Stark with a spark

Rating: 8/10 (1 November 2019)

With Starks alter ego Iron Mans status well and truly established on the world, a new terror is rising in Ivan Vanko. Mickey Rourke plays the cold hearted Vanko, distant, undisturbed and focused on nothing but his mission. The mission to avenge his father and pay a dept he believes the Stark family owe. Much like the first movie the light hearted charm remains in Stark and Pepper. Iron Man 2 is a rollercoaster ride. Stark is unwilling to give up his technology and weapons now the world knows he is Iron Man and arrogant in his beliefs that the rest of the world is nowhere near in designing a battle suit close to his. Expert research must have been made because because Robert Downey Jr is the personification of Stark and Iron Man. Each character has been perfectly cast for this movie. Mickey Rourke is excellent as the Russian hell bent on revenge a vendetta that goes back to his father being exiled from stark industries. Don Cheadle is now playing Rhodes and although I prefer Terrace Howard in this role Don Cheadle is worthy of the part as war machine. Reluctant to dulvage the secrets of his technology Stark is boastful and makes more enemies in fellow business man Justin Hammer. Overall the film is similar to the first and doesn't really bring nothing new to the table, but I'd say Rourke has more screen time than Jeff Bridges had in the first film and made for a more compelling villain. The effects and locations make for an all round well thought out movie and although the story has no real twist it has enough to keep viewers watching.