We tried to warn them.
Yes, the folks behind “Iron Man 2″ knew not to shake up the formula – witty humor, a potentially unlikable lead character and some cracker-jack action.
But they didn’t listen when fans cried over each new casting coup – Samuel Jackson! Sam Rockwell! Scarlett Johansson! Mickey Rourke!
“Iron Man 2″ doesn’t soar like the original mainly because a film this overstuffed can barely hover over the ground.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) has plenty on his plate as the sequel opens. An oily senator (Garry Shandling) wants to confiscate the Iron Man suit, claiming it’s a weapon that can’t be left in the hands of an ordinary American.
“I’ve privatized world peace,” Tony says, one of many meaty subplots not given the film’s full attention.
A new supervillian named Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) wants to take Tony out for reasons clumsily explained later in the film.
And the technology that saved Tony’s life in the first installment is now slowly killing him.
What’s a billionaire crime fighter to do?
Better yet, what’s a relatively green screenwriter like Justin Theroux (“Tropic Thunder”) to do with all these story threads?
At its best, “Iron Man 2″ falls back on its star’s limitless charm to sell the sequel. Downey, Jr. is working at a level few peers can touch, and he once again turns Tony Stark into a knotty hero you admire even when he’s at his most arrogant.
But Tony’s tale is bogged down by the appearance of a new, sultry colleague (Johansson), the pesky intrusions of a super spy type (Jackson as Nick Fury), the machinations of a rival weapons inventor (Rockwell) and even the ghost of his late father (John Slattery).
And what about the flirtations between Tony and his faithful assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow)?
Could any sequel handle such an avalanche of story threads?
The sequel’s quirky sense of humor salvages some pedestrian moments, like a battle between a drunken Tony and his best pal Rhodey (Don Cheadle, stepping in for Terrence Howard) with unpleasant echoes of “Superman III.”
Rockwell is having a blast as Stark’s rinky-dink rival, but he’s a mere distraction from Whiplash, the character best suited to smite Iron Man. It’s impossible to create an indelible screen villain like Heath Ledger’s Joker without giving him adequate time to chew scenery.
Rourke, a toothpick permanently affixed to his lower lip, could have been a villain for the ages. You know he’s ready for the assignment – just look at his barrage of tattoos and those savage line readings.
But “Iron Man 2″ is too busy juggling subplots, ogling at Paltrow’s short skirts and setting the stage for the upcoming “Avengers” mega-movie.
“Iron Man 2″ director Jon Favreau seems an unlikely action auteur, but he orchestrates the first meeting between Iron Man and Whiplash better than a fanboy’s wildest fantasies. The sequence is so superior to anything in the “Transformers” franchise it’s ridiculous to even put them in the same category.
“Iron Man 2″ falls into the traps laid by other superhero sequels, namely an addiction to “name” actors in showy roles. It still has the power to enthrall audiences – but only for a spell.
(Photo: Stark Industries newest employee, Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) with her boss, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in “Iron Man 2.” Photo credit: Industrial Light & Magic/© 2010 Marvel. All Rights Reserved)
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
One thing that bothers me the most with seriously violent action is the lack of death. Now, its not like I need to see it, but even the first flick had some realism when the fighting started. The last action sequence of Iron Man II left me…blank. Is this the Disney impact on Marvel?
Scarlett Johansson has “Pfeiffernugen” so hopefully a Director’s cut will have much more of her kicking booty.
Went to the midnight show here in Casper, and truly enjoyed it. It was not quite as good as the first, but still was quite a bit of fun. Downey, Jr. was terrific and the action was very exciting. Rourke’s character was very difficult to understand at points, but I can live with that.
I really enjoyed how they started weaving the Easter Eggs for the upcoming Avenger movie, and and very excited to Captian America and Thor next summer!
Christian, I couldn’t agree more.
I was most disappointed in the lack of witty dialogue this go round. Although Sam Rockwell got some great lines, including the one about wishing he didn’t have to lock his doors, but “this isn’t Canada.” Unfortunately, my husband and I were the only ones in a crowded theater who laughed outloud at this line.
Scarlett Johansson’s character was practically useless and didn’t make a lot of sense, but I felt both female leads in the movie were simply there as eye-candy, which is unfortunate.
The more I see of Johansson, the less I’m impressed by her.
It’s all about loading superhero films with ‘name’ actors – story be darned.
I totally thought Iron Man 2 rocked! The screenplay was perfectly executed for a action/superhero flick. I liked all the subplots and characters, it was all used to good measure with good pacing and resolution.
I thought it was pretty good. Iron Man 1 was pretty much the perfect storm of events that came together to surprise everyone. There was no way the sequel could measure up. I do think they had a lot of extraneous nonsense in this one (Nick Fury, Black Widow) but they are trying to set up the Avengers film. In the hands of a better writer, it would have been done better but I think this film plays well.