hitch drawing come to life. It’s so good to see Jackson playing a real character instead of that pussy jedi in the STAR WARS prequels.

 As an action film, it’s fun as hell, but it’s dumber than its predecessor. The first IRON MAN had a lighter tone, however its plot still had several (relevant) conflicts to remain interesting, while IRON MAN 2 retains the humor but goes for subplots that ultimately lead nowhere story-wise, serving only to increase the running time. The subplots that truly matter are the ones involving Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko. Fuck Stark’s daddy crisis — the character doesn’t need to be yet another protagonist with parental issues. Stark is an alcoholic womanizer. You want a subplot, go with that. He doesn’t need to be dying to get drunk. 

http://andrenavarro.wordpress.com/

Last updated: 2010-06-05 14:59:36 by andre_navarro

Starring:  Morton Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johanssen, John Favreau
Action, 2010 (Rated PG 13)

Tony Stark (Downey) the front man of Stark Enterprises finds that his revolutionary Iron Man suit technology has been duplicated by the son of a prominent Russian Scientist who defected to the United States and was later deported.  Not only is he on thin ice with the US Government who rails against his refusal to release the suit into government custody he is also being slowly killed by the very device that has been keeping him alive.  He must figure out a way to stay alive and fight against not only his rival who would do anything to one up the ever popular Stark Enterprises, but also his newest sidekick who just so happens to be a rouge scientist intent on seeing Stark dead.

• Tony Stark is just so cool.  He is like a rock star without a guitar or a band.  So incredibly flashy, devilish, and extremely narcissistic that you can't figure out if you should love him or hate him.
• The special effects in the movie were amazing as was the tiny 23" waist on Natalie (Johansson) so wonderfully cinched in by her equally sexy and functional combat body suit. 
• Natalie's extreme fighting acrobatics were a little over the top but if you don't like it then you probably don't like the movie either because it's all over the top in one way or another but I think that's what's made it such a box office success. 

Just Me

Put simply, Iron Man 2 is an entertaining, fun-filled movie. With an endless supply of wise-cracking remarks by the actors, Iron Man 2, written by Justin Theroux and directed by Jon Favreau, demonstrates that a movie loaded with special effects can still be a film in which dialogue counts.  Perhaps that’s because Theroux and Favreau are also actors and therefore appreciate the fact that words do matter.

Robert  Downey Jr. is back in top form as Iron Man/Tony Stark along with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts, Stark’s former assistant and now CEO of his company. The scenes with Downey and Paltrow crackle with chemistry and are a lot of fun to watch. Also back for a return visit is Favreau as Stark’s driver and Paul Bettany as the voice of Jarvis. Don Cheadle replaces Terrance Howard’s Lt. Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes and doesn’t miss a beat—he’s actually an improvement in the role.

Iron Man 2 features two villains—Sam Rockwell’s nebbishly evil Justin Hammer, a competitor  of Tony Stark—and Mickey Rourke’s Ivan Vanko, an electrical genius who’s “freed”  from incarceration by Hammer  so he can help him design a suit better than Stark’s with which to sell to the government. They are very good together and have fun with their roles. It’s nice to see Rourke continuing to get work, and Iron Man 2 will certainly pay his bills, but hopefully he’ll start getting roles that really challenge him.

Iron Man 2 also showcases Scarlett Johansson in a dual role as  Natalie Rushman, a Stark lawyer and as Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. She shows off some terrific martial arts moves in “a-to-die-for”  killer body. Is  Johansson ready for her own comic genre movie? You betcha!

Viewers will notice some veteran character actors in key roles, most notably John Slattery as Tony Stark’s father (who looks
amazingly like Walt Disney) and Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson. And Gary Shandling is wonderfully funny as a U.S.Senator.

To be sure, Iron Man 2 comes with the requisite number of special effects, thankfully none requiring 3-D glasses, but most of
all there is Robert Downey, Jr. And he’s ultimately more important and better than any special effect could ever be. (And yes, all is forgiven for Sherlock Holmes.)

Last updated: 2010-05-30 16:44:18 by jfuchsman

Review:  I was pretty underwhelmed by this movie.  It has been my experience that the comic book movies that are good take the material seriously.  They don't make too many 'in-jokes' and they don't try to get too "cute" with what they do.  Unfortunately, this movie doesn't have those characteristics. 

The movie centers around the character we all know, Mr. Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man.  This movie is a little different than the previous version because the world knows that Tony Stark is Iron Man and this fact is celebrated by not only Stark, but the American public.  The main storyline involves the government and one specific competitive weapons company trying to get their hands on the "Iron Man weapon."  This causes Tony Stark to go on the defensive and convince the government of why Iron Man should only be with him and shouldn't be allowed to be mass produced as a weapon.

The rest of the movie centers on people trying to steal the suit since Stark won't just give it up.  This causes Stark to start to question himself and his life for a bit and makes for some interesting situations.  Unfortunately this is where this movie starts to unravel a little bit for me.

I have never liked the idea of a super hero whose secret identity is not only known but embraced.  This is the way Tony Stark is, even to the point where he will get drunk and put on the Iron Man suit at a party. This is where it gets out of hand, the movie needs to take itself and it's subject matter seriously.  Now, I was never a huge Iron Man fan, but I enjoyed it and watched the cartoon series.  However, I don't remember Tony Stark being like this.  I remember him being a business man, not some overgrown fratboy genius. 

Unfortunately for me, this is a weakness this movie has that I just can't seem to get over.  Not to mention the fact that this movie tries to throw in way too many characters and none of the actors seem to really be more interested in anything besides being in a big budget movie and getting a huge payday.  They also seem to be way too interested in setting up "The Avengers" movie, which I am not all that interested in.

Ultimately, the movie was decently entertaining with solid special effects and a storyline that could have been good.  However, the movie needed to be more certain of itself and realize where it needed to go, which I don't feel like it did and instead found itself oversaturated with it's own movie-ness.  At the end of the day, I would wait till cable for this one cause it's not really worth your time.

Fans of the first Iron Man should be pretty happy with Iron Man 2.  It pretty much stays in tune with the first film, just adding a few more characters.  Sequels tend to do that, especially if the villain from the original is gone.  The great thing about the Iron Man films is that they're appealing to more than just the comic book lovers.  There's also a more realistic vibe to it than say the phoney-feeling Spider-Man movies, at least with the characters.  I know more people who act like Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark character than Tobey Maguire's wide-eyed Peter Parker.
The first film in a superhero franchise is often the most interesting because we usually get to see how the main character became the superhero.  We get a good backstory leading to the full-fledged transformation from regular guy to someone heroic.  It's the second film that sometimes doesn't know where to go.  So here we get a new villain played nicely by Mickey Rourke.  He's an inventor following in the footsteps of his father who helped paved the way for Tony Stark's achievements.  Vengeance is his motive since his father never got the credit that was due to him.  He uses his own technological skills to become an electro-charged villain named Whiplash.  There's also another villain who's more concerned with money and power.  He's played by the great Sam Rockwell who enlists Whiplash to help take down Tony Stark together. 
One more additional character is played by Scarlett Johansson.  She's a new assistant at Stark Industries who may be more than just an assistant.  Tony's buddy "Rhodey", originally played by Terrance Howard, is now played by Don Cheadle.  Howard is a fine actor but you don't get much better than Cheadle.  He gets to share in the action this time around as he becomes a hero similar to Iron Man, known from the comic books as War Machine.  Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Tony's love interest Pepper Potts, but she is now promoted to CEO of the company, so we get to see her take on a more responsible role than she did in the first film.
These are all great actors, especially for this type of film, which is one reason why it works.  The story is rather typical for a superhero movie but there's enough good acting by everyone to give it a fresh feel.  The primary reason it holds together is one actor in particular and that's Robert Downey Jr.  He brings more humor to the film than you'll see in any other film of this genre.  The fact that he's so egotistical but cares so much about protecting the people and maintaining world peace is a nice juxtaposition which he pulls off brilliantly.  If the title role were played by a lesser actor, Iron Man might not have even made it to a sequel in the first place.

http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-philadelphia/danny-porcaro

RATING 5/10

BOTTOM LINE: “Iron Man 2” is a major disappointment; a few cool moments here and there, and a fascinating attempt to portray a flawed hero, do not cover over the fact that this is bloated, noisy, clunky and undisciplined filmmaking. How could the same team that made the original film so good make such a poor follow up?

THE GOOD: Much of the strength of both Iron Man films lies in its casting, and in particular, Robert Downey Jr as the title character. We catch up with his character Tony Stark six months after we left him, and his ego has grown way out of control. He believes he has solved the world’s problems with Iron Man, but the government wants his technology for themselves, and before someone else makes their own version which Stark will not be able to counter. Enter Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who has a personal beef with Stark and sets about getting his revenge. This sequel works well in some surprising areas, the first being the portrayal of Tony Stark’s self-destructive behaviour, which Robert Downey Jr was a natural fit for. You do not usually see this type of behaviour in a superhero film, which is quite refreshing. Another great point, despite his under-use, is Mickey Rourke as Vanko/Whiplash. He creates a menace that works well for a comic book bad guy, but his award winning abilities lend extra weight to his short time on screen. The remainder of the cast are great, with newcomers Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson in particular doing a decent job, with the former showing she can perform brilliantly in action scenes. Gwyneth Paltrow has perhaps the most useful role in the plot as the woman trying to hold Stark’s personal and professional life together when he appoints her as CEO of his company. Some of the action works well, particularly Vanko’s first appearance as Whiplash at the Monaco Grand Prix. “Iron Man 2” tries to do a lot in its limited running time, and some of it works okay.

THE BAD: It is always astonishing when the same filmmaking team that made a great first film reunites and creates a lousy second film, which is what has happened here. The first Iron Man was great because it had a well executed storyline, was fun, had great action, did not get bogged down by too many subplots, and had great characters. This film by contrast is noisy, bloated and has a plot that is so jumbled, particularly in the second act where it is trying to cram in too many details for the comic book fans, that it cannot be seen as anything other than a mess. Stark’s playful arrogance, that was likeable in the first film, is irritating in this film when it escalates beyond control, with some embarrassing sequences where he is drunk in the Iron Man suit. You do not really care that he is destroying himself. Scarlett Johansson looks fantastic in this film, but her subplot with Samuel L. Jackson is pointless and wastes valuable screen time, aside from setting up another impending sequel that Marvel Studios has planned. Sam Rockwell is mis-cast as dodgy Senator Hammer. He looks like a paper weight next to Mickey Rourke, and those scenes suffer as a result. Mickey Rourke is criminally under-utilised. The first five minutes of the film is devoted to a fantastic and menacing setup for his character, and it promises a lot, and then aside from a great scene where he smashes up Stark’s grand prix car, he basically sits around in a warehouse with nothing to do but be at the mercy of his jailor Senator Hammer. When Whiplash finally appears after a poorly executed and noisy action scene involving drone iron men, he’s stopped in about thirty seconds by Iron Man in a dissatisfying anti-climax. And what was with Jon Favreau’s “extended cameo” as Stark’s bodyguard? It’s up there in the embarrassment stakes with an M. Night Shyamalan effort. “Iron Man 2” has put me off this franchise. I still have fond memories of the first film, and I am happy to keep it at that.

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

Plot: After revealing himself to the world as Iron Man, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is a hero to the American people.  Unfortunately he must deal with a rival weapons manufacturer (Sam Rockwell), a Senator (Garry Shandling) who wants the Iron Man weapon handed over to the military, and most dangerous of all, a Russian weapons designer (Mickey Rourke) who wants revenge on the Stark name.

Well so much for the Dark Knight having a positive influence on comic book/super hero movies.  That’s not to say Iron Man 2 is bad…it’s okay.  But I thought that after the Dark Knight, many directors/studios would take a note on how to make these movies right.  It’s frustrating, because Iron Man 2 has a lot going for it, but it has the same problems that most mediocre to bad super hero movies have. 

I actually wasn’t crazy about the first Iron Man.  I thought it was incredibly slow and had pathetic villains that included throwing Jeff Bridges into a big metal suit at the end and random underdeveloped terrorists.  Lame.  Iron Man 2 does improve on the villains’ front 20 times over.  This is actually the strongest part of the movie.  Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko/Whiplash is awesome.  He has a compelling motivation and a kick ass suit to rival Iron Man’s.  The first time we see him in his full-fledged outfit pounding the ground with his electric whips was flat out awesome.  The other villain is Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), Stark’s rival weapon company.  This guy was just a huge dick, but also pretty funny.  Sam Rockwell really made this work.  He’s comical, but still a pretty big threat.

So what didn’t work in this movie?  Where do I begin?  First of all, for a 2 hour plus movie called Iron Man 2, you maybe see Iron Man being bad ass Iron Man for a total of 8 minutes of screen time.  You’ve got to be kidding me.  I criticized the first movie for Stark spending half the film building his suit, but even I understood they had to establish this character.  But this is a sequel.  There is no excuse this time.  Instead of Iron Man fighting and blowing stuff up, we see Tony Stark emotionally self-destruct in his mansion for 3 quarters of the movie.  He’s either getting drunk and making an ass of himself, or working in his lab and typing on his expensive computer equipment.  Booooooooooring.  I mean come on!  In fact, I really disliked Stark’s character a lot.  In the first movie Stark was the best part by far.  He’s a likable prick and always in control.  Here he’s just really pathetic.  How am I supposed to buy this guy as a bad ass super hero when he acts like a complete embarrassment for more than half the movie?

And this leads into the real issue with this film.  It’s way too jokey.  It gets really close to Spiderman 3 Peter Parker dancing as a goth level humor.  Let me run down the laundry list of jokes for you.  Tony Stark gets drunk in his Iron Man costume.  He lies in a giant donut during a hang over (still in costume).  Then he sits down at the donut shop and talks with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) sipping coffee while still in the suit.  I’m not saying every super hero movie has to be the Dark Knight.  I get that Iron Man is more lighthearted than Batman, but come on.  It’s making a mockery out of these characters.  Even in the big climactic action scene where there should be no more messing around, we get a missile that fails to work and farts on impact instead of exploding.  Yea.  A farting missile.  And people wonder why comic book movies don’t win Oscars.  It’s shit like this. 

I do commend Iron Man 2 for having a lot of characters that aren’t just shoehorned in.  They all serve a purpose.  That’s a common comic book movie trap that often fails, but it actually pays off here.  The movie is worth seeing because of two fantastic action sequences and a pretty spectacular scene with Scarlett Johansson’s character kicking ass.  The problem is these great scenes are just to damn short.  Iron Man 2 suffers from terrible jokes and puns, and a very dull middle.

Also, as a side note; I’m really sick of this bull shit putting scenes at the end of credits.  Enough already!  Yea, I get it.  Marvel is making an Avengers movie.  How about you focus on making one good movie instead of forcing these random connections that lead to a bigger movie. 

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 (‘meh’)

           “Iron Man” was a bit of a surprise for me when it came out in 2008.  I’ve always been more of an X-Men and Batman fan, so I went to check it out with fairly low expectations.  When I walked out of the theatre I had become a fan of Tony Stark.  The first movie had plenty of action, wit, and fun.  Most importantly, “Iron Man” was a film that featured a near perfect performance from Robert Downey, Jr. and it was a film that didn’t take itself too seriously.  I’m happy to say that all of the above applies to “Iron Man 2.” 
            The word “busy” would also apply to “Iron Man 2.”  As with most superhero sequels, the kitchen sink approach is taken.  This can hurt some films, but director (and co-star) Jon Favreau handles the multiple plot points well.  Tony Stark is dealing with a lot of issues this time around.  His homemade chest reactor contains an element that is killing him, he’s being hassled by the government to turn over his Iron Man suit, the Russian son of his dad’s former business partner is trying to kill him, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is hanging around talking about the Avengers, a weapons rival (Sam Rockwell) is making trouble, and he still has the same issues from the last film with Rhodey (Don Cheadle) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).  Sounds like a bit of a mess, doesn’t it?
            It is actually very easy to follow, though.  Things move quickly at first, with Tony constantly on the move and acting as reckless as ever.  This is standard sequel stuff.  The audience already knows the main characters, so no introductions are needed.  What is needed is constant movement.  That’s fine.  I enjoy a quick paced film.  But it’s nice when a movie slows down a bit, as well.  The strange thing about “Iron Man 2” is that it seems to be going 100 mph during the first half, then it drops down to a leisurely 30 mph, only to crank it back up by the end.  I’m sure some people will claim that this film has “pacing issues,” but I actually enjoyed the speed of the film.
            But who cares about pacing, right?  This film is all about the characters and there are a lot of them.  I won’t waste too much time talking about the returning cast, if you liked Downey, Jr. the first time, then you’ll like him again.  Same goes for Paltrow.  And Don Cheadle is a suitable replacement for Terrence Howard. 
            The newcomers really get to shine in this one.  Mickey Rourke plays villain Ivan Vanko with a great understated menace, plus he looks cool.  I know the whole walking away from an explosion and not looking at it has become a cliché, but I forgive the filmmakers for it because it just seems fitting for Mickey Rourke to walk towards the camera with flames erupting behind him.  As for the understated menace, you can see it in every scene of dialogue with Vanko.  You truly get the impression that he is capable of extreme violence at any moment
            Sam Rockwell is also a great addition to the cast as weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer.  His interactions with Downey, Jr. are amusing and his general showmanship throughout the movie is quite funny.  Rockwell has been consistently impressive lately in films like “The Assassination of Jesse James…” and “Moon.”  It’s good to see him in a high profile release like this because he deserves a larger audience.
            Scarlett Johansson is another high profile addition to the cast as Tony’s suspicious new assistant.  Let’s be realistic here, there’s no secret to her character.  If you’ve seen any marketing, then you know that she is not just a helper; she’s actually a secret agent working with S.H.I.E.L.D.  She gets an entertaining action sequence in the film but for the most part she seemed like an unnecessary addition to the cast, but it didn’t bother me all that much. 
            A much more interesting casting choice is John Slattery as Tony’s father, Howard, in archive footage.  He basically gets to act like his character from “Mad Men.”  It’s just something that fans of that show will find amusing.  Another amusing choice is Garry Shandling as a senator trying to get Tony’s suit. 
            The abundance of characters doesn’t mean the film is lacking in action or comedy, there’s more of both this time around.  Tony’s birthday party was quite funny and there’s an excellent in-joke for people aware of the other Marvel characters…I’ll give you a hint, it involves a shield.  (Stick around after the credits for another crossover tease.)  So expect to laugh quite a few times. 
            The action is even better this time around, as well.  Ivan Vanko’s attack at the Monaco car race was flat out awesome and of course there are some great action scenes during the climax of the film. 
            When it comes to movies I feel that more, more, more usually means less quality.  I’m glad to say that’s not the case with “Iron Man 2.”  Yes, there is certainly a lot more to this film than the original, but it’s handled well and it makes for a good time at the movies.  What else could you ask for?

Eric Harris - www.canneltoncritic.com

THE SCOOP
Director: Jon Favreau
Plot: Billionaire Tony Stark must contend with deadly issues involving the government, his own friends, as well as new enemies due to his superhero alter ego Iron Man.

Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Awards: -
Runtime: 124min
Rating: PG for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.

IN RETROSPECT
Iron Man 2 is sure to be welcomed by a united chorus of Marvel fans and Hollywood blockbuster fanatics alike. Jon Favreau’s follow-up to his box-office success will inevitably draw hordes of people into the theaters. In my review of Iron Man (2008), I expressed hope that its sequel would “defy the odds and fare better critically”. But the film does not appear likely to have a positive effect on critics. To those skeptical of another superhero sequel, is it worth the wait?

The answer is no. To Favreau’s credit, Iron Man 2 is fairly consistent in style and tone. The visual effects and sound editing are on par, if not better than its prequel. But the answer is still no. The most disappointing aspect lies in the treatment of its story. With most of the characters quite comfortably developed in the first film, in particular Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), what unknown writer Justin Theroux has on his plate is to just pen a good and engaging story. Unfortunately, he fails to do so.

It would literally be a different story if Paramount Pictures kept the writers of Iron Man on payroll. Why swop Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (whom are Oscar-nominated writers of Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men (2006)) for Theroux? It is the most important question the producers will ask of themselves if Iron Man 2 does not perform up to expectations i.e. hit the US$600M (worldwide) mark. With Favreau staying on board, it is also a mixed blessing, but one that is for better than for worse. He is an average director who makes average films that excite on the surface but perform unsatisfactorily at its core. At least, his films have that mass appeal that would set cash registers ringing.

The shallow story is obvious. During quieter moments when characters converse, one could see that there is a struggle to even move the story along, let alone at a pace faster than an insomniac trying to sleep. Both Mickey Rourke, who plays villain Ivan Vanko, and Sam Rockwell, who plays the self-centered Justin Hammer, give excellent performances that even upstage Downey Jr.'s, whose narcissistic caricature of Tony Stark prove to be more hilarious (in an irritating sort of way) than endearing to viewers. But his charismatic screen presence can still be felt.

There is just too much humor to label Iron Man 2 as a serious superhero film (the first was successful to a certain extent in this regard). Scenes of Downey Jr. in an Iron Man suit dancing drunkenly are obviously played for quick laughs but they devaluate the quality of Favreau’s film and undermine fanboys’ respect for superheroes in general. The action sequences are well executed but are inexplicably short-lived. This is also a problem that plagued the prequel. The Iron Man series deserve so much better than what Favreau’s two films have attempted to create. I now wait with trepidation for Iron Man 3.

SCORE: 6/10
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Last updated: 2010-05-08 08:38:02 by eternality_tan

"Don't think, drink!" is Tony Stark's advice to his guests and the attitude you need to enjoy this sequel!  Drink in the comic acting, smart dialogue and get a refill during the explosions!  Most of all, don't think about why anyone is doing anything or you'll miss all the fun.         
One Word Movie Review: Anticipated
Iron Man 2 is the follow-up to the monster hit of 2008 and delivers a new, improved hero with a tragic side, an inflated ego and a man truly confident about his place in the world order.  Tony Stark is Iron Man, as he admits to the media and proceeds to put himself above the reach of government and the self-appointed trustee of world peace.  As he flies onto his "StarkExpo" stage in full armor, surrounded by a bikini babe chorus line and an adoring crowd, we realize early on that this super hero is so right for our times.  Tony Stark is the personification of big business stepping up to save us all.  We admire, envy and laugh at his clever banter, entrepreneur energy and outsized lifestyle.  This is one CEO that deserves his big bonus every year. 
Of course, a man so public and successful attracts enemies like flies to dung so we meet them in Russia, in the Senate and in competitive industries.  A sequel usually amps up the first film's ingredients and Iron Man 2 delivers more of everything that made the first Iron Man so refreshing.  First off, Robert Downey Jr. reprises his Tony Stark with more smart-ass comments, flashes of inventive genius and exposes the weakness of his character's core: the reactor powering his heart and slowly poisoning his body. 
When the film is good, it is very good and when it strays into set action scenes between armored men and robots, it's oddly detaching.  We know what's going on but there are no faces, no expressions and no connection to the plight of our hero, just flames and flying metal and exploding stuff. 
The Story
The story starts with a voice-over interview of Tony Stark as snow falls in Moscow and a battered Mickey Rourke tends to his dying father.  There is a connection between his hard life and Tony Stark, which we gradually understand as he unfurls his father's blueprints for the arc reactor, a design co-authored with Tony's father.  Yes, Mickey builds a power suit just like Iron Man and two whips supercharged to slice cars in half and we have our first villain and he's a great one, down to his tattoos and metal teeth. 
We then meet villain #2 who is Senator Stern, played by a charmingly smarmy Garry Shandling.  Stern wants the Iron Man technology and has joined forces with villain #3, Justin Hammer, head of Hammer Industries and a Stark competitor.  These three eventually conspire together, all determined to get what Tony has for their own gain.  Oh well, that's just competition and patriotism joining forces for the good of the country.  Of course, they'll profit themselves but that's what makes America great. 
While the villains conspire, Tony's health declines and the women surrounding him try to help out but he's too private and brave to ask for assistance.  So they get upset, as does his best friend, Colonel James Rhodes and Nick Fury, head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a friend of Tony's father. 
However, Tony figures out how to keep his heart ticking without killing himself (easy really, just create a new element which never existed before by focusing a basement particle collider onto a metal triangle with a Rigid Tool Wrench).  Then, of course, the big, loud confrontation with the villains, the explosions and (not to give it all away but you knew anyway) the good guys win and the bad guys are put in their proper place.
Then we have the final reconciliation between the feuding Tony and Pepper Potts (kissing and making up like "two seals fighting over a grape") and we fade to AC/DC's Highway to Hell over the credits and, if you stay to the very end, a teaser scene in the desert with a glimpse of, wait, is that, oh my, it is, by Odin's beard, it's Thor's hammer!.
The Genre
The family super hero comic book adaptation genre has been such a gold mine that Disney recently bought Marvel for the rights to their popular stable of characters and their proven box office track record.  Marvel includes Iron Man, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Thor, Captain America and Nick Fury, to name just a few.  We are going to be assaulted with films from these familiar characters as Disney cranks up this new family franchise, building up to the first Avengers movie, now slated to be released in 2012 and staring practically everybody. (We got a glimpse of the Avengers file on Fury's desk as Tony Stark receives his post-battle psychological profile)    
This sequel will rake in the bucks because it delivers more of what people liked from the first movie.  That's all a sequel is supposed to do.  The same damn movie only bigger.  Iron Man 2 knocks the sequel formula out of the park so rest assured, if you liked the first one, you'll like the second one too. 
The Overall Quality
This movie didn't lack for budget or talent.  It looks good, spends money on real locations like Monaco for the Grand Prix and brings together a group of actors who deliver the goods.  From Robert Downey Jr's narcissistic uber-inventor-peacemaker to Gwyneth Paltrow's subversive Pepper Potts, the performances all resonate with confident understatement, like they are holding just a little back for later and sure enough, they build up to that seal kissing grape moment!
Mickey Rourke is menacing and quirky, as always.  He seems out of place at first but we warm up to his particular style of intellectual revenge, almost rooting for him to succeed.  This is a major accomplishment that Rourke brings to the movie.  Sam Rockwell is a comic Justin Hammer, a character best summed up as a man who expects everything his own way, down to his favorite ice cream, Italian gelato from San Francisco flown to him in France.   He is a likable buffoon, not a real adversary for Stark but dangerous when manipulated by others. 
The writing is crisp and clever, with many memorable lines and a few duds.  For every "exit the donut", you have "you can count on me to pleasure myself".  But the curious logic of justifying the government acquisition of the Iron Man armor because "this ain't Canada!" was inspired, referencing the Michael Moore movie about gun control. 
The main detraction to a higher quality rating is the action, lifeless and ho-hum at best.  Even hot Scarlett Johansson only gets to take down a few security guards, when she could have done something much more exciting, like taking on Mickey Rourke for a few rounds.  The Iron Man battles are the same "get in the suit, get attacked, fly around, look like your defeated and then trigger some weapon we didn't know you had and win the battle" routine.    
There are some nice touches that fly by, like cameos by Oracle's Larry Ellison and Stan Lee as Larry King.  Adding a few AC/DC tunes always helps kick an action flick into a higher gear.     
Movie/Market Analysis
MarketBOB’s sentiment indicators, the GQS (Genre, Quality, Story) rate  Iron Man 2 an emotional BEAR.  This movie is a great sequel but portrays business as the bad guy and government as both inept and arrogant.  In this climate of corporate ethics under fire, government asleep at the regulatory switch and the latest trading glitches wiping out billions in erroneous trades through computerized high-speed trading, this movie glorifies a corporate culture and triumphant technology that seems out of tune with today's investor skittishness about what the heck is really going on.  Audiences may enjoy the movie but not find comfort in the heroism or motivations of the characters.  I may be wrong and the market may rebound this week after the Nightmare on Wall Street just concluded, but Tony Stark is just not an inspiring hero. 
Craig Forgrave (MarketBOB.com)

Last updated: 2010-05-08 01:04:50 by marketbob

Good sequels are actually quite rare but it seems the comic book genre should be ripe with them, considering that characters go on for years in multiple issues of a series. It was inevitable for Jon Favreau to return to his popular and semi-approved critical take on Iron Man, which touts Robert Downey Jr. as the egotistical, loud-mouthed, risk taking Tony Stark. What worked in the first Iron Man was essentially the updated origin story as to how the suit was created this time in Afghanistan rather than Vietnam. Because the film had this core or spine to it allowed the action to build in a seamless fashion. This time around it’s as if Favreau and writer Justin Theroux have spread themselves too thin attempting to borrow and grasp from multiple issues of the Iron Man comic series creating a rigid action film that only entertains on the most simple of levels. The action is intense and well done but there is something inherently missing in this structure that was there for the first installment. So despite its too calculated dialogue, stitched together story structure, and familiar action sequences, Iron Man 2 does have enough personality, intriguing spectacle, and interesting interpretation of villains that will keep most summer blockbuster audiences happy if not those who expect slightly more from their films.
            Iron Man 2 opens up just at the ending of the first one with Stark admitting to the world he is the Iron Man, a superhero with a mechanized weapon suit, as an old Russian man watches on dying as he tells his son Ivan that it should have been him on the television. As the credits role we watch a tormented Ivan, a controlled and intriguing Mickey Rourke, putting together with limited resources a weapon powered by the exact same substance that powers the Iron Man suit. Tony is living the high life of popularity as he begins his year long technology expo, back talks ignorant senators (Gary Shandling), and basks in the limelight of his new celebrity status. However, we learn that Tony is dying because the core technology that is his heart is killing him, slowly but surely. He embraces a new life full of risk, which includes driving in the Monaco Grand Prix. This is where Tony gets taken off guard as Ivan Vanko makes his way on the track and uses his new electric whip yielding weapon which almost kills Tony. Vanko proclaims later that if you make god bleed people will cease to believe in him, unfortunately a sentiment that is only proclaimed rather than actually becoming a struggle within the film. Another layer of the conflict is when Tony’s military industrial rival Justin Hammer, Sam Rockwell in an appropriately personality parallel role, breaks Vanko out of prison and gives him the funding he needs to create advanced iron man suits and drones. All of this integrated with Tony attempting to cope with death as his body keeps rejecting the technology in his body and finding out the truth behind his father’s research makes for a bit of a convoluted superhero film that quickly pieces everything together for convenience. But ultimately it works for a basic structure for a film to progress along and Jon Favreau does an efficient job if not a methodical take on directing this time around.
            Everything looks good and what more can you expect from a high budget superhero film that can hire state of the art digital cinematographers and an army of special effect technicians. It just appears that Justin Theroux quickly hashed out an Iron Man 2 script based around Tony Stark’s depression with facing death rather than with his technology getting put into the wrong hands, which isn’t the case in the film as it is in Favreau’s favorite Iron Man comic, Demon in a Bottle. There is some elements of that here with one scenario in particular of Stark getting incredibly drunk at a party in full Iron Man arsenal, that proves to be incredibly reckless and dangerous. Another hodgepodge is Mickey Rourke’s whiplash, which actually adds a great deal of another Iron Man villain called Crimson Dynamo who was the Soviet Union version of Iron Man. This is an interesting addition to the story considering that Ivan Vanko’s father is named Anton Vanko, the actual Crimson Dynamo in the comics. It’s apparent that Favreau and Theroux have done their research but there is evidence that they were attempting to add too much into one particular script and the result is varied. Good action, some good performances, and a definite perfect depiction of Black Widow, played by a hit or miss Scarlett Johansson. The real crutch here is actually Don Cheadle who was the replacement for Terrence Howard, a talking point of great controversy when it originally happened. Cheadle is just dry in many segments of the film and is hard to take seriously despite the fact that he takes himself too seriously most of the time on screen. Perhaps the screenwriter and director have failed to flourish James Rhodes the character as much as they could have and have miscast him twice now considering he is supposed to be a tad more muscular and bigger in size. Despite this unfortunate consequence of focusing too much on one character, as well as having Gwyneth Paltrow still in the film, most of the actors do a sufficient job for the film to be entertaining.
            Perhaps it’s the security of knowing that the sequel to a popular superhero film that the work in developing the initial story just falls short. Iron Man 2 definitely falls short of the standard it set for itself in the first installment and that was by far from being the grandest of all superhero films and possessed a great deal of flaws. For having this kind of budget and cast there really shouldn’t be any rigidity to the dialogue or sequences, but everything seems sort of pieced together from different sources making an uneven film. This happens many times with high expectations for sequels, such as The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean, or even 28 Weeks Later. Some superhero sequels have been better than their first origin set ups, such as Spider-Man 2 and X2, which used the already established set of characters and put them in an equally intriguing storyline. Iron Man 2 could have learned a great deal from benefitting from its origin and continue with a complex and well flushed out story. Instead they tried to add too many elements by mixing villains, adding in War Machine and Black Widow, as well as letting Samuel L. Jackson go off in typical form making it more annoying than entertaining. There were just too many attempts at cheap laughs, which was a deterrent in the first Iron Man as well, and not enough focus on a gripping a easily flowing narrative.
            Overall Iron Man 2 is entertaining, and possesses a great deal of what summer audiences are looking for. Robert Downey Jr. is personable and narcissistic making Tony Stark the egoist that you envy and love. Mickey Rourke is appropriately vengeful making the villainous threat a believable one. Jon Favreau and Justin Theroux have some minor successes in character personalities and action sequences that will keep you entertained and distracted from the more weak segments of the script. It’s just an unfortunate beginning to the summer of 2010, considering that Star Trek opened up with a surprising attention grabber last year and Iron Man 2 is just slightly a disappointment. Another layer adding on to the disappointment is looking onward to the rest of the summer with nothing other than Christopher Nolan’s Inception being of any intrigue. This could be the fault of high expectations but really it’s the security of knowing that it will do well regardless of criticism. When films become resistant to bad word of mouth or the populists are fine with a mediocre product than filmmaking becomes more of trying to sell a product rather than bringing in all of the creative elements to tell a story. Unfortunately Hollywood has been heading down the wrong direction with movies for a long time now and it’s hard to tell when another 70s film movement or a Dogma 95 movement will immerge from the depths of product placement and formulaic structure.

Last updated: 2010-05-07 14:29:29 by GenerationFilm

*spoiler free review*


I have been looking forward to Ironman 2 since about 8:30, May 2nd 2008. That was when I walked out of the theater after seeing the first Ironman. The original was an instant modern classic that joined the elite upper hero class with Dark Knight, X-Men 2, and Spiderman 2. It's rare for a first outing to be so successful on all fronts but Director Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr surprisingly hit a home run. So standing in line at midnight last night with hordes of other fans had me pondering if it were possible for part 2 to exceed the first. My thoughts; Ironman 2 not as thrilling but still a solid experience.

Ironman 2 picks up almost to the moment where the first left off with Tony Stark's shocking announcement to the world that he IS IRONMAN. It then fast forwards 6 months to all the hype and complications that come with such a bold statement. Not only is Stark Industries in disarray but the government is after his toys and the very technology that is powering Stark is starting to kill him. Meantime, Ivan (Mickey Rourke), a Russian bad boy (and apparently engineering genius) starts plans to exact revenge on the Western iron god. There are tons of old relationship issue with the faithful servant Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow) and some new ones with sexy assistant found in mysterious Natalie Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). Sam Rockwell also brings some complications as Justin Hammer, a competitive weapons dealer trying to get a slice of Stark's pie. Ultimately, the plot is simple. Bad guys are trying to develope weapon of mass destruction and Ironman has to stop them.



In many ways, I-2 is a much different movie than the first. Surprisingly, there is not much action this time around. It actually teases more than pleases with the few fights scenes with Ironman. I-2 should aptly be names 'Tony Stark' because much more screen time is committed to him in his Armani suit rather than his armored one. I was surprised to find this a 'character developement' movie as Stark wrestles with issues of  mortality and heroism for a significant percentage of this story. This is a slower paced part two and it's quite nice. Instead of bigger and badder, I would rather have deeper and richer for a sequel (unlike the Transformers 2 mess!). Younger viewers might get antsy in their seats waiting for the red and gold armor to appear which is about 30 minutes into the film (and only for a short time at that!). Some might find part 2 a little boring at times but I thoroughly enjoyed the 'Stark-arc' and appreciated the evolution of the character.

All the new characters introduced like Rourke, Rockwell, Johansson, and Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury, all do a fine job in their respective rolls. It was nice to see Fury having more of a role than just short cameos at the post-credits of previous Marvel films. No one stands out like Heath Leger's Joker but it's all solid, likeable performances. Unfortunately, there is not enough time for each new or old characters to really have too much fun. A lesson hopefully Favreau will note for next time.



My main problem with the movie is that the plot is fairly thin and felt like an afterthought. It's the typical bad guys trying to demonize technology for their own personal gain. There is a slight revenge theme with Rourke's Whiplash but that is barely explored. Fortunately, Favreau doesn't let the character development and bland plot keep him from the wit and humor of the first film. So while the plot didn't distract from the experience, it definitely suffered by comparison to the origins story of the first. A very small quibble is that there is A LOT of building going on. Tons of hammering, drilling, and sparking. I felt like I was in a FORD truck commercial or the end of an A-Team episode on steroids. So maybe next time, less show and more tell.

In contrast, the main strength of Ironman 2 is Robert Downey Jr. With the exception of Heath Leger or Christopher Reeves, I can't think of anyone more perfectly suited to play the principle character. Like most hero movies, the challenge is depicting the civilian not the hero. If you get that right, then the rest is downhill and Downey gets this right. He builds off his character with just the right balance of excessiveness and vulnerability. He is focused and driven but completely lost all at the same time. There is no one else that could play the all-powerful yet helpless Stark better than Downey.
One thing I must note. Mid way through there is what has to be the best 'prop cameo' ever since the Alien's skull in Predator 2. I won't spoil it but it is nothing but fantastic and cleverly used. Oh, in the tradition of most Marvel movies, make sure you wait till after the end credits for yet another remarkable teaser referencing the future Avenger movie. I am starting to think Avengers will never live up to the unprecedented hype it's creating. We'll see.

Overall, I really enjoyed Ironman 2. It's not quite as fresh and thrilling as the first but it's a solid addition and an honoring part 2 to the franchise. The future is as bright as Ironman's  nuclear powered chest. So now it's March 7th 2010 and I am already eagerly awaiting May 2012 for the third installment. I better get in line tomorrow because it will no doubt be the best yet (Favreau, it's now time for bigger and badder :).

Check out my other reviews at www.BabbleOn5.com

Last updated: 2010-05-07 14:16:53 by tonybkim

With great power comes great responsibility. Wait, wrong film. With great power comes a huge ego. That's more like it. Everyones favorite bad guy stomping, lady seducing, brilliant one lining superhero is back for his second adventure.

Iron Man 2 picks up pretty closely where Iron Man left off. Tony Stark has admitted that he is Iron Man and has spent the last few months helping to rid the world of bad guys and generally being ridiculously good looking. His world seems to be great but we soon learn that Tony Stark is slowly being killed by the thing that defines him. His increased use of the iron man suit is acelerating the deadly shrapnels poison inside him that he picked up in the first film. Couple that, essentially a death sentence, with the US government trying to get him to hand over the iron man "weapon," rival weapons contractor Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) trying to show him up, and a crazed Russian physicist (Mickey Rourke) who blames the Stark family for the death of his father.

With a cast as talented as everyone in Iron Man 2 it is very hard to go wrong. You've got Robert Downey Jr. one of the greatest actors in the history of ever, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle taking over Terrence Howards old part (just as well, if not better), Samuel L. Jackson, Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell.

First off, Robert Downey Jr. is an amazing man. His performance alone brings this movie up a notch that it just wouldn't have without him. He knows who hes playing and he loves it. His lines had everyone in the theatre laughing. Everyone else plays their roles as well as you'd expect actors of their caliber to do, but Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell are worthy of note. Mickey Rourke just gets sucked into his part. A mad Russian scientist with electric death whips that cut clean through vehicles and almost iron man's suit. Half the time I found myself rooting for him because of his acting and general awesomeness. Many people might play off Sam Rockwell's role, but his range is brilliant. He plays a quirky weapons genius, like Stark, who has very little people skills. Like Joaquin Pheonix in Gladiator he makes you hate him and that's what is so great about it.

Now that I've run my marathon love obsession with the actors, I think I should discuss the film. Iron Man 2 can feel a little long and then a little short at times. The special effects in the film are absolutely amazing (Especially when Mickey Rourke starts chopping cars in half) and then sometimes they feel a little dull. It suprises me at every corner and then takes a detour in the wrong direction and I couldn't tell it to turn around. Also, the very last fight with the final bad guy, was way too easy. Tony and Rhodes (Cheadle, the silver suit) take out the final boss in like 5 minutes. Don't build him up so much if he's that easy to kill.

Don't get me wrong Iron Man 2 is a good movie, but it just falls a little short. If you took The Dark Knight, a GREAT movie, and took out the Joker it would no longer be great, it would just be a good movie. That's what Iron Man 2 is. It lacks something that Iron Man had and tries to make up for it with bigger fight scenes and more graphics.

Iron Man 2 is still incredibly entertaining and definitely worth the admission price. Then again, I would see any movie just to watch Robert Downey Jr.

3 out of 4 stars

-Christopher O'Connell

The opening scene of Iron Man 2 shows the  press conference at the end of Iron Man 1, with Stark’s impromptu reveal  that he is indeed Iron Man. Cut to a run down apartment in Russia,  where a dying old man is watching this on TV. His last words to his son  Ivan Vanko, (Mickey Rourke) is that he (Tony) should have been you, and  that he can at least pass his knowledge onto his son.
Six months later, Stark is enjoying his super powered celebrity  status, and is as narcissistic as ever. Of course it’s a front as he  secretly faces complications from his Iron Man suit, which was a real  nice touch.
Meanwhile the US government wants the Iron Man suit, which Tony  refuses to give, and during a Senate hearing he makes a mockery out of  the government. This scene introduces Justin Hammer, a rival businessman  to Stark. Hammer is a small thin, unlikeable, dorky rich dude, a  perfect contrast to a hip cool Tony.
During the last six months, Ivan has been building his own  super-powered suit. He becomes Whiplash from the comics, but I don’t  think he’s ever called that on film. (We are also introduced to Natalia  Romanova/Black Widow, but I don’t think she’s ever called Black Widow  either) He comes for his revenge, and the history between his family and  the Stark family is revealed. Tony’s relationship with his father is  also explored.
The strong point of this movie, like the first one, is the  characters. All the acting is great, and the interactions between  everyone are fun to watch. Stark’s secretary Pepper Pots is loyal to him  even though he drives her insane. Rhodes/War Machine points out to Tony  that he obviously has military experience so Stark should listen to his  suggestions in combat. Hammer and Ivan are good to watch in their  devious relationship. Super spy Nick Fury is only in a few scenes, and  he comes across more as just Samuel L. Jackson. Some fans might nitpick  Black Widow’s straight hair and lack of Russian accent, but in the  context of the movie it makes sense.
For a summer popcorn movie the action comes secondary. There’s really  only three action scenes, Whiplash’s first encounter with Tony, a  drunken brawl between War Machine and Iron Man, (Seeing a drunk Iron Man  was great) and the big finale. Like the first one, the final showdown  between Iron Man and the main villain was lacking. Iron Man and War  Machine spent a lot of time fighting henchmen, and not enough time  fighting the big bad.
Also the end has a lot of buildings blowing up and such, but it seems  to no consequence as we don’t know of anyone getting hurt or killed. I  know they don’t want to make an R rated movie, but the violence needed  to have some consequence to have suspense.
Finally Pepper Pots becomes CEO of Stark Enterprises at the beginning  of the movie. At the end, after all the mayhem, she doesn’t want it  anymore and Tony regains the CEO position. I didn’t like that at all.  You could look at it from a feminist interpretation that they’re saying  women can’t handle the pressure etc. However as a comic nerd I think  it’s more the comic book world problem of it’s status-qua never  changing. Pepper being the CEO was a real change, and a great change.  It’d make sense for future movies as Tony is busy being Iron Man.
To it’s credit, it didn’t get bogged down with fanboy Easter eggs,  despite it being a series of steps to an Avengers movie. It’s it’s own  story that stands on it’s own legs. The other Marvel universe info is  just three things, and it’s nothing major,
Howard Stark helped start SHIELD, a half made Captain America Shield  is in Tony’s house, and an agent asks “Do you know what that is.” This  is more of a joke than exposition. The last scene has Tony meeting with  Fury. Tony is about to look in a file called “Avengers Initiative” but  Fury stops him. Stark’s relationship to this initiative  is, at present,  not what you’d expect.
And yes there is a post credit scene that is cool, but maybe not as  “Oh my god!’ as the first one. It does sort of explain what you think  might be a minor plot hole in the movie.
Other franchises must take note of Marvel Studios in how their brand  building with real characters, with effects and action supplementing  them, instead of the other way around.
9.3 out of 10

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/</gispan id="IL_AD6" style="border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-color: #009900 !important; text-decoration: underline !important; color: #009900 !important; background-image: none !important; background-attachment: scroll !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; cursor: pointer !important; position: static; display: inline !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; font-family: Georgia, 'century gothic', Arial, verdana, sans-serif !important; font-weight: normal !important; font-style: normal !important; font-size: 14px !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important;"/>/gisource: http://www.reeladvice.net/2010/04/iron-man-2-movie-review.html

Robert Downey Jr</span>. had a fledging career during the early Nineties not until <span id="IL_AD2" style="border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-color: #009900 !important; text-decoration: underline !important; color: #009900 !important; background-image: none !important; background-attachment: scroll !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; cursor: pointer !important; position: static; display: inline !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; font-family: Georgia, 'century gothic', Arial, verdana, sans-serif !important; font-weight: normal !important; font-style: normal !important; font-size: 14px !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important;">substance abuse</span> took his life to the dumps. In an instant, his life took a U-turn.From being a critically-acclaimed actor, he was soon forgotten by the masses. After almost a decade of obscurity, he had a lucky break by being cast as Tony Stark in the 2008 film "Iron Man" and since then, he has had numerous blockbusters (and all of them has scored well in our rating system). Now, Robert Downey Jr. is back to play as Tony Stark again in "Iron Man 2". As all sequels go, sequels have a risk of being overshadowed by their predecessor especially if it was well received by everyone. With this in mind, "Iron Man 2" needs to jump over a lot of hurdles. Can it continue the streak of great films from Robert Downey Jr. and can it match up and even go beyond the first film? Read on to find out what we think.

Six months after the events of the first film, Iron Man has brought peace between the world's major super powers. Even though Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and his iron <span id="IL_AD5" style="border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-color: #009900 !important; text-decoration: underline !important; color: #009900 !important; background-image: none !important; background-attachment: scroll !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; cursor: pointer !important; position: static; display: inline !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; font-family: Georgia, 'century gothic', Arial, verdana, sans-serif !important; font-weight: normal !important; font-style: normal !important; font-size: 14px !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important;">Man suit</span> has helped bring world peace, the U.S. Government wants to get the suit technology Stark developed for military purposes. Stark refuses to give in and boldly declares that his technology won't be replicated by anyone in the world for years to come and the Government need not worry. While in Monaco though, Stark is attacked by Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). Ivan has replicated the mini arc reactor and has even used this to power his two electrical whips. Tony is able to stop Ivan but this just proves that Stark's earlier statement is false making the U.S. Government more critical of his suit. Making things worse, the <span id="IL_AD7" style="border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-color: #009900 !important; text-decoration: underline !important; color: #009900 !important; background-image: none !important; background-attachment: scroll !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-color: transparent !important; cursor: pointer !important; position: static; display: inline !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important; font-family: Georgia, 'century gothic', Arial, verdana, sans-serif !important; font-weight: normal !important; font-style: normal !important; font-size: 14px !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important;">palladium</span> mineral powering Stark's heart is slowly poisoning his body. Stark has to find an alternative for the palladium or else he will poison himself to death. 

"Iron Man 2" is not as good as its predecessor (that's for sure) but this does not mean you won't have a splendid time. The main reason for the less-than-spectacular performance is the poorly-developed plot. We felt the film had too many things it wanted to show that several scenes just started and ended too fast. We also noticed that the story had some inconsistencies from time to time. What bothers us most is the filmmakers' decision to make the film just two hours long. Would an extra fifteen minutes hurt if the benefit is a better film overall? It did not help that some scenes just felt out-of-place which totally weirded us out - knowing how short the film was, this is unforgivable. Beyond that though, the film's other attributes are similar to "Iron Man" which is not bad at all. The dialogue is still top-notch with witty quips from time to time. The acting was great but we did not like Nick Fury which was played by Samuel L. Jackson. To be frank, his character was a bit on the cheap side. As for the action, all we can say is you won't be disappointed. "Iron Man 2" will give you thrills and laughs. Just do not expect it to wow you as the original one did two years ago. 

Rating: 3 and a half reels

Why you should watch it: 
- the dialogue is witty and will make you laugh out loud 
- action-packed from start to finish 

Why you shouldn't watch it: 
- the plot was poorly developed 
- the film feels short and rushed 
- definitely not better or at par than the first film

A not too bad watch but it didn't my expectations plot-wise and I couldn't identify as much with Tony Stark this time round.

Iron Man 2 had the requisite big bang slugfests which was a treat to watch on the big screen. Unfortunately the very thing that made the 1st movie a big hit with me was missing in this one. Tony Stark wasn't as likeable as the first one and if I were to sum it up in one sentence I'd say this:

"Iron Man 2 lacks heart. It lacks the humanity that made the 1st one click."

To be fair. The movie's still a great watch and I did watch it in the comfort of GSC's Gold Class hall in Mid Valley Megamall. I won't spoil anything for anyone by revealing anything of the plot so I guess you guys will just have to watch it and judge it for yourselves. I'll still get the Blu-ray though cos' it's a great special effects movie and the Iron Man armour is still very much the star of the show.

I give Iron Man 2 a decent 4 out of 5 stars.

Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)

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Genre: Action
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson
Running Time: 124 minutes (plus trailers)

"I've successfully privatized world peace"

Jon Favreau’s 2008 adaptation of the Marvel Comic Book series Iron Man was a massive success with audiences and critics alike, with most of the praise given to the performance of reinvigorated leading man Robert Downey Jr., who played playboy arms-dealer turned armored action hero Tony Stark with an endearing combination of sarcasm and self-discovery. The Iron Man franchise is somewhat unique in that it has the only superhero that I can think of who is actually less interesting than his or her real life alter ego. As fun as it is watching Iron Man flying around blowing up cars, the real appeal of this series is watching the narcissistic Stark bouncing witty rejoinders off of his costars like a modern day Carey Grant. Or at least that’s how it was with the first movie.

Downey/Stark aside, Iron Man 2 has a lot of problems. Like the later X-Men or Spiderman films, this movie has way too many characters, none of whom are particularly well developed or interesting. Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Stark’s secretary Pepper Potts, whilst Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Lt. James Rhodes, who in this film becomes Iron Man’s crime fighting partner War Machine. Paltrow does a better job than Cheadle (who is a bit stiff in some of his earlier scenes), but neither of them are given enough time to do much – the love story between Potts and Stark seems to be have put on hold since the first film and is only reintroduced five minutes before the end, while Rhodes probably could have been cut altogether (the introduction of War Machine, while pretty cool, was a pretty blatant piece of fan-service).

The worst character in this film is definitely the villain, played by yet another usually excellent actor. Mickey Rourke appears as Ivan Vanko, the very definition of the generic Russian baddie, complete with atrocious accent, filthy dreadlocks, prison tattoos and gold teeth. Motivated by revenge (yawn), his behavior is consistently ridiculous and his dialogue is made up mostly of unconnected metaphors about blood and sharks and other scary things that don’t really make a whole lot of sense (but hey, they sound cool…I guess). Thankfully Sam Rockwell manages to be entertaining as the films lesser villain Justin Hammer, an arms dealer who is essentially a wannabe version of Tony Stark. As fun as he is however, he’s a bit too inept to ever seem like a real threat.

But wait, there’s more! With Marvel keen to build up their cinematic universe (which will eventually come together in the Avengers film, due for a release in 2012) we also get a few people popping up from various other comic series’. Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury, his post-credit cameo scene from the Iron Man 1 expanded into one where he appears, offers exposition, renders a large part of Iron Man’s character conflict irrelevant and then disappears before you can say “spin-off”. Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson appears as a character named tight leather jumpsuit wearing ass kicking girl...or at least that’s what I called her in my head, as it’s basically the only thing she does in the film.

With so many characters, there’s little wonder that the story has trouble staying focused. There are plot threads involving S.H.I.E.L.D, the Avengers, a senate sub-committee, Tony Stark’s father, Justin Hammer and countless others, but none of them are especially interesting. There is also a large portion in the centre of the film where Stark doesn’t really do anything other than mess around with machines and spout technological gibberish about “palladium” and “electrodes” and so on, culminating in a contrived National Treasure-esque scene in which Stark receives a pre-recorded message from his daddy and finds a secret code embedded in a model city. You could have cut about half the subplots and characters from this film and it still would have been too much; truly, the story is a mess.

Yet the movie is still, to a large degree, entertaining. Even in the sequences that amount to little more than Tony Stark shouting “SCIENCE, SCIENCE”, Robert Downey Jr., makes it fun to watch. Without a doubt this man is one of the best actors working in Hollywood, and as long as he’s attached to this series, it’s still going to be worth a look. That and the action. Although there could have been more of it in the first half, the air-combat scene towards the end of the movie is dazzlingly choreographed and features some of the most impressive special effects and pyrotechnics I have seen in quite some time. Sadly the climax manages to be even more unsatisfying than the fight against Jeff Bridges at the end of part one, but the twenty minutes of explosions that precede it do mostly make up for it. And say what you will about Mickey Bourke’s character, those electricity whips are awesome.

So there you have it. Carried almost entirely by the fantastic work of its leading man, Iron Man 2 is a film that I can somewhat recommend. It is clear that this franchise will never reach the same intellectual levels as Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, or even Bryan Singer’s earlier X-Men films. This movie feels like a studio construction, focused more on setting up sequels and spin-offs than in telling its own story. But if you like RDJ and you liked Iron Man 1 then you probably won’t regret buying a ticket to Iron Man 2

Rating: 3/10

Before I get into the review, I have to get on my knees and thank the movie  gods that this wasn’t in 3D. Sure, there were some scenes that theoretically  could have looked better, but honestly, I think 3D takes hurts more than helps.  Fact is, Iron Man 2 is more story driven, rather than effects, which is  why 3D would not work. Not to mention, that chances are, at the end of the year,  I predict this will still be one of the top films of the year(sequels to Toy  Story, Shrek, Harry Potter, and Twilight…3 of 4 of these will be  in 3D…will more than likely take the top spot), but to know that a film without  3D is making this kind of bank has to make those that think 3D is the only way  to go nowadays, a bit wary.
Continuing where Iron Man left off, Iron Man 2 takes us on a journey with Tony Star after he has reveled himselfto be Iron  Man and the repercussions and changes that have come along with it.
The story here isn’t as good or deep as its predecessor. Some have said that  Iron Man 2 suffered from “sequelitis”. I won’t go that far, but I did  feel that this film seemed to be trying too hard to live up the standard set by  the previous film. I really hate it when pictures do this. Each film is  different, and they need to almost totally forget about what the previous film  was like and make another just as good if not better.
The cast is great, headlined by Robert Downey, Jr., wo again seems like he  was born to play Tony Stark. Aside from his typical smarky demeanor, Downey taps  into the drama of the character of Tony Stark with the whole paladium poisoning  angle (I belive this is a substitute for the alchoholism that Stark had  i nthe comics, since Downey is a former alchoholic).
Gwyneth Paltrow was a shining star in Iron Man, but her character  has lost some of the lustre here and she just seems ot be going through the  motions.
There was a lot of hype and controversy surroiunding Scarlett  Johanssomn being cast as Black Widow, especialyl since she seemed to have lost  her delicious curves just for this role (yet they seem to have returned in the  poster). I love Scarlett, but this was not the role for her. Like Paltrow, she  came off as cold. Granted, her character is suposed ot be a deadly assassin of  some sort, but she does have a personality. That is the thing that Scarlett  didn’t bring to the screen here. It’s all good to get in hsape and do the  stunts, but when it all comes down to it, you have to be able to deliover a good  performance, which she does not.
Don Cheadle takes over the mantle of James Rhodes from Terrence Howard  becuse of some money issues. This is a huge mistake. Cheadle is a great actor,  but he makes Rhodes seem like the jealous little brother who gets his hand on  big brother’s proize possesion and runs off with it. His attitude throughout the  whole picture, except the film’s climax, is that of a lifless military  brainwashed drone, totally forgetting that he and Stark are best friends. I  think part of this has to do with how his character was written, but Howard just  did so much the better job. On top of that, he just doesn’t scream James  Rhoes or War MAchone to me the way Terreamce Howard seemed to just click. Not to  mention, with his size, he seemed better suited to wear armor than Cheadle.
Getting to the villains, I have a beef to pick with the filmmakers for  choosing Ivan Vanko. I don’t have anything against Ivan Vanko, but in the comics  he is spposed to be one of the Crimson Dynamos. Whiplash is a totally  idfferent character, so I have to wonder what made them mix and match like  this. I could probably overlook this, but this is a film made by Marvel. They  are responsible for creating Iron Man, as well as many other major characters is  comic lore. Mickey Rourke does a decent job with the character, but I was  ditracted with his leather-like looks, not to mention his accent didn’t quite  seem to gel for me.
 Justin Hammer is a Stark’s rival in the comics, and Sam Rockwell brings him  to life with the same energy and vigor that the character deserves. Aside from  Downey, he gives the best performance of the film.
The fight scenes are incredible. It is obvious that Favreau has learned a  little bit about directing these action sequences since the first film. Black  Widow’s infiltration of Hammer’s compound and subsequent takedown of all his men  is impressive, though I’m not sure if that’s because of her skills or becuse of  the skin-tight catsuit she wears.
Adding War Machine to the lineup was great, but that’s enough with these  multiple armor fight scenes. In the first film, it was ok to have Iron Man vs.  Iron Monger, but here we get Iron Man vs. Mark II (soon to be made into War  Machine), and Iron Man and WAr Machine vs Iron Man drones and Iron Man, WAr  Machone vs. some kind of Iron Monger/Whiplash hybrid. While this was cool, I was  disappointed with how the Whiplash fight ended so quickly, especially since he  made such an impact with how he was introduced.
If they make a thirs Iron Man movie, the climactic battle needs to  get away from these armor battles. It gets old quick.
Another aspect I didn’t care for was how there wasn’t enough Iron Man. About  halfway through, we lose Iron Man and get some kind Tony Stark melodrama. sure  it developed his character and all, but it wasn’t really all that necessary and  could have just as easily been replaced with some better development for Ivan  Vanko.
Speaking of Vanko, he was billed as the main antagonist of the film, yet  except for his intro in the racetrack scene and the 10 seconds in the film’s  climax, he doesn’t really do much except build stuff for Hammer. That is fine  and dandy, but it’s not what you expect to see from this guy…at least I  didn’t.
All the S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff really has nothing to do with the plot of the  film, except maybe the stuff related to his father and the palladium, so having  sp much of it in here was kind of  waste of time. To further worsen things, they  had some sort of unfinished Captain America shield that Stark uses when he makes  the new element and Thor’s hammer appears at the end to the post-credits. The  hammer I can deal with. It was handled subtly, but the shield, especially since  Tony was looking for a new element and any good fanboy knows that Cap’s shield  is made of some sort of indestructible metal. On top of that, it was just oddly  placed in there.
Some sequels live up to or surpass their predecessors, others fall well below  the expectations of the original. Iron Man 2 doesn’t totally falter,  but at the same time it doesn’t make one forget the original. I think there are  two things hurting this flick more than anything, expectations from the first  film. If you will recall, Iron Man was being billed as the best film of  2008 and what superhero movies should be until everyone started wetting their  pants at the overrated The Dark Knight,  which overshadowed shellhead. My biggest complaints re lack of scenes with Iron  Man and the lull in the middle that seems to derail the plot. I really liked  this film, but not quite loved it. Still has some issues to fis before it ca be  perfect. For a good summer flick, Iron Man 2 is a good start to the  season, especially since it is in 2D and will probably dwarf almost every other  film to be released this year (with the exception of Toy Story 3). It  is definitely worth checking out!
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
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To my memory, the original Iron Man movie is the only film I have given a 10 out of 10 for quality in a review. So I was very excited to see the next installment of this exciting film franchise. I am a huge comic book geek, though mostly for the DC universe, with a few Marvel Comics from the past and much of the "Ultimate" line. So although I'm very familiar with and love the Iron Man character, I am not a hardcore Iron Man fan.

Let's get right to the meat of things. This is a great movie and you should definitely check it out. The dialogue is just as smart, the acting is just as clever, the action is just as explosive and the effects are just as cool. And as with any sequel to a successful film, more money has been thrown at this one to amp things up a notch. Fans of superhero action should not be disappointed by the action in this flick. It's a great ride!

Robert Downey Junior continues to offer a unique but strangely fitting portrayal of Tony Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow is wonderfully charming, especially when playing next to her co-star. Don Cheadle takes over the role of Rhodey and after a scene or two of adjustment, fits into the cast like he'd been there all along. Scarlett Johansson also joins the cast and fills her role nicely, though without bringing any unique or memorable characteristics to her role. Sam Rockwell is very "Sam Rockwell", but not in any way that hurts the film. Rather his quirky, insecure antics fit right in with the tone established by the leads in the first film. Samuel L. Jackson get considerably more screentime as Nick Fury. And though his portrayal of fury is slightly more urban than his "Ultimates" comic book counterpart (which was based on his physical likeness and got him the role in these movies!) he holds back enough that I can still buy the character as an official military operative of some kind. Lastly, Mickey Rourke is the centerstage villain of this flick and brings both heart and grit to a role that required both.

The story picks up 6 months after the first movie and Tony Stark is fighting the U.S. Government to keep control of his armor. Meanwhile, Rourke's character is out for revenge because of the way Tony Stark's weapons have affected Russia over the years, or because his dad helped Tony's dad invent the arc reactor and didn't get credit or... I'll be honest. I'm not really sure why Ivan (Rourke) wanted revenge. Those were educated guesses, but the motivation of the antagonist in this case was pretty murky. Maybe that Russian accent Rourke was using was a little too thick, but I felt like I only ever had the most basic idea of why he had a beef with Stark.

This is connected to the weak point of the film. There is not a clear enough line drawn between the antagonists and the protagonists. Stark is especially flawed in this film and we are given very little reminder of why he is driven to be Iron Man to begin with. This is a weakness common to superhero movie franchises. They establish motivation for the hero in the first film, but forget to repeat it in the following films. (Batman, old or new franchise, is an example of this, while the Spider-man movies are an exception.) Justin Hammer is far more pathetic than he is evil and "Whiplash" (Rourke) is mainly disgruntled and even sympathetically so. Add to this a surprisingly short final confrontation and the movie ends on an anti-climactic note with very little sense of victory.

As with the first film, there is not much to talk about of any relevance after seeing this movie. Stark is as narcissistic as ever and they do touch a little on the "demon in the bottle" theme that is present in the comic book, but none of these elements are executed in a way that will likely lead to worthwhile discussion.

This movie is a case where "more of the same" is a really great thing, although the story and characterization was not given quite the attention it should have been on all counts. A great movie and fans of the genre should certainly not miss it!

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.

Quality: 9.0/10

Relevance: 6.0/10

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