Iron Man was director Jon Favreau's 2008 smash hit based on the Marvel Comics story of industrialist and engineer, Tony Stark, who constructs a heavily armed, uber-powered exo-skeletal suit of steel. Now, only 2 years later, Favreau is back with Iron Man 2, with Robert Downey Jr. returning as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. The Tony Stark character is as interesting as Iron Man, his alter-ego. Some may even go as far as to say that they find Downey's screen time as Stark to be more interesting and more entertaining than as Iron Man. The Stark character in these films is so egocentric as well eccentric, that every moment he is on screen, he grabs your attention and does not let go. Credit for this is owed as much to Downey and his wonderful acting ability as to Stan Lee and the number of screenwriters who penned the scripts to both Iron Man films. In Iron Man 2, we meet Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash, a Russian scientist with an ax to grind with Tony Stark and his late father, Howard Stark. Vanko is portrayed, quite well, by Mickey Rourke. Rourke's Russian accent may not be spot-on, but his charisma more than makes up for it. I swear that Rourke gets better with age. And there aren't many actors out there who play a psychopath better than he does. Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Lt. Col. Rhodes, aka War Machine. Cheadle is far more believable and more likable in the role, than Howard was, although he does sound weak in some scenes. Scarlett Johansson makes her debut in the series as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, as a spy for Nick Fury's "S.H.I.E.L.D. The great Samuel L. Jackson plays Nick Fury, the leader of espionage and law-enforcement agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. Sam Rockwell stars as Stark's business rival, Justin Hammer, who is more than a tad more ruthless than Stark, and will do whatever it takes to be successful and to beat out Stark. Rockwell, who was considered for the role of Tony Stark in the first film, is absolutely brilliant in this role, as he is in any and every role he is cast in. Rockwell is maybe the most gifted yet underrated actor in the business today. Although it was great to at last see the Fury character in a Marvel movie (Let's pretend the travesty of a film, starring David Hasselhoff, never existed), the filmmakers should have spent more time developing him, as well as more time developing both Whiplash and Justin Hammer. Other than that, or perhaps despite it, Iron Man 2 is a wonderful, action-packed movie that easily does it's predecessor justice. As a matter of fact,it is as good, if not better, than the first film.
So, who should see this and who may wish to stay away? Fans of the first film, of Marvel Comics, of the superhero genre or those love action movies, then by all means, get out to a theater and see Iron Man 2. Anyone can't seem to find a place in any of the afore mentioned categories, then perhaps this isn't a movie for them.
I'd give "Iron Man 2" 4.5 out of 5 stars.
