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Rating:
Pros: Smart, intelligent, character driven movie.
+3
Cons: Limited action sequences.
The Bottom Line:
Despite the limited action sequences I enjoyed Iron Man 2 due in large part—once again—to the performances of Downey Jr. and Paltrow.
Marvel Comics (Marvel Entertainment Group) is still on a roll and its characters are making the leap from the multi-colored comic book pages of my youth to the silver screen at a record pace. They have found a way to survive in this Internet driven multi-media obsessed culture; produce movies. Marvel’s stable of characters is being minded for a whole new generation of fans; Iron Man 2 with Robert Downy Jr. donning the steel suit is the latest hero to leap from page to the silver screen.
The Story
Iron Man, like most Marvel superhero characters sprang from the mind of Stan Lee and first made an appearance in 1963. The movie Iron Man 2 is once again directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Smog) picks up a year or so after the last movie left off. Genius weapon-maker Tony Stark (Downey Jr. - Johnny Be Good, Chaplin, Ally McBeal) has fully embraced his alter ego, Iron Man, with robust gusto. But his heart is failing; it appears the suit is burning out the power supply and in the process poisoning his blood.
Stark doesn’t tell anyone what is happening to him, not even his closet friend Jim Rhodes (Don Cheadle – Hotel Rwanda, Talk to Me, Traitor) a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force who ultimately will slip into one of Stark’s suits and become known as War Machine. He doesn’t tell his personal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow – The Talented Mr. Ripley, Duets, Proof) either, but instead make her CEO of his company Stark Industries.
Meanwhile trouble is brewing in the form of Russian scientist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke ~ Sin City, Man on Fire, The Wrestler) who blames Stark’s father for his father’s banishment and eventual death. So he is out for revenge and puts together a suit that radiates very high voltage and assaults Stark at a public event.
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson ~ Soul Man, Jumper, Lakeview Terrace), and Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson ~ He’s Just Not That into You, Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) round out the cast of characters.
My Thoughts
Where other Marvel hero’s lacked personality in the move from the page to screen, Robert Downy Jr. as Tony Stark breathes life into the man of iron. In Iron Man 2 Downy Jr. continues to play the flawed man who would be the one man Peace Corp, the Pax Iron Mana if you will, with startling aplomb; he fits the mold so well.
However, Iron Man 2 like to movie that preceded it is a little short on action; if you’ve seen the many trailers for this movie you’ve pretty much seen all of the action it serves up. Quite frankly we could have used a lot more action to go along with the human element. If anything there is less action and crime busting in the “action flick” than there was in the last; very disappointing.
The chemistry between Paltrow and Downey Jr. was palpable and Ms. Paltrow looked adorable as usual. More importantly Ms. Paltrow’s performance is on par with Downey’s. The banter between the two characters makes for some of the best scenes in the movie, but there were far fewer and a bit less fun than the first movie.
Don Cheadle steps ably into the Air Force issued boots Terrence Howard and straps on the iron battle armor of the War Machine, thus becoming Starks right hand man after Iron Man losses his grip to booze.
Iron Man 2’s special effects are of course top-notch (how about that suitcase suit?), but CGI does not take over the film; it is not another character, but simply tool to enhance the movie. Iron Man 2 is a remarkably intelligent and human story, and Downey Jr. as Tony Stark is very much at the center of the film.
Much was made of Scarlett Johansson’s turn in the movie, but she ended having a bit part and only one action sequence. Granted it was spectacular to watch—and Ms. Johansson looked stellar in a black body suit—but a bit more meat and action would have been nice.
Kudos to director Jon Favreau for delivering an intelligent movie wrapped in personality and not CGI. His adaptation should be one of the templates where upon all others now stamp out their comic book inspired movies. Others have made the journey as well, most notably Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000) and colorful Superman Returns (2006); Tim Burton’s dark and brooding Batman (1989); Chris Nolan’s excellent Batman Begins (2005), and; Robert Rodriguez’s sexy and violent Sin City (2005).
Conclusion
Despite the limited action sequences I enjoyed Iron Man 2 due in large part—once again—to the performances of Downey Jr. and Paltrow. Modernized, Iron Man 2 has been brought into the 21st Century in grand intelligent style. Perhaps in the next sequel—of course there will be one—there will be more action!
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Action Movie
Viewing Method: Studio Screening/Premiere
Film Completeness: A few glitches, but mostly complete.
Worst Part of this Film: Music
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woopak_the_thrill
October 24, 2010
I always had mixed feelings for this franchise; I liked it but honestly, I thought the character can be a lot more compelling. Hollywood tends to water down these super-hero characters. Nice review! (too bad the review in not in our Movie Hype community, I wanted to feature it)
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*** out of **** The sequel to Jon Favreau's near-perfect "Iron Man" turns out to be pretty darn good, mostly thanks to the directorial talents of Mr. Favreau himself. Since it's nigh impossible to make a sequel to "Iron Man" and make it nearly as impressive and refreshing as the original film, Favreau decides to use what he's got. And he presents "Iron Man 2", in all its star-studded, CGI-happy glory, in the most passionate way possible. If you've heard that "Iron Man 2" … more
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After revealing to the public he is Iron Man. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has turned Iron Man into a showman. This causes him problems as a man from the shadows begins to plot against him, and the US Government seeks to take his armor away from him. -summary The first Iron Man movie was an instant hit with me and surprisingly over time it managed to get better. There were plenty of reasons for this too, with serious character development and the supporting characters … more
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…well, not exactly, although “Iron Man 2” is definitely your Hollywood fare that relies on being loud, “spiffy”, brisk popcorn entertainment but it does do it well; its uninspired plot mechanics render this sequel a step backward. The first film (personally that was NOT the Tony Stark I remember) while not perfect had better plot development and didn’t rely on being “spiffy” too much but focused more on characterization. … more
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Superhero movies have a strange formula to them that, for the most part, has served it well for the past decade. The first movie spends quite a bit of time on the origin of the hero and thus it's usually not quite as interesting as the first sequel. Once we get to the first sequel we've passed the "how" someone became a hero and usually the "why," so the bigger focus is usually on a nemesis to the hero and perhaps digging a little deeper into the hero's own story, … more
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review by TheJohn.
May 07, 2010
Forgive the parlance, but I can't think of a better name for an irresponsible man who gets loaded, straps on a suit of destructive armor and starts using his laser beams to trick shoot fruit and vases in a crowded room full of people. Tony may have seen the error of his ways in the first movie but with those troubles behind him theres plenty of room for his fast lifestyle and inner jerk to come out in this one. Iron Man 2 is THE most anticipated Summer movie of … more
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When "Iron Man" was released in the early summer of 2008 it took the box-office and critics for a ride they would soon never forget, its huge critical and commercial success and Robert Downey Jr.'s natural charm and appeal as the hero Tony Stark landed this larger than life comic book adaptation amongst the ranks of greats such as Tim Burton's "Batman" and "Batman Returns", Christopher Nolan's "Batman reboot "Batman … more
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Sequels have a tendency to be on the mixed reaction of results. In the case of Marvel films (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic 4, Hulk), it's a hit or miss. Regardless, we still love those comic book heroes in their adaptations. As with all comic book adaptations, they all loosely follow the comics per panel. Iron Man 2 continues the origin story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) as he continues to rise and protect the world from evil in his armor powered suit. Now that he has … more
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The United States government is now demanding of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) that he hand over his advanced armor technology to the military. Stark publically refuses in a fashion that gets him a lot of negative attention. Though one day Stark is attacked by a man named Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) who has technology of his own that might be on its way to being able to defeat Stark. Vanko now possibly has the technology to make a suit even stronger, and more advanced than Stark's. Meanwhile, … more
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Plenty of action. Plenty of drama, partying, flirting. But it lacked the heart of the first film (pardon the pun) and felt more choppy and predictable. There was one very satisfying relational moment, but other than that, I felt pretty indifferent and glad I didn’t hand over the moulah to see it in the theater. I’d suggest trying before buying.
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If the turnout tonight is any indication of how popular Iron Man is this movie is in no danger of flopping. Iron Man was a comic book I picked up to try to get into something long ago as a kid. I wasn't completely familiar with the whole story, but that's what these movies are really designed to do. Initiate the public into the fantastic and interesting worlds of the comic books. Most everyone already knows what this movie will entail from the previews. Mickey Rourke? Check. … more
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About the reviewer
Vincent Martin (vemartin)
Ranked #78
Ranked #78
I am an IT Professional and have worked in the industry for over 20 years. I may be a computer geek, but I also like reading, writing, cooking, music, current events and regretfully, politics.
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About this movie
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, and the second film in a planned trilogy. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey Jr., reprising his role as Tony Stark.
Tony Stark has revealed his identity as Iron Man and is resisting calls by the United States Government to hand over the technology. Ivan Vanko has also duplicated the technology and built weapons of his own, creating new challenges for Stark.
The film held its red carpet premiere in Los Angeles, California, on April 26, 2010 and in France on April 28, 2010. It was released in the United States on May 7, 2010.
After the high-flying adventures of the firstIron Manpicture, the billionaire arms manufacturer and irrepressible bon vivant Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself nursing a hangover. But not like any hangover he's had before: this one is toxic, a potentially deadly condition resulting from heavy metals (or something) bleeding out of the hardware he's installed in the middle of his chest. This is the problem Stark needs to solve inIron Man 2, not to mention the threat from resentful Russian science whiz Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), whose father helped create the Iron Man technology. There's an even bigger problem for the film: the need to set up a future Marvel Comics movie universe in which a variety of veteran ...
Movies, Drama Movies, Action Movies, Action, Adventure, Science Fiction Movies, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comics, Scifi, Cult Movies, Fantasy Films, Comic Book Movies, Iron Man, Iron Man 2
Cast:
Don Cheadle,
Scarlett Johansson,
Gwyneth Paltrow,
Samuel L. Jackson,
Robert Downey Jr.,
Mickey Rourke,
Sam Rockwell
Director:
Jon Favreau
Genre:
Action,
Adventure
Release Date:
May 7th, 2010
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
Screen Writer:
Robert Downey Jr.,
Justin Theroux
Studio:
Marvel Studios,
Paramount Pictures
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