Tony Stark suits up again in...
Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark, the billionaire scientist who is also the armored superhero, Iron Man. He's also dying. The very technology that's keeping him alive is also poisoning him. Unable to find a suitable replacement element to power the reactor in his chest, Tony engages in reckless behavior, all in the public eye. That's when the sharks come circling. There's the U.S. government (who are desperate to get their hands on the Iron Man suit), rival industrialist Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), and Ivan Vanko (played by Mickey Rourke). A Russian physicist able to duplicate the arc reactor tech, Vanko seeks revenge on Tony for he and his father's deportation by Tony's visionary father, Howard Stark.
I thought Iron Man 2 was great when it came out in May of 2010 and I still stand by that. This is a really brave sequel. The film doesn't rely on what is expected a second film should do, which is deliberately make things impossible for your characters. Iron Man 2, instead, explores compelling and seriously refreshing scenarios in the wake of the final scene of the first movie. Plus, and most important, it retains all the fun of the first film.
Director Jon Favreau and the incredible cast make the Iron Man movie world a fun world to explore. RDJ and Gwyneth Paltrow continue to be an extraordinary duo. Don Cheadle trumps his predecessor, Terrence Howard, in the role of Rhodey. So, having more than one bad guy in a superhero movie is always overkill? Well, Iron Man 2 stimulates the super-villian team-up with two antagonists who's individual missteps give them a reason to unite and who's agendas ultimately destroy the alliance. Rockwell and Rourke both create unique characters to probe that trope. The film also opens the world with bigger appearances by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Clark Gregg as Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, Phil Coulson, the addition of Scarlet Johanssen as fellow agent, Natalia Romanov, and many references to Howard Stark. Favreau may have had his hands full progressing Tony's character and opening up what would later become the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Iron Man 2 doesn't show it all. It's as assured as the original film, and it is just as much a blast.
I did not understand the lukewarm response Iron Man 2 got when it was first released. I even looked back at some of the reviews. A common criticism: "More of the same." You say that as if the film was a Friday the 13th sequel (No offense to that franchise). Iron Man is a masterpiece. It's a work of art. If the sequel is just as much fun and imaginative, how is that boring repetition? "Cynical" is a word I found in a review. Are you sure you weren't referring to yourself? Remember near the start of this marathon when I was lamenting how spoiled the fanboy community had become? The reception of this movie was when I first noticed that.
Get over yourself. Iron Man 2 rocks.
Iron Man 2
5 out of 5 Cap Shields
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