Where are all of my true believers? No not the snobs who will whine about John Favreau playing a major role in his own movie, or the Transformers fans who will hate that this had too much story, too little action. I mean my true believers who can tell the difference between a repulsor ray and a uni-beam. If you are a true believer then you will 100% without a doubt love the hell out of Iron Man 2. If you are a casual observer of the Stark regime, then you too will enjoy the new Iron man, just be forewarned that there is a lot of storytelling in this new installment.
Our favorite trust-fund baby is back and this time he is feistier, funnier and cockier than we saw him in the first movie. Accompanying Mr. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a collective of great acting talent, a story that (in my honest opinion) is better that the originals and a whole host of new technology within the suit itself and amongst his enemies. Iron Man 2 brings us a step closer to the inevitable union of the Avengers under Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) S.H.I.E.L.D. and gives us a more in-depth view of Tony Stark’s inheritance, his father and the man himself.
Mickey Rourke as Whiplash is Awesome
How wonderful is Mickey Rourke? The guy is one of the best things going in movies right now to me. Like all great character actors you cannot look at anyone that Rourke plays and describe it as a version of something else he played in another movie. Rourke’s Whiplash is a focused, driven, determined revengeful ex-con who has the skills and knowledge to battle Stark within his field of technology. Bearing a thick Russian accent, tattoos from head to toe and metallic teeth to boot, Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash is a menacing presence onscreen. As with most hard, hard villains there is the soft side, which Rourke chose a pet bird that Whiplash doted on between his crafting and plotting at destroying Tony Stark. The part that stuck out the most to me was the relative believability that Whiplash had as an ex-con… that look in the eye, it was there. Yet another great character portrayal by a man who seems to channel this work ever so perfectly. Mickey Rourke was a pleasure to watch as the villainous Whiplash.
The Tony Stark Exposure
The first Iron Man was a blur of goodness served up in a quick take to woo the audience members with short attention spans. Being that Robert Downey Jr. is instant charisma on the screen, to have him play the billionaire genius Tony Stark was a match made in comic book heaven. One thing we didn’t get much of however was back-story on who this super intelligent playboy was. In Iron Man 2 Stark is slowly beginning to rot from the Arc Projector lodged within his chest to keep his injured heart beating, and it forces him to reconcile with his past, most specifically his father. Coming from a privileged background and being the offspring of one of the greatest minds the world had ever seen, Stark developed an odd personality, which Downey Jr. plays perfectly. The guy doesn’t apologize, he consumes everything without much care but maintains a human element to him that makes him likeable despite all of that.
A Better Jim Rhodes than Terrence Howard
When news came about that Terrence Howard’s contract to play Jim Rhodes in the second movie was not going to be renewed, everyone was concerned and even upset about it. Myself being one of them I now can say without a doubt that it was a change for the better. Don Cheadle’s Rhodes is more the character that they need than Howard’s was in the first movie. He has the air of a decorated soldier, he looks the part, acts the part and has enough chemistry with Downey’s Stark to sell it. Cheadle’s professional demeanor that snaps into street level swagger when provoked is almost a necessity for this type of role and I am glad that he was chosen to play Rhodey after-all. One of the bonuses to Rhodes in Iron Man 2 of course is that we finally get to see him as Stark’s partner The War Machine. Heavy artillery, iron will and unerring loyalty, yes Rhodes was great in Iron Man 2.
While Scarlette Johansson was a tad underwhelming as the sultry espionage expert “Black Widow”, she wasn’t exactly horrible either – especially on the eyes. Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s hardcore leader Nick Fury and reliable Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is back to keep Tony Stark in line. There was a lot to this movie but I cannot cut things short without giving props to Sam Rockwell as Stark’s ultimate competitor Justin Hammer. Rockwell plays the irritating Hammer to such a great level of pathetic that you almost feel sorry for the guy as he struggles to keep his technology near that of Stark Industry’s.
While you may be disappointed if you go into Iron Man 2 looking for a full on action packed movie with gold-tooth sporting robots and metallic balls, you will no doubt find yourself happy if you go into it looking for a good Iron Man story. If you enjoyed the first and want more of a narrative on Stark himself, then this is the movie that will add things up neatly for you. When you visit the theater, be sure to stay till after the credits for a hidden scene that reveals the mighty Mjo…. Bah just see for yourself. For lovers of the original Avengers, this one is for you!
Cinephile and opinion writer, Greg Dragon has been a fan of movies since the 80's when Kung Fu theater was all the rage and Roger Moore was James Bond. As an opinion writer that has reviewed Box Office releases on a number of prominent websites, Greg is the founder and lead critic of Spicy Movie Dogs.
