Not Bad

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2010)

I consider this movie pretty good. Not as good as the first one but it's been a while since I last saw either of them so don't trust me too much on that. Mostly I enjoyed it and here's why.
Iron Man 2 attempts to be great by bringing in graver situations and a deeper plot. Like all sequels it's trying hard to go one step further than the first film. I think the graver situation is a brilliant idea (I've always rather liked grim movies) and the solution to it was good too however the more complicated plot had me confused a lot of the time. Several new characters were introduced and next thing you know they're diving into the story like there's no tomorrow. I like that aspect of it. But I think plot-wise this is one of the films I'm going to have to watch again to understand and get a thorough grip on. I'll let you readers decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.
As for the script, it's fantastic as usual and the actors really make it come alive. Robert Downey Jr. is brilliant as always, it's so good to have a hero who can be obnoxious when he wants. I'm beginning to get so tired of those good-doers, but back to this film that side of him was more shown in the first. Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. know what they're doing; they both make the characters seem incredibly realistic with their own strengths and weaknesses despite the fact that one of them is a superhero. Their chemistry is very real and I liked the way the script captured that every now and then inbetween action. As for Iron Man's buddy Rhodey he's had an change of actor and a bit of character too since the first film if you ask me. Who else would beat the crap out of a drunken iron man? Who else would steal one of his best friend's suits? I'm still not sure whether I like those two ideas or not...anyways I think the new actor for him isn't quite as good as the previous one. He still manages to be funny but that's more because of the script than him. I don't know how to describe it but he just hasn't got the same presence as Terrence Howard.
Overall I think that being the sequel it has to live up to the first film and it certainly does in some respects trying as hard as it possibly can to do so. Generally that's good enough for me.