Iron Man 2 Review

Iron Man 2, one of the most anticipated films of 2010, has come. The first Iron Man set the bar for the franchise, and superhero films in general, exceedingly high. There was very little chance that the sequel could live up to the ever growing hype, but even so, I held out hope. The reviews came in decidedly mixed (57 on Metacritic) and I grudgingly lowered my expectations. After seeing it twice, I feel I can weigh in with my opinion.

Iron man 2 is awesome!

It is not a perfect film, and it does not present a completely cohesive narrative compared to the first film, or storytelling technique in general. I still had a blast the whole time through on both viewings and came away impressed by what Jon Favreau and Co. have accomplished with Iron Man 2.



The story picks up right where the first film left off, then quickly jumps ahead six months. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is struggling to regulate his company and his health. Most the players from the first film are back, including Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle, previously Terrance Howard), Happy Hogan (director Jon Favreau), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, who you may have missed if you did not watch through the credits of the first film). This movie also introduces several new characters, including Justin Hammer (Sam "someone toss this dude an Oscar already" Rockwell), Ivan Vanko (Mickey "good work giving this dude an Oscar already" Rourke), Natalie Rushman (Scarlett "I'm here to make fanboys drool" Johansson), and Tony's father, Howard Stark (John Slattery). Besides juggling all these new and returning characters the film manages to tell a story about a self destructive Tony Stark cleaning up messes that he has effectively created, all the while being the lovable asshole we have come to know so well. The plot is cluttered and messy, but basically revolves around the ideas of legacy and (ir)responsibility. If this film was about three hours long and a little less precious with some segments, it could have probably juggled all the threads and told a more comprehensible story. It still works to introduce all manner of awesome into the Iron man and Marvel Studios universes.

Throughout the film, Tony is put up against a business competitor in Justin Hammer, a new super villain in Whiplash, and his own mortality as he struggles to find a different power source for the armor before it kills him. Tony's conflict with Hammer is probably the most enjoyable of these three conflicts, but Iron Man 2 stays engaging as the plot bounces around between each element. Some moments feel a little long, like watching a drunk Tony Stark abuse the Iron man armor. Some story pieces feel slightly glossed over, like the romantic tension between Tony and Pepper. Overall, the story moves fast enough that no mistakes significantly ruin the fun and momentum of the film. Watching Tony rediscover a new element is gloriously comic book-y, stopping just before the point of ridiculousness, but little moments like this also serve to add to the universe these films are building (if I am not mistaken, Tony found Vibranium, a fictional element that comes up in the comics). While it could be argued that Iron Man 2 tries to do too much, the plot serves the film well by carrying it through all the necessary character moments and action set pieces that a quality summer film should have.




The characters in Iron Man 2, just as in the first, are the most enjoyable part of the film. Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark is perfect. He is everything you could hope for in the role, and the whole franchise succeeds on his shoulders. You cannot help but like him even while he does very little to earn it. It will be interesting to see him on screen against the younger Chris Evans, as Captain America, in the Avengers Film because they have always been presented as similarly aged in the comics. Gwyneth Paltrow does a great job sharing the screen with Downey Jr. I do wish there was another beat between these two before the last scene in the film, but she gets plenty of screen time to flesh out her character into an endearing equal, and much needed balance to the out of control Tony. Don Cheadle effortlessly picks up the role of James Rhodes and fits in this universe better than Terrance Howard did, though I never did have a specific problem with Howard's performance. Jon Favreau is clearly having fun with his screen time as Happy Hogan, but some of his scenes probably could have been cut to streamline the picture. Ear biting was funny 10 years ago, less so now. I enjoy Samuel L. Jackson in most roles, even some of his most outrageous, but I am still not sold on his Nick fury, especially now that there are talks to do an entire film based on the character. I would love to see a WW2 story featuring Sergeant Fury and his Howling Commandos, but I doubt that is the direction they will take with this character now. Jackson comes across as more of a super-spy than a hardened war veteran. Clark Gregg also reprises his role as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with more screen time and personality than before. With all these returning cast members, it is hard to believe there was room for more, but they managed.




The new characters' casting was handled spectacularly. Sam Rockwell steals scenes throughout the film as Justin Hammer, the wannabe Tony Stark. His performance sells the lengths that his character is willing to go to compete with Stark and almost makes his actions seem more pitiable than outright evil. Ivan Venko is an occasionally ridiculous creation, that is saved by Mickey Rourke's careful portrayal. I really could have done without the agonizing scream early in the film (this kind of scene is nearly impossible to sell in any film, writers/directors take note) and the whole bird subplot later on though. Ivan is representative of all the worst things Tony could have become if his world had not been handed to him on an iron platter. I am beginning to wonder if Scarlett Johansson is only an average actress, and I was too distracted to notice because of her other attributes. She doesn't ruin any scenes, but she does not add much texture to the film either. Her character could have her own spin-off film, but she never felt attached enough to the role for me to see that happening. She does fill out one particular outfit quite well. I was pleasantly surprised to see John Slatterly (Mad Men's Roger Sterling, one of the best television characters in existence) as Howard Stark. He seems like a mix of his character from that show and a vintage Walt Disney. I would love to see more of him in future Marvel films. Gary Shandling also deserves a mention for his role as Senator Stern. His courtroom scene with Downey Jr. is one of the funnier moments in the film. The strength of this cast could compete with Dark Knight and might even come out with an edge. I'd take Jarvis in Tony's suit over growly Bruce Wayne in Batman's any day. For a film without a solid emotional core, the cast really does a lot to make you care in as the film rushes through all the ground it has to cover.



Upon first viewing, I was not sold on the action of Iron Man 2. It seemed somehow underwhelming, but again I think that is just a testament to the strength of the acting in the film. Since then, I have heard people claim each of the major action set pieces as their favorite, which implies they are all successful. There is a scene on a race track, featuring villain Whiplash, early in the film that manages to be both exciting and humorous. It also introduces Iron man's suit case armor, which is one of the bigger "Oh Shit!" moments in the movie (slightly undercut by being present in the trailer). We also get a heated Iron Man versus War Machine battle midway through that demolishes a large portion of Stark's residence. This scene is a huge success and ends up being one of the more emotionally intense conflicts throughout. The big climax is a battle between Iron Man, War Machine, a whole heap of Hammer drones, and a powered up Whiplash (possibly a reference to Crimson Dynamo?). This extended set piece is technically impressive, but for some reason the stakes never feel appropriately insurmountable. The action choreography was an improvement over the first film in many ways. Jon Favreau never struck me as an action director, even after Iron Man, but he seems to be getting it down. I never felt lost in scenes and stayed engaged in the conflict even during the extended climax. The action is made possible by some truly impressive effects work as well.

ILM did a great job on the first film. The combination of practical and CG was almost unbelievable. There were no glaring issues, but Iron man 2 easily tops that already impressive display. The suits look great in every scene and there are many moments where I could not be sure if what I was looking at was practical or CG. Something about seeing believable robotic suits in live action is so satisfying. The action does well to not overshadow the story, and the effects do not overshadow the action. Everything works to form a momentum that had me entertained and engaged completely.



After that obligatory rundown of plot, actors, and action, I feel like I still have not accurately captured what made this film so good. Iron Man 2 is a delicate balancing act. It manages to cram in so much story, character, and action, even while laying significant groundwork for the Marvel Studios universe. It builds a believable world for Iron Man that feels like it could house Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Ant-Man (directed by Edgar Wright please!), and more. Besides the variety of Easter eggs strewn about the film to appease comics fans, Iron Man 2 manages to actually feel like a comic book brought to life. It juggles multiple plot threads, soap opera drama, sharp humor, heavy action, and extensive world building at the same time. It never feels like a chore. It is a very fun time. If this was the end of Iron Man's story, I would be inclined to agree with some of the more negative opinions floating out there, but this is is just one small piece of a larger story being told. Iron Man 2 satisfies on its own, but it also succeeds in building excitement for the future of these Marvel films.



There is a lot of talk about the illusion of change in comics and how it helps and hurts the stories that are told in the medium. These characters have to stay relatively static in order to be easily marketable. In translating a comic to film, it is easy to cherry pick from the decades of continuity to come up with some earth shattering plot, but it is admirable for Favreau and Co. to craft a straight up comic book story that is optimized to have fun in the established universe. Iron Man 2 is hugely respectful to the source without being obsessed with telling another person's idea of the definitive Iron Man story. Favreau is resisting pressure to delve too heavily into the classic Demon in a Bottle storyline that finds Tony Stark up against the villain of alcoholism (cue dramatic music), and I absolutely respect his choice to portray Tony as an unapologetic dick who stubbornly displays almost no growth throughout an entire picture.