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Vengeance, Desperation Drive Iron Sequel
-
Jul 6, 2010
- by kfontenot
- posted in Love of Comics & Graphic Novels!
Rating:
Robert Downey, Jr. dons red armor once again as Tony Stark in this second go-round for Iron Man. With all of the primary cast returning except for Terence Howard (replaced by Don Cheadle), this sequel opens with Stark living up his superhero life and enjoying the relative world peace that his armor's strength has brought to the planet. In the public's eye, he uses smart aleck remarks and blistering evidence to fend off the demands of the U.S. government to obtain the technology he used to create his armor. The government believes that other countries might soon have the same technology and weaponry that Stark created, but Stark insists that enemies are years away from developing such things. He also brushes off his biggest rival in the weapons market, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), in exceedingly embarassing ways. Privately, however, the technology that saved him in the first film is slowly killing him now.
+3
With his death in sight and no remedy in the foreseeable future, Stark hits the bottle hard, parties it up, and pretty much alienates himself from the woman who cares for him, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and his best friend, Rhodey (Cheadle). S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his ever present co-worker, Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), are also disturbed by Stark's behavior and keep a very close eye on him.
Stark appoints Potts as CEO of Stark Industries knowing that she'll be able to maintain the company after he is gone. He also picks up a new assistant, Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) to do little more than damage control.
Stark begins to take huge risks with his life, including racing in Monaco. It is here that he first confronts Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a vengeful man who blames Stark's father for the demise of his own father. Little does Tony know that Vanko not only understands and can utilize the arc reactor technology, but has made what seems to be a better version of it.
Soon enough, Vanko joins forces with Justin Hammer and the duo set out to destroy Tony Stark. Who wins in the end? Watch "Iron Man 2" in order to find out.
I loved the first "Iron Man" film. I believe part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was that I really didn't expect it to be such a great film. As far as comic book films go, it is one of, if not the best, that's come along in a long time. In the first film, greed and a hunger for power drove Obadiah Stain to want to put an end to Tony Stark. In the sequel, all Vanko wants to do is destroy Tony Stark in an act of vengeance. It's a more sinister motive in my opinion. Granted, Hammer is jealous of Stark and wants his fortune and fame, but he is merely a tool used by Vanko in order to exact his revenge.
Pepper Potts takes on a much larger role in this film, attempting to keep Stark from destroying himself and trying to maintain some level of respect for the Stark Industries name. Rhodey is affected in a similar way, struggling with himself on where his loyalties lie with his friend and his country.
Stark's tailspin into oblivion is disturbing to watch on the screen. He does an excellent job of showing how a man who seemingly has it all can quickly destroy himself. With that said, Downey also delivers some of the funniest lines in the film, and Rockwell is usually on the receiving end. The two actors play well against each other and I'd love to see them spar in another film soon.
Johansson does a wonderful job in her role as Rushman. I especially enjoyed her interaction with Jon Favreau, who reprises his role as Happy Hogan. Paul Bettany returns as the voice of JARVIS, as well as Leslie Bibb in a brief stint as reporter Christine Everhart.
Overall, the film is very good. It's not quite up to par with "Iron Man," but I really didn't expect it to match its predecessor. At times it felt a bit rushed and there is a brief lag in the film while Stark is trying to get himself back together. Still, I highly recommend this film. It brings us one step closer to the heavily anticipated "Avengers" film, and sets the table for the upcoming "Thor" film next year. Be sure to watch for a certain Captain's shield to make a swift and funny appearance, a glimpse of a certain green guy's destruction, and a nod to a particularly thunderous hero after the credits roll.
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IRON MAN 2 Written by Justin Theroux Directed by Jon Favreau Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Dona Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke Ivan Vanko: If you could make God bleed, people would cease to believe in him. When the lights went down at the sold out opening night screening of IRON MAN 2 that I attended, there was a particular energy in the air. It was that moment when you realize that what you’ve … more
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Compliments (66)
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
Comments (8)
Compliments (56)
Your right its not as good as the first, but it aint that bad. I think most people didnt like Ironman 2 beacause this movie although called Ironman focused mainly on Tony Stark. The stress from the US Government, the stress of being Ironman and running Stark Industries, and lets not forget The Arc reactor in his chest is killing him. But even through all this we still got a bunch of action and lots of laughs. Ironman 2 was a great … more
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Compliments (42)
Quick Tip by allihester.
August 01, 2010
I just sat through Iron Man 2 for the second time, and must say I enjoyed this go around better than my first screening. Perhaps it was because I was with a friend who did nto see the original, so he got to explore the world of Tony Stark with fresh eyes. Or maybe it was because I already knew it was not as good as the original, so I could sit back and not be disappointed. Either way, it was definitely worth the second viewing and earned some new brownie points in the meantime.
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Compliments (6)
Quick Tip by sabres2332.
June 10, 2010
Good movie. I liked the first one better only because it focused more on the story line before getting too involved with the action like the second iron man. I feel the same way with transformers if you have seen it. Hope to see the next movie out in the next year or so. (Stay after the credits ;) )
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Quick Tip by Laura_Vandenberg.
June 09, 2010
Just as good, if not better than , the first.
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review by vemartin.
May 23, 2010
Pros: Smart, intelligent, character driven movie. 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 … more
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review by Chris_Pandolfi.
May 07, 2010
At the end of 2008, I made two bold assertions: (1) That "Iron Man" was one of the year's best films; (2) that "Iron Man" was one of the greatest superhero films ever made. I still believe both to be true. Now we have "Iron Man 2." While it is thoroughly entertaining, it's also a bit conventional when compared to its predecessor, having less of a compelling story but more in the ways of action, special effects, gadgets, humor, and stunt work. It's a comic book through and through. That's fine by … more
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Quick Tip by AlmostRambo.
May 07, 2010
Iron Man 2. 5/5
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I really appreciate the different take on Iron-Man. Rather than a blow 'em up with crazed villains, we get into who is the man, Tony Stark!
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About the reviewer
Kendall Fontenot (kfontenot)
Ranked #2
Ranked #2
Despite looking extremely cool, I have to admit that I'm a dork. I grew up on the outskirts of the small town of Oberlin, LA. I have since relocated to the Lake Charles, LA area.I love my home state … more
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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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