Though I try my best to be as professional as possible when composing news articles or editorials, I don't feel a movie review should be so cut and dry. I'll be writing these reviews in the manner I would attempt to describe the films to someone in person. I'm not trying to convince you whether or not to see these movies, I'm just sharing my shitty opinion. Don't take my word as gospel and go see these damn flicks for yourselves.
[SPOILER WARNING: I will try my hardest not to reveal any specific plot points or critical story twists during these reviews, but I will break down the performances of the main cast and how well these films adapted the feel of the comics they were based off of. That, in itself, may be considered spoiler-heavy. You've been justly warned...] Let me start off by saying that I believe
Iron Man (the first one) is the best comic book movie I've ever seen. Although I think
The Dark Knight was a better overall film, it lacked much of the panache that goes along with a superhero adaptation; namely, it took itself too seriously. Since I hold
Iron Man in such high regard, you can bet your ass I expected A LOT from it's sequel. And it undoubtedly delivered!
Simply put,
Iron Man 2 is a comic book movie fan's wet dream. You never get bored in this film, and for all the right reasons. The biggest complaint I remember hearing about the first film was the lack of action.
Iron Man 2 solved that gripe, and manages not to hinder the actual story. The biggest change moviegoers will notice is the tone of the film. The best way I can describe it is like this:
Iron Man is the equivalent of the last hour at an open bar, nothing but fun.
Iron Man 2 is like when the bar closes and you suddenly realize you need to find a way to drive your drunk ass home. Meaning, it's time to get serious.
Once you get past the bevvy of armors, villains and scantly clad dancers (who I believe deserve their own 2-hour long spin off film), the crux of the story is simple yet wonderful. While
Iron Man seemed to focus on our hero's redemption, this film deals with his lost identity; one that he only begins to recover by the end of the film. Not only does the world now know him to be a 'superhero,' but for the first time he feels alone. To top if off, Tony has to come to terms with the fact that he didn't really know his father; whom he looked up to most. If that isn't enough to handle, the poor guy finds out that the ingenious device he created to save his own life is now rapidly poisoning him. Jeez, as if flying around the world hunting down Ten Rings terrorists wasn't enough. All that aside, the heavy undertone of this film is
betrayal; there are more double crosses in this movie than a game of Clue.
I only had
three disappointments on my first viewing of this film; but before I get to that, let's take a look at individual performances:
- Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark) - I pity the fool who attempts to portray this character when RDJ decides he's done with it. There isn't an actor out there who can bring the perfect combination of sarcasm and sincerity to this role. Though
Iron Man 2 feels a bit like an ensemble cast film, you never forget that Tony is the star. When he watches the footage of his father (in the midst of contemplating his impending demise), you can't help but believe the emotions you see on screen are genuine.
- Don Cheadle (Jim Rhodes/War Machine) - Alright, I wasn't a believer in this guy playing Rhodey. I just didn't see him fit the character at all; but, boy, was I wrong. When he reluctantly dons Tony's old armor, you can see the internal battle that befalls him. I liked Terrence Howard's Rhodey, but I loved Don Cheadle's.
- Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) - I really like the lack of 'damsels in distress' in this film. It's about time filmmakers should the change in dynamic these female comic characters have undergone in modern times. Pepper is one of the only people who can win a battle of wits with Tony Stark, and Gwend oes a bang up job bringing that to the screen. That being said, I don't think her role should be any bigger in the next film.
- Mickey Rourke (Ivan Vanko/Whiplash) - His performance makes up for all the cheesy Russian villains we've been spoon-fed for the past 10 years. I was very happy to see that he could tap into the array of emotions he showcased in
The Wrestler for this character while not loosing the edge of a man on a mission of revenge.
- Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer) - I have yet to see a film where Sam doesn't steal the show; this film isn't an exception. You can't help but love to hate his arrogant, slimy persona. Back when I wrote my conspiracy theory regarding
how the Mandarin fits into Iron Man 2 I made two assumptions, that Hammer was the main antagonist of the film and that he is one of the Mandarin's henchmen. I'm happy to say that I was dead on!
- Scarlett Johansson (Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff) - She brought it, without a doubt. Regardless if you feel other actresses
could have don the character justice, the bottom line is that Scarlett nailed the role. She did a great job flipping the switch from seductress to lethal weapon. I can't wait to see them expand on her character in
The Avengers.
- Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) - This was my
first disappointment of the film. It's funny looking back to when so many people said SLJ "owned" the role in the end credits of
Iron Man with only two lines. Now, we get to see him with a substantial role; I was truly disappointed. Unfortunately, nothing he said or did convinced me that he was the lethal head of a clandestine agency. He was too... campy. Just like hearing Christian Bale's throat cancer Batman voice pulled me out of the film, Sam Jackson's
Pulp Fiction-esque Nick Fury was distracting.
- Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan) - I'm glad Jon had a heftier role in this film since it served a purpose and wasn't just in there for the hell of it. He did fine; nothing spectacular. Just like I feel about Gwen/Pepper, I hope the role doesn't get any bigger in the next film.
- John Slattery (Howard Stark) - Loved every scene he was in! Unlike SLJ, John made you feel that his character was intelligent and ruthless enough to form S.H.I.E.L.D. and get the job done by any means possible. Plus, he collects Captain America comics (Howard, not John) so I'm already on his side.
All praise aside (and I could go on and on about all the little things I loved about this film), I need to state my other two dislikes:
Second, we finally get to see Captain America's iconic shield. Yay! Then we get to see Tony Stark use it with the same reverence you would give a cheap paperweight. It really pissed me off. Also (and I hope they find a way around this for the Cap film), not only is it not a vibranium/adamantium mix but it's a tech based weapon. Yeah...
Third, the final battle between mech-warrior Whiplash, Tony and Rhodey. It was just too short and anticlimactic. Fellow CBM Editor Brent Sprecher brought up a good point that Whiplash could have gotten his ass handed to him so quickly because he wasn't familiar with the workings of the suit. That is a plausible assumption, but since it wasn't mentioned in the film I think the scene was just a big letdown. They could have easily cut the Hammer-bot battle scene down (take out a few droids) since it happens right before the big Whiplash "reveal."
And those are all my gripes. Not bad, in my opinion, considering the film has about fifty high points that overshadow them. I'll close by saying this:
Iron Man 2 may not be as enjoyable as the first to general audiences because of the simultaneous barrage of action, subplots and comic references; but to comic book movie fans this film is
EPIC! It followed the suggestion I've heard many a time, "Alright, the origin was taken care of... let's get on with the story at a faster pace." Mission Accomplished!
Oh, I almost forgot about the after credits scene. Since I didn't see it in the theater I can't say whether it helped or took away from the feel of the story. What I will say is that Marvel Studios knows how to give fans juuuuust enough make us salivate. A fifty-five second scene that only shows Mjolnir for 2 seconds? They truly set the standard for teasers.
Without further ado, here's my rating of Iron Man 2: Ron Burgundy Tentpole = I cannot hide my sheer enjoyment!
Thumbs Up = Regardless of it's flaws, I really liked the film
Thumbs Down = Big hot mess, I won't watch it again... unless I'm bored
The Finger = I want my money back you Son of a Bitch!