Movie Review: Ironman 2

[macdobhran]

“I am Ironman.”

The words that ended the first Ironman movie also open the second in the series. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has had some time to deal with the fallout of revealing his secret identity including fighting with the U.S. Military and a Senate panel who want the Ironman technology for themselves. It’s at this hearing that we’re introduced to the new Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle). I thought they handled the transition incredibly well. They acknowledged the change in a humorous way that let the audience know that they knew what they had done but didn’t dwell on it.

To say Stark has a lot on his plate in this film is an understatement.  Not only is the government trying to take his technology but so is business rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell).  On top of that, while Stark is driving his F1 race car in the Monaco Grand Prix we are introduced to Whiplash aka Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) and his two ARC reactor-powered bullwhips. Oh yeah, and that same technology that is keeping Tony Stark alive is also killing him by poisoning his blood.

At times there seems to be almost too many plot threads running on top of each other. Besides the ones mentioned above, there’s also Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) attempts to recruit Stark into The Avengers. Along that line, Fury places the Black Widow, although she is never referred to by that name, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) undercover at Stark Industries as Natalie Rushman. Confused yet? Rushman/Romanoff’s job is to evaluate Stark/Ironman for inclusion in The Avenger initiative. Johansson is as clever and attractive as ever but it’s her fight sequences where she really shines.

One disappointment for me was that some of the funniest lines that I saw in the trailers got cut from the final release. I really hope they show up in the DVD. Even with the cuts, the movie lasts for just over 2 hours and there aren’t too many “slow” spots where it’s safe to run to the restroom, so get the small soda, kids.

Some of the most delightful comedic moments come from Sam Rockwell’s, Justin Hammer. You may remember Rockwell as the terrified Crewman #6, Guy Fleegman, in Galaxy Quest. As Hammer, Rockwell perfectly portrays the spoiled rich kid who can have anything he wants but is never quite satisfied with having what the other rich kids had. No, if Tony has a pony, Justin has to have a stable of Arabians.

There are plenty of special effects and enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat. Despite the more serious tone compared to the first film, I will give Jon Favreau and crew a solid 4.5 forks out of 5 for delivering an thoroughly enjoyable 2 hours and 4 minutes of cinema. And yes, those last 4 minutes are important so make sure you stay until the end of the credits.

Special note: I’ve added a new poll feature on the right-hand side. Today’s poll is about your favorite movie genre.

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Originally published at Fast Food Zen. You can comment here or there.