Movie Review: Iron Man 2
By Michael Vass | May 8, 2010
The big problem with any major blockbuster film is the hype that goes with it. It provides a hurdle that the movie must surpass, beyond that actual qualities the film might actually have. Some movies attain this goal, most do not.
Iron Man set the hurdle high for any follow-up film. The sequel had to contend with comic book fans, Robert Downey Jr. fans, action fans, and more. There had to be great CGI battle scenes, humor, impressive tech, and solid writing. Plus there had to be a new villian that was worthy of watching.
Iron Man 2 hits the mark on all these goals, except one. It could not clear the hurdle of hype.
The sequel does well in the way it integrates more characters to the film, like the Black Widow and War Machine. We get to see all the favorites from the last film like Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson, Pepper Potts, and Col. Rhodes (though this time in the form of Don Cheadle). We even get to see what happens in a world after the influence of Iron Man/Stark. But we lose a bit as well.
The film loses much of the faster pace and looseness of the first film. While we get to see some new tech, most of it is what we have seen before. The business rival of Tony Stark in this film is more obvious and far less cunning. The villian is more determined and hands-on, yet less impressive until the end battle.
The best way to describe the film is a build up to a final battle royale that kicks ass. In many films that is a description that would be praise. Many a quality film has taken the same exact path. In Iron Man 2 it just makes it obvious that we are not getting the same thing as the first film. The Iron Man series grew up a bit, which like in real life dulls the joy a touch.
Iron Man 2 is enjoyable. It’s worth watching. Robert Downey Jr. makes another believable turn at Tony Stark, adding more layers to a character that is filled with character flaws. Don Cheadle gives a solid performance as Randy Rhodes, replacing Terrence Howard, but leaves the character just a bit less boisterous. Gwynth Paltrow is as in charge and omni-present as Potts as in her last performance.
The weak points of the film are subtle, but there. Potts gets to be a CEO, but at the same time seems no more powerful a character than before. The addition of a love interest late in the film is obvious and unneeded. In fact, Rhodes sums up that romance well when he states it ‘disrubing’.
The Rhodes character is also of the mark a hair. In this film he is much more of a sidekick. He has fewer scenes and the relationship with Stark seems more strained and less that of a best friend. Cheadle’s performance is best when he is voice acting the War Machine character, particularly when he first confronts Stark as such.
Of course the villian, Whiplash, is critical to the film. It was one of my early fears that Whiplash was the wrong villian for the film. But Iron Man 2 does well in making him credible in both his abilities and motivations. It’s a more reserved portrayal by Mickey Rourke, a simmering thinking villian that stay well away from going over the top. The last iteration of Whiplash is definitely the best, making you wish you saw more of this version in the film.
The character of Justin Hammer is definitely the most over the top character. The least likeable of any in the film, you wonder how he became capable of running a milti-million dollar anything. The character is weak, in almost every aspect. It would be easy to blame the acting of Sam Rockwell, but based on the storyline and the lines it seems that the role was done right to expectations.
The least needed character has to be that of the Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson. Other than looking good in tight dresses, being the object of oogling by Stark, and looking good in the typical superhoroine bodysuit she is superfluous. She has a couple of neat fight scenes, the first being the biggest surprise and generally the best. Beyond that, the character really is useless.
All in all, Iron Man 2 is a good movie. Not great nor likely to match the expectations of fans of the first film. It’s not a disappointing statement, few sequels exceed the original film. And there is more than enough room for the franchise to grow, which is the obvious intention of the film. More than a few hints were made of the Avengers movie, due out in 2012. So there is room for more improvements over this film, with a bit less hype to overcome.
**For those that stay to the end, there is a bit of bonus material. It’s short but the clip will give a first-look at the hammer of Thor, Mjolnir, in the middle of the desert in the American Southwest of all places. This is the first step of promotion of the Thor movie out in 2011. Based on the comic book character and the look of Mjolnir, the film will be on par with the Fantastic Four at best, but that is a guess.
Also, for those that pay attention, an obvious indication of Captain America (also expected to be released in 2011) is made when Agent Coulson questions Stark about having an unfinished protoype model of Captain America’s sheild. This is in the mini-proton accelerator scene.
Lastly, Nick Fury alludes to his age when discussing Tony Stark’s father. From the allusions it is implied that Fury is very old. According to comic book cannon, Fury (who in Marvel Comics is white) took a serum, similar to the super solider formula taken by Captain America in WWII, that drastically slowed his aging. In case you were wondering.
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I have seen Iron Men Part I and I am wait the part II. Marvel movies are very nice and more entertaining.
I pray you always keep posting because I love to read through your blogs.
[...] Speaking of people that should appear, how will Nick Fury (in comics as a white man which would match the majority of societal themes of the time) show up? Is he going to be a failed experiment subject, ala the Tuskegee Experiments, or are they going to recon (revision) the character that Samuel Jackson has estabilshed solidly [much as they did to Terrence Howard in Iron Man 2]? [...]