Full of sound and (Nick) Fury, signifying nothing

Rating: 4/10 (4 May 2010)

The old saying too many cooks spoil the broth springs to mind. Here there are too many plot elements and redundant characters. Mickey Rourke looks impressive but, like everything else here, is wasted in a film which tries to cram too much in. Whiplash, Black Widow, Nick Fury, Justin Hammer, War Machine are all quickly introduced and then scantly used. The first fight at the race track between Whiplash and Stark is the highlight but could have been so much better. For instance, we see Pepper Potts driving to deliver Iron Man's armour to him in the opposite direction to the race cars. This could have been an exhilarating scene worth of The French Connection, but not much is made of it. It is not well explained what Whiplash has against Stark. Then comes Hammer, a dull corporate villain very similar to the dull corporate villain in the first film. Why can't Hollywood get beyond these off the peg evil capitalists? A fight with another Iron Man. Some secret agents. Then more Iron men. A lot of gimmicky effects. Nothing we haven't seen many times before.