Review: IRON MAN 2

With $140 million dollars, an untested director at the helm of his first, tent pole picture, and a star who was trying to reestablish his place in the business, 2008’s IRON MAN was a gamble that paid off well.  Financially and critically, it became one of the glowing successes in the comic-book-to-film world that keeps that aspect of the movie business such a lucrative well to go back to.

Now, a mere two years later, IRON MAN 2 has an established director at the helm, a much beloved star taking on the role that brought him back into the fold, and an estimated $200 million at its whim.  The goal was to make a whiz-bang follow-up that topped its predecessor both in terms of explosive entertainment as well as intriguing drama from its story.  So, the question is asked, does IRON MAN 2 top the first film?  The short answer is a simple “No.”  The longer answer, one that draws out both the pros and cons of this follow-up, follows.

Taking place six months after Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony Stark announced to the world he is Iron Man, the world of IRON MAN 2 has become a peaceful one.  No one in their right mind would dare stand up to the awesome force of the Iron Man suit.  Leave it up to the United States government, then, to do just that.  They want the suit for themselves, and Stark, as hard-headed as he is genius, convinces them that not only is he the only one in the world with the skills to wear the suit, it is simply impossible for the bad guys of the world to create their own.

Enter Ivan Vanko, played with an odd sense of bulky cool by Mickey Rourke, the son of a man who once worked with Stark’s father, Howard.  Vanko, who has just recently watched his impoverished father pass, uses his own brains and undeniable sense of vengeance to do precisely what Stark claims can’t be done.  He creates a suit of his own, complete with electric whips, and sets out on his tour of revenge.

This premise is simple enough, and, were a one-track narrative all we would have to contend with, IRON MAN 2 may have only been around 30 minutes long.  Nonetheless, we can’t have one of the biggest films of the year come in at under feature length, so, naturally, more story-lines must be piled on.  Surprisingly, Jon Favreau, taking directing duties once again, does an immaculate job bouncing around the varying plot points, even if they oftentimes feel lifted from completely different films.

There’s the garish Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell who brings an extreme level of temerity to the role, one of Stark’s rivals and one who would do anything to make a name for himself.  There’s Stark’s assistant, Pepper Potts, played once again by Gwyneth Paltrow, who is (still) getting fed up with Stark’s flamboyant antics.  Don Cheadle, stepping in for the departing Terrence Howard, plays James Rhodes acts as window dressing until the point comes where he gets to don his own version of the Iron Man suit.  There’s even the return of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Samuel L. Jackson as the group’s leader, Nick Fury.  All of these story-lines play out right alongside each other, but none of them seem to really converge.  At least they probably didn’t appear to on paper.  Justin Theroux’s screenplay doesn’t do what Favreau does with it justice, and you begin to wonder why no rewrites were attempted.  In this day and age where films, particularly big budget films such as this, have nearly half a dozen, different writers credited, it is a pleasant surprise to see only one name pop up in the opening credits.  Nontheless, one can’t help but wonder what a fresh pair of eyes might have done with the film’s structure.

This is particularly felt throughout IRON MAN 2’s mid-section.  All of the different plot lines have been established.  Some work better than others on their own.  Rourke’s Vanko and Rockwell’s Hammer share many scenes together, and these scenes are both undoubtedly well-crafted both on the page and on screen.  The actors bounce off one another brilliantly, almost as if a Vanko & Hammer buddy cop movie might be in the works.  A subplot involving Stark and how he viewed his father brings a serious depth to the character, and Downey, perfect as always, pulls the more dramatic moments off without effort.

Other story-lines like Stark slowly being poisoned by the arc reactor that is keeping him alive seem unnecessary and thrown in just to give a sense of danger when the villains aren’t at the front and center.  There is a long stretch in the film where Iron Man has no true villain to take on, and the greatness of Downey and Rourke can’t make up for the lack of connection between Vanko and Stark.  Scarlett Johansson plays a double agent, but her character is never fleshed out as much as it should have been.  She does get one incredibly well-shot action scene near the end of the film, but it makes you wish there was more to care about than how well she can flip a guy over her shoulder.

In fact, most of the action in IRON MAN 2 comes off a little flimsier than it probably should.  Much of this may have to do with Favreau’s growing usage of CGI.  In the first film, it seemed to be utilized only as a last resort.  The things that couldn’t be pulled off practically weren’t.  Here, it feels more like a crutch, especially a scene near the middle where Stark and Rhodes do battle in their own, respective suits.  The weight of the action feels lost in the plasticity of it all, and, when the Iron Man suit touches down on the ground after flying through the sky, the familiar, metallic clank that comes with it seems out of place.  In the first film, we didn’t need that sound to convince us how heavy this suit was.  We knew that already.  Here, it feels thrown in as a persuasion.

Regardless, much of the action, whether it feels real or not, is head and shoulders above much of what goes for action these days.  Favreau’s direction pulls back much of the time, allowing you to gaze at all that is taking place.  There are never moments in the film where Robot A is fighting Robot B and you can’t tell one from the other.  This sense of place and composition is much needed in the world of action films, and Favreau delivers with faultless precision.

There’s nothing in the way of acting in IRON MAN 2 that leaves you wanting more, either.  Everyone involved in the film does an impeccable job with Downey leading the pack.  Once again, he proves just how quickly he can turn the cool into serious drama and right back again, all the while not more than a line or two away from having you laughing out loud.

The only other note that needs set with the cast here is in Cheadle and the replacement of Terrance Howard.  It was a series of unfortunate events that took one out and put the other in, and, as solid as Cheadle is in the role, he just doesn’t feel right.  He and Downey don’t have the same chemistry as Howard had with Downey.  The two truly felt like old, college buddies who are now on opposite sides of conformity.  Both slipped into each other’s wheelhouse, and it felt natural.  With Cheadle, though, it feels like precisely what it is, someone stepping into another man’s friendship.

When all is said and done, though, IRON MAN 2 still comes off as a highly enjoyable ride, a comic book movie that may not live up to its source material or its previous, franchise entry, but one that keeps butts firmly in seats and eyes firmly fixed to the screen.  It doesn’t commit any cardinal sins that many sequels of the same nature fall to, and it doesn’t even allow the buildup of THE AVENGERS film to get in its way.  It’s evident, but it’s not distracting in the least.  With great power comes great responsibility, both for a super hero as well as for a film director.  Favreau has clinched that great power, and, though it isn’t the perfect or awesome effort that it could have been, IRON MAN 2 proves he certainly has the responsibility.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars