Iron Man was an incredible movie. It wasn’t just a great comic book movie, it was a great movie period. Great acting, great special effects, and a well written story. Of course Hollywood being what it is it had to have a sequel, and since Marvel is gearing up for an Avengers movie in a few years you knew they were going to milk their flag ship franchises on the way there. Seeing as how I loved the frist one I was really looking forward to Iron Man 2. So did it live up to its own hype? Yes and no.
Most of the big names from the first movie return. Robert Downey Jr. of course plays Tony Stark once again, a whole he was seemingly born for. Gwyneth Paltrow is back as Pepper Pots, and of course Samuel L. Jackson returns in a somewhat expanded role as Nick Fury. However in the off season there was a actor change in the role of James Rhodes. Whether it was a result of creative differences, money, or just bad karma Terrance Howard is out and Don Cheadle is in. I was a little worried about this one. I’m never a fan of seeing roles swapped between actors mid series as it were. But Cheadle is in my opinion a much better fit in the role. He bulked up a bit so he looks the part and he’s simply much better at portraying a no-nonsense military man where Howard came off very weak. For new faces we have the always beautiful Scarlett Johansson as the sexy super spy Natasha Romanoff, better known to comic geeks as the Black Widow. On the villain side of things Micky Rourke plays the slightly crazy and truly evil Ivan Vanko. The character seems to be a composite of two classic Iron Man villains. Whiplash, thus the energy whips, and the Crimson Dynamo, from whom the Russian scientist origin stems. Along with Rourke we have Sam Rockwell as the somewhat bumbling but no less villainous Justin Hammer.
One complaint I’ve heard about the movie is that its villains are so close to that of the first. Though separated into two men, the armored foe and the evil businessman, you still have the same essential enemy Tony faced in the first movie. Of course part of this stems from the fact that most of Iron Man’s rogues galley consists of either armored foes or corrupt business men. I think they did a good job of upping the ante and making this pair different enough from Bridges portrayal of Stane in the first movie to make it all work.
Special effects wise the movie is at least on the same level if not better. All three armored characters look amazing, and Tony’s Suitcase armor transformation was just plain cool. Seeing War Machine brought to life was pretty cool, all the extra armament gave him a unique look despite the base model being just a silver Iron Man. The final battle scene was excellent, both the fights and the aerial acrobatics were a feast for the eyes. I did feel the very final battle went a little too fast. Would have liked a little more armor on armor melee based on how good it looks, but it’s a minor gripe.
Another gripe, and one I share somewhat is that the movie felt a little disjointed. The first film was a simple tight little origin story, the sequel however tries to be many things. Its both an expansion of the first film, a lead in to the upcoming Avengers movie, and a tie in to the great Marvel film universe. As a result it doesn’t feel like all the parts fit together as well. There are lots of little side pieces, some subtle, some much more blunt, that are fitted in to link the movie to the other films Marvel is making, though not to obtrusive these little scenes tend to slow things a little bit. The movie also rehashes several plot elements. The villains not withstanding there is also once again Tony’s life ebbing away, this time as a result of the very element that saved his life in the first movie, and his need to build something to save his own life.
Overall all the movie was good, maybe even great, but it’s not quite up to the level of its predecessor. That said it’s still a very enjoyable film and I highly recommend everyone go see it. And don’t forget to wait for the credits to end. It’s another of those little teasers for the future of Marvel films, and for the comic fans it will give you a little bit of glee.