A bit over the top, but still fun to watch

Rating: 6/10 (11 June 2010)

Jon Favreau's followup to his 2008 smash hit Iron Man, based on the Marvel Comics superhero. We reunite with Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) right where we left him. He has announced to the world that he is indeed the man inside the suit of armor, and the world has never been safer because of it. Tony has run into a bit of a snag when the government tries taking the suit from him because they see it as a weapon, while Tony calls it a "shield". Meanwhile other copycats are attempted but fail, making the Iron Man suit a one of a kind, and therefore not a global threat.
Well, like any good superhero story, a villain surfaces. Ivan Vanko (known in the comic book world as Whiplash, played here by Mickey Rourke), a Russian engineer whose father worked with Tony's father Howard. Vanko is out for redemption for what the Stark family has done to his, so in true evil villain fashion, Vanko tries to take out Stark with his own weapon design, only with some minor modifications.
Back home in the US, Tony is bombarded with requests for his suit by the military, including his friend Lt. Col. James Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine (Don Cheadle). Tony is also feeling some pressure to join the organization S.H.I.E.L.D., a group spearheaded by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) who is essentially creating a Justice League like group that in the comic book world includes Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, and Thor to name a few.
The majority of the film focuses on Tony and what his legacy will be. Is the Iron Man a weapon or a shield for the country to get behind? Is it a hazard or a necessity? Tony must decide what is right for his company, his country, and himself. His faces congressional committees, the media, and terrorist threats. It's not an easy life for the man in the shiny suit.
As far as sequels go this one is not bad. What I was hoping it would do that it failed to do was add something different to the franchise. The action in my opinion is worse. It's to forced and over the top, unlike the first film where the action meant something. He battled his way out of a cave of terrorists, he saved a village under attack, and he fought the man who tried to ruin his company and keep selling weapons to the rest of the world. Here he fights a swarm of robots, his friend, and a the main villain twice, the first of which is cool, the second being lame.
I was pleased with the acting of Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, one of Stark's competitors. Rockwell is building up an impressive body of work as of late (excluding Gentlemen Broncos) and this film is no exception. He is smarmy and gets under your skin. I was also pleased with Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson (plays Tony's assistant). Neither one annoyed me or took away from the main line of action.
The real winner for me was the screenplay by Justin Theroux. Downey Jr. played his role perfectly and hit each line the way he should have. The only character who I thought lacked the most was Rourke's. I thought he was at a disadvantage to begin with because he spoke limited English and had a Russian accent. I wasn't a huge fan of him overall in the film. Not sure if it's the character or the actor. Either way, I could have done without him.
What I am curious about is whether or not the Iron Man franchise will be done with. I am aware that The Avengers is in the works (the group of super hero mentioned earlier) so he will all but surely get a part in that. Whether or not he'll get a new movie by himself is up in the air for me. They need a really, really strong villain that has interesting abilities and can speak English.
Overall a good movie. A little too much emphasis on product placement and neat gadgets, but a a good movie nonetheless. Those expecting a solid action packed thrill ride might be let down by the in between moments, but I think for the most part people can enjoy this film. No glaring flaws. Just a fun movie.