Iron Man 2

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 2010)

Iron Man 2 is based upon the comic book series created by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. The film is also a sequel to the 2008 film Iron Man. Basically, I figure that if you are reading this review and you are interested in seeing Iron Man 2, then you are probably a fan of the original film two years ago, the comic book series, or perhaps both. For that reason I am not going into a lengthy synopsis of the plot because the fans know what they are in for and they are the ones who are going to go and see this movie. The 2008 Iron Man film, I found to just be okay. I think the thing I really liked about it was Robert Downey Jr's performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man. He was narcissistic and arrogant and the performance was pulled off perfectly. However there was little else for me to be impressed upon in the first film because I found most of the other performances to be lacking character and emotion, the story really did not do anything for me and the action and special effects sequences went on too long and became a big part of the story, whereas I prefer more background on the characters, the hero and the villains. It was an okay film, but not great. I wasn't sure how I would like Iron Man 2 after my disappointment with the first outing of what is sure to become a series, but I actually liked Iron Man 2 better than the first film, a lot better. First of all, I found the acting a lot better in this one from everybody and the newcomers were really good also. Secondly the film gave us more of a back story to the characters and villain and I found it got more personal this second time around. Instead of just non stop action and explosions there were more scenes letting us know these characters better and I found that to be far superior and more interesting than non stop excitement from the special effects department. I also found this version to have more humour in it and there are certainly some smiles and chuckles coming your way and it made the film a lot more fun and entertaining for me than the first one. I think fans of the first one will likely be a bit disappointed with this version and the reviews tend to reflect this because it is not as action packed as the first film and I have also read complaints that people had of the writer and director trying to put too much into one two hour film. There is quite a bit going on this time around, but I did not find that the film suffered because of it. Instead, I found it gave us more to look at and think about and was a pleasant alternative to the non stop action scenes I mentioned above. The writing I also liked a lot better because it gave us more time with the characters, had a more interesting story and because some of the one liners and humour that I mentioned were in the film earlier. These last few years it seems that most superhero films have been compared to 2008's The Dark Knight because of what a great film it was and I would have to agree. I don't think you will get too many that will get the genre right and give us as interesting a look at it as in The Dark Knight, but we may yet still be surprised. Iron Man 2 while I am giving it the same rating as The Dark Knight, is not as good as The Dark Knight, but as a film in this genre, I do think it is one of the better ones. The Dark Knight was more gruesome, dark and disturbing while Iron Man 2 is definitely lighter and more kid friendly than The Dark Knight and is not as much into the development or psyches of the characters. Iron Man 2 knows this and more, or less just wants you to have a good time watching it and leave feeling entertained. For those goals Iron Man 2 succeeded and then some.