Following the very successful first installment of Iron Man, the sequel was released to very positive response from viewers. This comic book film is packed with action and an upgraded list of big name stars including Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke. Of course, we were all a bit disappointed by the replacement of Terrence Howard as Lt. Colonel James Rhodes, which is a very significant role. But we have to give it up to Don Cheadle for playing the part with just enough gusto that you almost do not remember how Iron Man’s best friend looks like in the first movie. One of the top action movies, Iron Man 2 did not disappoint and may actually be one of those few sequels that is better than the original.
In the story, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) remains to be the genius playboy, owner of Stark Industries by day and Iron Man by night. It is about six months after the first movie ended and Stark has gone public that he is in fact Iron Man, but he refuses repeated government demands to hand over all of the Iron Man technology. He has also learned that his arc reactor technology (powering his weak heart from injuries sustained in the first movie) is actually poisoning his body and he has a limited time to find a solution before it kills him. As a result, he turns over the CEO role of Stark Industries to his long-time assistant and confidant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Potts then hires a replacement to be Stark’s secretary, the curvatious Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson).
Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is a disenfranchised scientist who is freed from prison by Stark’s rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). Hammer hires Vanko to copy Stark’s arc reactor designs because his deceased father actually worked on the first arc reactor with Tony’s father. However, Vanko has other plans – killing Stark as revenge for his father’s exile and subsequent death. The character, Ivan Vanko, is a rather witty incorporation of Iron Man comic book villains Crimson Dynamo and Whiplash.
If you’re expecting for it to be bigger, bolder, even better, well I’m just going to be blunt about it: you might be a little let down on this. After all, it did have huge shoes to fill. It’s just that people expect more in sequels and are therefore sometimes dissatisfied. It is a very good film but not quite as good as the Original.
Iron Man 2 generates a bit more compassion and empathy for the Tony Stark character than the first because of his battle to find a cure for his arc reactor poisoning. We don’t quite experience the empathy we might in a drama dealing with a life threatening illness, but we at least feel the clock ticking on Tony’s existence which provides the film with a sense of urgency.
While this film does not have that same level of impact as the completely original Iron Man, it carries the torch of brilliance and kick-butt action that we have come to expect from Marvel comic book movies. All in all, Iron Man 2 was awesome and therefore definitely worth your time. 4 of 5 stars!
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