Fun and Legacy, Too

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 2010)

In the noisy gaudy opening of "Iron Man 2" billionaire bad boy Tony Stark arrives at his Stark Expo in the Iron Man suit. Once removed from his body armor, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony admits, "It's all about legacy." Amidst the fun, high energy and stupid plot line, legacy does resonate as a poignant theme. I agree with A.O. Scott, that casting overcomes a lot in "Iron Man 2"—I think I liked the movie more than he did. Robert Downey Jr. is awesome. And Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko provides what every hero story requires: a formidable villain. Director Jon Favreau is smart in never taking the movie too seriously, letting his actors morph and evolve. Favreau provides some spectacular action and visuals. The Monte Carlo Grand Prix where Vanko attacks Stark is stunning and heroic high drama.
Downey is amazing in carrying off such a wide-band character in Tony. His Tony even cops to being a text book narcissist. Downey is one of the gifted actors, whom we can discern what is going on in his mind—through his eyes. He brings a crisp intelligence, brashness, and sobering humanity here. We learn that the palladium core that keeps Tony alive is rapidly poisoning his blood and killing him. At the same time S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (cool Samuel L. Jackson) wants Tony to uncover his father Howard's legacy, and solve the mysteries of his heart—on also a more profound level. Tony confesses his estranged relationship with his Father—"He never told me that he loved me." But in his research Tony watches a message from his Dad. He says proudly, "You are going to change the world what has always been and always will be my greatest creation is you, Tony" From then on I was into the movie.
"Iron Man 2" may not be a good as the first, although it has a huge upside. Scarlett Johansson is hot as S.H.I.E.L.D. "triple agent" Natasha Romanoff. She looks stunning in tight leather and performing Jeff Imada designed fight choreography. Beautiful and sprite Gwyneth Paltrow reprises her role of Tony's worried assistant Pepper Potts—who Tony appoints as new CEO of Stark Industries. Tony and Pepper are so in love with each other. Will they ever figure this out by the end of the movie? You have powerful actors Downey and Rourke squaring off. Rourke is menacing and dangerous—he plays it dead on. In a subdued interrogation scene Vanko tells Tony, "If you make God bleed, people will cease to believe in him." Vanko is out to avenge his own father—defending his own legacy. Sam Rockwell nails the pompous and annoying Justin Hammer, Tony's industrial competitor. Gary Shandling is dead pan genius as the Senator, who demands Tony turnover Iron Man. To which Tony reminds, "I have successfully privatized world peace."
"Iron Man 2" is visually stunning with the spectacular battle with the Vanko built drones at the story arc. It is also a lot of fun as self destructive Tony in Iron Man suit dances to the late Adam Goldstein's mixes. "Iron Man 2" is an action packed, fun, and funny mixed bag. It's not all that coherent. It's engrossing mainly because of Robert Downey Jr. and Mickey Rourke, and its surprising story of legacy in spite of itself. And that works as well.