No Rust on this "Iron"

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2010)

I will admit that I was a tad worried about Iron Man 2, because, well let's face it, the first movie was so fantastic that it was almost untouchable. I mean, with the first movie, you had the extraordinary talents of Downey, Howard, Paltrow, Bridges and plenty more anchoring what was an incredible must-see summer slam of a movie. However, seeing the trailers for the second movie made me think "Uh oh, Spider Man 3 all over again." Sequels, especially superhero ones, seem to think that since they bring tons of random crap and characters into the frame, that they are always better, and as excited as I was for this movie, I felt it was going to be another one of those movies. So upon going into the theater, I kept those worries in mind.
Well, I can now officially say that those worries didn't prevent me from loving the movie.
Remember when Michael Bay tried to accomplish something epic with Transformers 2 with all these new characters and stuff? Well, Jon Faverau has managed to accomplish what Michael Bay never did- make a near-perfect sequel that manages to be just as great as the first. Now like the first, there's not a ton of action, but those scenes where action is absent, Faverau manages to make the most out of them. Complete with great action, laughs and characters, Iron Man 2 is the first big summer movie, and a must see on the big screen for sure, especially if you see it in digital! Iron Man 2 picks up half a year from when the first movie left off. The Stark Expo has just begun in Flushing, New York, and is to last all year. Tony, in a televised hearing, privatizes world peace. Life seems to be great, except for the fact that the reactor keeping him alive is killing him. This doesn't stop him from being Iron Man though- he continues to go on as Iron Man for the moment. He even considers replacing Pepper Potts with Natalie Rushman, appointing Potts a CEO to Stark Industries. However, in Russia, Ivan Vanko, the son of physicist Anton Vanko, having just lost his father and jealous of Stark's success, creates his own arc reactor, and becomes Whiplash, a badass villain with two electrified whips that can split anything in half with enough force.
His first appearance is at a race in Monaco, and after a brief (and failed) attempt to kill Tony, he meets up with Justin Hammer, Stark's rival, and they both collaborate to build a new technology that will hopefully overthrow Tony. However, with a stint at Tony's house appointing James Rhodes as War Machine, and several other plots, Tony Stark, suffering through personal problems, doesn't know if he really can be Iron Man and resolve all this.
Now the plot may not sound that great, but when you see it in the movie, you will be impressed with how complex it is. To not spoil too much, I left some stuff out, because the movie is that great. Aside from the plot, everything else is great. The acting here is fantastic! Robert Downey Jr. has his usual charm here, playing the lovable dick-head that is Tony Stark. Replacing Terrence Howard is Don Cheadle, and he does it well! I can't believe I am saying this but I actually preferred him to Howard. Howard was great but wooden in places, whereas Cheadle was great the whole way. And Scarlett Johannson whoa. When is she NEVER eye candy? As for her performance- this movie proves she is not just another pretty face. Her fight scene is just mind blowingly amazing! Mickey Rourke gives a a fantastic performance as well, and manages to shine as the villain, Of course, halfway through, the movie takes a break from the action and focuses on some character development- I was worried about it at first hearing but as I was watching the movie, I realized that sometimes, in superhero movies, character development does more than whiz-bang action. Don't worry guys, the scenes where action is absent are just as great as the scenes with action. But the action scenes are INCREDIBLE!!!! People are exaggerating the lack of action- the last 20 minutes alone has more action than the first, and is certainly more thrilling than the first too. The climax certainly is a thrill, and I gotta say I had a blast seeing it on the big screen.
So in short, Iron Man 2 is a success. I had tons of fun seeing it on the big screen. A great sequel and a great standalone movie, Iron Man 2 is a sequel that truly kicks ass. Whatever worries you may have, I recommend you cast them aside, because you're in for a 2 hour fun ride. So if you wanna see a sequel that truly kicks ass, this movie is it!