Iron Man 2 Reviews (2010)

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I'm not sure anyone was predicting Iron Man to be the stratospheric success that it was. Here you had Jon Favreau, a pleasant enough comedic actor and mildly experienced director helming his first $140 million movie; Robert Downey Jr., a well-liked but troubled actor who had never been at the forefront of an action blockbuster; and a Marvel Comics franchise that, while very popular, didn't have quite the level of mainstream recognition as something like a Spider-Man or Batman. And yet somehow this unlikely, unruly combination formed into one of the most exciting, funny, and flat-out best summer action movies of the last decade.
 
Now comes the expected Iron Man 2. I say this not just because it's expected that there will always be sequels to successful blockbusters, but also because expectations for anything bearing the name Iron Man now exist, and are potentially unreasonably high. Such is the plight of the out-of-left-field, and while Iron Man 2 can't be called quite as top flight as its predecessor, Favreau, RDJ and company prove themselves more than capable of cranking out another wildly entertaining thrill ride.

Downey's multi-billionaire industrialist Tony Stark is riding high after the conclusion of the first flick, where, in a move rare amongst his heroic brethren, he plainly reveals his secret identity to a throng of cameras and reporters. In his mind, he's now the ultimate deterrent for war, a walking, talking missile shield with a fondness for dirty martinis.
 

Of course, the U.S. government doesn't quite share Tony's feeling of warm, fuzzy security. In a hysterical senate committee meeting, Senator Stern ( Garry Shandling, who I really wish were in more movies) demands that Stark turn over his Iron Man suit to the military. Stark, ever the snark monger, turns the meeting on its head and in his favor, but as it turns out he's got bigger problems to worry about. The electromagnet/mini-reactor that sits in his chest and keeps him alive is also poisoning his blood.
 
And then there's Ivan Vanko, a Russian convict and apparent brilliant physicist in his own right whose father had a history with Tony's. Played by a heavily tattooed Mickey Rourke with an accent that sits somewhere between John Malkovich's Teddy KGB and a garbage disposal, Vanko appears in Monaco while Stark is enjoying some R&R—which in billionaire playboy terms, translates to driving his own race car in a professional grand prix. Equipped with two energy-charged whips and looking like a cybernetic leather daddy, Vanko fights and nearly kills Stark, only to seemingly be vanquished when Tony gets a hold of his supernifty suitcase suit.
 
But lo, it does not end there. A rival weapons manufacturer, Justin Hammer ( Sam Rockwell, essentially channeling his inner Chuck Barris from Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), secures Vanko's release in exchange for helping him build an army of super suits. Back home, Stark battles verbally (and physically) with his best bud, Col. James Rhodes ( Don Cheadle, ably replacing Terrence Howard) over Tony's unwillingness to part with the suit. And then there are the women of his life, including his assistant-turned-CEO Pepper Potts ( Gwyneth Paltrow), and a new assistant, Natalie Rushman ( Scarlett Johansson), who seems to know more than she lets on—especially in the realm of martial arts.
 
It's a dumptruck load of characters and plot to sift through, and elements are left undeveloped. Rourke is an absurd entertainment as Vanko, and not just because of his obsession with his pet cockatoo. Sadly, he falls to the background for large chunks of the story. Johanssen, while given a few moments of surprisingly excellent bad-assery, is largely only present, alongside a cameo from Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, for the specific purpose of launchpadding the 2012 Avengers movie. Fun as their scenes are, they're essentially marketing materials for a future franchise.
 
That said, the screenplay by Justin Theroux does a mostly able job of juggling all of this bloat without shoving anyone too far by the wayside, and Downey's portrayal of the loveably narcissistic Stark is once again an endless fountain of hilarity. So good is he that you will instantly forget about the random plot holes and mostly pointless side characters. His verbal boxing sessions with Paltrow (who knew she had it in her?), Cheadle and Rockwell never get old. And that early scene in the Senate hearing, as he goes toe-to-toe with Larry Sanders himself, it's comedic gold you just don't find in superhero flicks.
 
It's great because these scenes of rat-a-tat dialogue exist in place of the typical pathos-inducing scenes of sadness and reflection we often get in modern hero films. Favreau rarely stops the breakneck pace of this thing long enough for Stark to really reflect, though when he does, Downey goes out of his way to make sure these scenes never betray the hyperactive persona he's laid down. I can never quite tell how much of what Downey does is scripted and how much of it is his gift for rapid-fire improv, but whatever the case, he's nothing short of incredible here.
 

As a quick aside, Iron Man 2 also features the best Stan Lee cameo of any Marvel film to date. No spoilers, just look for it. It's incredible.
 
As for the action? It's thrilling, blisteringly fast, and very 'splodey. I would argue that Tony Stark is a far more interesting character to watch than Iron Man, but the special effects battles are certainly fun to watch. The scene on the race track is nothing short of incredible, though it, along with some of the other, better scenes of Iron Man jetting around and being generally awesome come pretty early in the film. The final battle between Iron Man, Cheadle in the War Machine suit, Venko, and an army of robotic drone soldiers is mostly fine and includes a few cackle-worthy moments, but the movie blows its load with the best action early on. If you'll remember, the first movie did pretty much the same thing.
 
Actually, when you really think about it, Iron Man 2 has quite a bit in common with the original. The similar pacing, style of action, and the onslaught of quick-witted humor should resonate immediately for anyone who watched the first film. And while a few of that movie's problems have held over (and a couple of new ones have cropped up), that should ultimately be great news for anyone claiming to be an Iron Man fan. This is the first truly fun summer movie of 2010. Don't miss it.