Iron Man 2 is a blast (sort of)

Rating: 7/10 (9 May 2010)

When the first Iron Man hit the theaters, it surprised both critics and the general audience, eventually acquiring enough acclaim and, more importantly, box office revenue to turn this once-unknown comic book hero into a major franchise. The crisp, witty dialogue and smart casting transformed what could have been a generic origin story into something that felt original and fun. In this era of dark, brooding antiheroes, the wisecracking, irreverent Tony Stark was a breath of fresh air. For the sequel, Jon Favreau and co. have made something bigger, flashier but, unfortunately, not better. To their credit, it is clear that they paid enough attention when the original was released to know exactly what made it work, but almost everything that felt so effortless before became more forced and tired in the sequel.
Iron Man 2's promotion has touted it, not wrongly, as the first major blockbuster of the season and as one of the most highly-anticipated movies of 2010. In hopes of living up to this hype, Favreau assembled an impressive ensemble cast that includes new additions Don Cheadle, a replacement for Terrence Howard after the latter had a much-publicized dispute with Marvel Studios; Mickey Rourke, who, like lead Robert Downey Jr., has been making a comeback in recent years; Scarlett Johannson; the generally under-appreciated Sam Rockwell; Samuel L. Jackson, whose character serves little purpose beyond setting up and shamelessly promoting the upcoming Avengers movie; and, of course, Favreau himself. While that is no doubt an eye-popping cast list, few of them really bring anything new to the film. Don Cheadle fails to bring his natural charisma to the fairly bland role of Rhodey, while Mickey Rourke sports an imposing Russian accent and body tattoos but is not given enough by the script to turn Ivan Vanko/Whiplash into the great villain he should have been. Likewise, Johannson is given little to do aside from being a sexy (naturally) blank slate, though she does shine in the one scene where she gets to show off the martial arts and hand-to-hand combat she learned for the role. In a performance reminiscent of Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge in last year's Avatar or of Gary Oldman in pretty much any of his villainous roles, Sam Rockwell is delightfully campy at times, but his character is irritatingly sleazy where he should have been suave and cunning. Like Vanko, Justin Hammer is woefully underdeveloped, becoming little more than your average, slimy but ultimately asinine and clueless baddie. In short, they all satisfy without wowing.
As for the Iron Man veterans, there are really only two: Gwyneth Paltrow and, of course, Robert Downey Jr. I liked Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts in the first movie. She was professional without being a shrew, coy and charming but not flirtatious. In the sequel, however, Paltrow is, to but it bluntly, grating. It's not all her fault. Recently appointed CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper has become shrill and uptight, and she seems to spend the majority of her days chastising someone, usually Tony Stark, but also the press, Scarlett Johannson's Natascha and pretty much anyone that gets in her way even briefly. On the other hand, Robert Downey Jr. is almost as wonderful as he was when he first donned Iron Man's suit. I say "almost" because fame has made Stark a slightly bigger jerk than he was before (i.e. a party scene that goes cringingly awry), and the self-professed "textbook narcissism" and sarcasm are a little less charming; some of his quips feel less organic and off-the-cuff, and more as though screenwriter Justin Theroux felt pressured to just throw them in there. Still, Robert Downey Jr. brings so much magnetic charisma, energy and, at times, even vulnerability to the screen that we continue to root for Tony Stark after he exposes his most glaring flaws.
In addition, something must be said about the Tony Stark-Pepper Potts romance. Before, Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow sizzled together, and, aside from undeniable chemistry, the main reason their romance was so alluring was that it was hardly a romance at all. It was a big mistake to have them kiss so soon, especially in a scene as hackneyed as this one, as, though the scene does not actually occur until the end, merely knowing about it beforehand, as I did, somehow makes their relationship lose much of its appeal.
Don't get me wrong, though. Iron Man 2 has made some improvements from its predecessor, namely the action sequences. In the first one, Favreau's inexperience with the action/thriller genre was apparent, particularly in the lame showdown at the climax. In the sequel, the fight scenes are loud, over-the-top and riddled with clichés - from a scene where each bad guy conveniently approaches on his own to at least three instances of "guy walks away while something explodes behind him" - but they are still more impressive than those in the original, perhaps thanks to an upgraded budget. There is just something so amusing and enjoyable about seeing cars flipping over whilst bursting into flames or seeing a giant, metal globe exploding. I particularly enjoyed both Scarlett Johannson's kicking-ass moment and the climatic battle where Stark and Rhodes confront dozens of drone robots controlled by Vanko while bickering about whose suit is better.
The combination of fun action scenes, dazzling visuals, moments of inspired dialogue and some good acting almost, but does not quite, redeem the script, which has a rather thin, sometimes confusing plot further muddled by the inclusion of at least one too many subplots and poor development of the characters and relationships. But perhaps, I'm being overly critical. After all, Iron Man exists largely to entertain and, for the most part, it succeeds in that goal. If you're looking to kick back with friends while watching a breezy blockbuster, then Iron Man 2 is probably just the movie for you.