REVIEW: 'Iron Man 2' goes where many sequels have gone before
Sequels that outstrip originals are like students who surpass teachers. It is an exceedingly rare event and worthy of adulation (provided, of course, the original was worth something).
For all others, to draw near to their shadow will just have to be praise enough. “Iron Man 2” falls in the latter category. While the first “Iron Man” was not the perfect film many chose to remember, it was capable, escapist popcorn fare.
The sequel is technically not as enjoyable nor does it carry the same emotional heft, but it is still solid filmmaking, undeniably entertaining, and for the most part, delivers the goods.
Successfully bringing about world peace (!) has certainly done nothing to stymie billionaire inventor and playboy Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) textbook narcissism and galactic ego. If anything, it has made him even more self-absorbed and cavalier.
Everyone wants him, including the U.S. government.
Or, more precisely, they want his Iron Man exoskeleton.
But Stark is unwilling to hand over the technology, afraid it will fall into the wrong hands.
Unbeknownst to him, it already has.
Half a world away, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the son of a disgraced scientist and former partner of Stark’s illustrious father, joins forces with Stark’s corporate rival, a revenge-seeking Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), to bring down the superhero once and for all.
What they don’t know is that Stark just may do their job for them. After discovering he’s slowly being poisoned to death by the very power source that keeps him alive, Stark becomes an unstable, self-destructive time bomb, just waiting to explode.
“Iron Man 2” scribe Justin Theroux navigates some treacherous tonal waters, commendably recognizing just how seriously to take the film and then pushing right up to those limits.
The result is some comedic moments that generate inspired laughter, but never at the characters’ expense.
Later, as the tone darkens a bit (the film replaces the comics’ off-the-rails alcoholism with a debilitating physical condition that manufactures the same results), the drama is handled so well, you barely notice that quite a large chunk of time goes by without any action whatsoever.
“Iron Man 2” starts off phenomenally strong. Indeed, it maintains this powerful head of steam well past the midpoint of the film and, regrettably, only begins shaking apart in the final, climactic act.
Like so many sequels based on a rich and abundant source material with rabid fanboys to please, “Iron Man 2” bites off a bit more than it can convincingly chew (don’t worry, we’re not talking about a “Spider-Man 3” meltdown here).
Unnecessary subplots and characters trip up the narrative momentum and burden the film with redundant elements that could easily be excised in favor of a far more streamlined and satisfying story, albeit without the expanding web of Marvel universe shout-outs.
Director Jon Favreau needs to let “Iron Man” be “Iron Man” and stop being so concerned about integrating him into the larger (and admittedly more profitabe) “Avengers” universe.
A similar misguided impulse can be seen in the inclusion of War Machine, the alter ego of Lt. Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle, who takes over the role from Terrence Howard).
Indisputably a fan favorite, War Machine (a silver, weaponized version of the original suit) is the shiny new object of the film and when standing next to Iron Man, completely steals the show.
The name of the film is “Iron Man,” not “War Machine.” It is a dangerous move to give your audience something even cooler to look at than your lead character.
Luckily, Downey is even more compelling out of costume.
He is an unapologetic delight to watch and has been given some wonderful lines to buttress his preening personality.
Just as Stark and Vanko are set up as two sides of the same coin, so too is it edifying to see two comeback kids sharing the screen. Once upon a time, the careers of Downey and Rourke were in tatters; today they are deservedly soaring.
IRON MAN 2
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke
Director: Jon Favreau
Theaters: Hollywood, Tinseltown, Carmike, Chapel Hills, Cinemark, Gold Hill
Rated: PG-13 (for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language)
Running time: 2 hours, 4 minutes
GRADE: B
