Fun but not bigger than part One.

Rating: 8/10 (1 September 2010)

The original film was a huge surprise so expectations for this sequel were quite high, though I try not to hype films up too much. But with an interesting end to part one, "I am Iron Man!" I was licking my lips with anticipation. Would this film live up to the 2008 prequel?
The story is about Tony Stark (Downey jnr.) dealing with many different issues at once. From his deteriorating health problems, to confessing his feelings for Pepper Potts (Paltrow), to preventing the US government from taking his Iron suit away from him. And to top things off, we have a new rival who is creating his own suits, a new super-bad guy who wants to destroy him and even his friend, James Rhodes (now played by Don Cheadle) who doesn't really see eye to eye with the billionaire owner of Stark industries.
Iron Man 2 has cheesy lines, as do all superhero movies but in this one, the characters know they're cheesy and therefore it's funny. Though the script is good, the sub plot is not. The first film allowed us to feel Tony's pain and see how he became Iron Man, this one lets us see a certain vulnerable side to Tony's character, which is brief but interesting yet it's the actual story that is perhaps the biggest let down, though I have to admit, this film is still fun.
Robert Downey Junior was born to play Stark and that fact is confirmed in this film. He breezes his way through the cocky egotistical billionaire and shows us why he is one of Hollywood's most underrated actors. His one liner's at time are entertaining to say the least. Gwyneth Paltrow is an excellent actress and she shows it, but a: she doesn't have much to do, and b: is over-shadowed by the new secretary in town. Scarlett Johansson will flaw you with her looks alone. In fact, probably just her looks, but if you ever had doubt about her beauty (and I'm guilty here) then you will be proved wrong as soon as you lay eyes on her. Having said that, her acting is a little robotic and she mostly just broods throughout the film. Her character isn't given much scope and her fight sequences are there to give her something to do. Don Cheadle turns out to be a pleasant surprise. Though I'd have Terrence Howard back any day, due to continuity, Mr. Cheadle puts in a good performance though there are moments where his character is definitely confused-dot-com. Sam Rockwell plays Justin Hammer, Tony's suit-building rival and he is very good. The character is a serious man who at times is the films laughing stock, but that helps the humour in the script, of which there is plenty. Mickey Rouke's character is interesting but doesn't do much. However, Rouke's acting and Russian accent are very good and therefore you appreciate his role in the film.
Director Jon Favreau also puts in a funny extended cameo as the body guard and we also get to meet Nick Fury, setting us all up nicely for the upcoming Avengers movie. There are also some quirky references, the best being to Captain America and a cheesy little scenario that takes place at the end of the credits.
The action sequences are fantastic. The first one being Whip-lash's introduction at the Monaco Grand Prix. It's exciting, enticing and edgy. The finale is split into two segments, a very long chase involving War Machine, Iron Man and lots of drones. This sequence alone is breathtaking, which inter-cuts with Scarlet's fight sequences. The actual final standoff is a letdown, but that's all I can say. CGI in this movie has really improved and at times it's flawless. You can't imagine how many times I watched that Iron Suit with envy. It's a sexy piece of armour.
One thing however that does annoy me about this film, and I do not know how the director or even the production company missed this, is how easily Don Cheadle's character grasps the ins and outs of the prototype upgraded suit, which becomes War Machine. You remember how long it took Stark in the first film to master Iron Man's mystical ways? Sometimes, logic goes out of the window, and that's why, to this date, we don't have a perfect superhero film, except maybe the original Superman movie, but no, there were moments in that that were pathetically illogical too.
I also think the director needs to rethink the bad guy for part 3, though rumour has it he is taking the Mandarin as Iron man's nemesis, which is a good and positive move. The reason is that in the two films so far, everyone, good or bad has similar attire; an iron suit with a lovely light on the chest and it becomes a little boring. Flamboyancy is what lacks in these superheroes and let's hope the next instalment can make up for it.
BEST SCENE: Whiplash appearing at the grand prix takes my pick as the best moment, and there are a few of them. Just seeing that suit fix onto Tony Stark's semi-battered structure makes me want to go and buy a suit like that. Ah!!!
FINAL VERDICT:
Not as good as the first yet not so far away. Iron Man 2 is a fun ride and definitely up there with the cream of the Marvel adaptations. Witty, well executed and lots of action make this almost perfect except for a weak sub plot and a few overlooked flaws. Bring on Iron Man 3.
8/10 - Admirable