Iron Man 2 Movie Reviews
Iron Man 2 attempts to solve this by picking up where the previous film left off. Stark reveals to the world that he is Iron Man, and in a grim bit of Russia, this stirs up Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) who nurses a long-standing grudge against the Stark family.Plot threads collect around Iron Man 2 like iron filings to a magnet: the US government takes an interest in Stark's crimefighting technology and tries to order him to hand over his Iron Man suit.
Despite the outward appearance of ease, the action movie is arguably one of the hardest projects a director can take. Beyond the base requirements of explosions, thrills, and general cinematic extravagance lies the difficulty of not only engaging the audience but maintaining that excitement beyond the handful of explosive scenes. Iron Man 2, the long-awaited sequel from director/actor Jon Favreau to the 2008 original, provides a near-perfect blueprint of a great action movie – big, ballsy, and not too brainy.In the inevitable comparison to the original, Iron Man 2 comes out a clear winner. The pacing problems of the original are replaced in the sequel with steadily built tension and perfectly meshed scenes. Each of the characters, whether new or returning, is given a much deeper personality that helps to flesh-out the Iron Man universe. From the opening sequence to the climactic finale, the viewer is wholly invested in the film. In continuing the plot of the first film but in an improved, expansive manner, Iron Man 2 serves as a perfect sequel to the blockbuster original.
The only flaw of Iron Man 2 is one that is more critical of the genre than of this specific film. In focusing on violence and explosions, action movies are all too quick to abandon any attempt at an intelligent or thought-provoking story. Iron Man 2 falls prey to this same flaw in not providing a deeper moral or thematic meaning behind all the on-screen action. Despite this, the movie still excites the audience in all the right ways and is a summer blockbuster certainly worth seeing.
Not that the writers wrestled too long with the conundrum. I suspect they sat scratching their scalps with the butt end of a 2B and wondered where to go with the franchise till one grizzled vet slapped down his Venti Latte and piped up - Iron Man Two? I'm thinking... maybe... Two Iron Men?Either way, the movie - slow and unsatisfying in patches - still packs a punch. An early encounter in which Whiplash slices through the field of a Monte Carlo race cars to reach Stark is a spectacle steeped in screen dollars while the final showdown between the Iron Men and Whiplash is a lesson (from director Jon Favreau) in how to put on screen a grand finale with tempo, verve and slick methods of dispatch.
Iron Man may save the day but Robert Downey Jr - again - saves the franchise. Are they the same thing? Put LeBeouf in the burgundy bodysuit and see how that works out for you.
Well, the prognosis seems to have been ‘more of the same’. At the heart of it “Iron Man 2” continues were “Iron Man” left off, and with Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltow’s fantastic onscreen chemistry you’re effortlessly eased back into the swing of things. The dialogue is snappy and the humor witty. Basically what we’ve come to expect by now. The main ambition to expand the scale of the movie lies with the additional cast. We’re immediately introduced to the movies main antagonist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). It’s a solid performance throughout, but I felt the quirky sense of humor applied by Rourke diminished the characters villainous immorality. A more ruthless portrayal would have been appropriate, especially since his partner in crime Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) brings heaps of personality and hilarity to what is easily the best performance in the movie. A truly evil counterpart would have been perfectly apt. In terms of Tony Stark’s allies, the addition of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is a welcome one. The mysterious S.H.I.E.L.D agent is responsible for the best stunt scene in the movie. In general, the visuals throughout the movie are amazing. The extra money was obviously spent on perfecting the CGI because at no stage do you doubt what you’re seeing. The recast James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) also does a brilliant job under the circumstances of making the role his own. The inclusion of War Machine creates an interesting dynamic between the two friends.
But even with all its assets “Iron Man 2” is not a classic stand alone movie. It’s an enjoyable continuation to what has already been established with “Iron Man”. As the director will happily admit, they created a certain tone with the first movie and they’re sticking to it here. But ultimately it’s the lack of risks that stop this move from hitting the heights “The Dark Knight” reached when it changed the comic book movie genre in 2008. Like Batman, people relate to Iron Man because he’s a realistic superhero based around technology and not superpowers. But realistically, the tone that the franchise is devoted to isn’t always going to be necessarily appropriate for what needs to be expressed. That is the only major flaw here. If Jon Favreau had have been willing to explore some new territory he may have had a classic on his hands. Instead he has a solidly enjoyable cinematic romp.
You may find it difficult to grasp the storyline in the beginning if you have not seen the first film, but very soon the movie will take control of you and you will travel in the world of billionaire inventor Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr, who turns into Iron Man.
Stark’s sidekick Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is also an interesting character and new catsuit-clad employee Natalie/Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) will keep you entertained throughout.
The plot is overcomplicated and with only a couple of big set pieces this blockbuster is surprisingly short on action. But when it does kick off the results on screen are spectacular with some genuinely dazzling special effects and there's a steady stream of crackling banter, witty one liners and charismatic performances to enjoy.
Iron Man 2 has a lot to live up to and perhaps expectations are impossibly high. But it can be done. The Batman franchise proved it with the masterful Dark Knight which remains an excellent blockbuster and sequel, whereas Iron Man 2 settles for being merely a good one. It's entertaining enough but could be better.
The Upside: The action is kicked up, the performances are well-tuned and once again, Iron Man impresses with an awe-inspiring final action set piece.
The Downside: Its middle section is bloated, and our hero’s peril is avoided too easily. Luckily, that Downey Jr. guy is electric, even in the film’s dull moments.
On the Side: The film is dedicated to Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, who appears as the DJ at Tony Stark’s birthday party. DJ AM died of drug-related causes in late 2009, not long after filming his
That’s a lot of fiddly gripes for a single hero to micro-manage, and a movie with no dominant threat or storyline to juggle competently. Plus, there’s Scarlett Johansson, greedily drafted in as a legal aide/secret agent called Black Widow, and so obviously there to up the film’s booty quotient she gets nothing to do but pout, perform a few swivel kicks, and irritate Gwyneth Paltrow.
However much Justin Theroux’s script fails in oomph terms (pretty badly), it’s full of good banter and throwaway grace notes; though not as turbo-charged as the original, it’s funnier and less politically off-putting. The set pieces, particularly an abrupt contretemps during the Monaco Grand Prix, and a clanking set-to between Tony and Rhodey, are handled with a nicely flippant showmanship, without the heaving desperation of most effects showdowns to outdo every other blockbuster in history.
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