REVIEW - Iron Man 2

Since outing himself as Iron Man, Tony Stark has become the world’s first openly active superhero – ushering the world into the longest period of peace it has ever known. When a senate hearing insists he hand over his potentially dangerous creations, he arrogantly suggests that no one else could possibly harness the technology. But when a mysterious man shows up at the Monaco Grand Prix and nearly kills Stark, it becomes clear that he can no longer keep Iron Man to himself.

As the sequel to the unexpectedly successful 2008 original, Iron Man 2 (it’s refreshing to not have a ridiculous subtitle) had some big shoes to fill and it does so pretty admirably. Rather than following the normal blockbuster sequel formula of the same, only bigger, it delivers a much more rounded, and slightly darker, experience than the first film. 2010’s Stark is boastful but secretly is slowly being crippled by the machines which have brought him so much fame. Robert Downey Jr. brings his trademark sparkle to the character and there’s more quirks here than you’ll find in a regular comic book film.

The best additions are not one but two villains, something which the first film almost omitted completely. Mickey Rourke’s Ivan (yes, really) is wearing way too much eyeliner and his finale is underwhelming but Sam Rockwell brings layers and laughter to flashy salesman of death Justin Hammer. Gwyneth Paltrow gets a more meaty role this time, Don Cheadle is a personality-free replacement for Terrence Howard and Scarlett Johansson looks great but is totally superfluous - her lone action scene feeling utterly tacked on.

As before, much of the charm of the film comes directly from Downey Jr's performance - even if the constant quippy behaviour is starting to seem repetitive. His motor-mouth is ultimately to the detriment of the film though, as it often gets so bogged down in comedy, exposition and ad-libbing fun that it neglects story progression or, more importantly, action. There are only two major action scenes in Iron Man 2 - the much publicised attack at Monaco and a lengthy, metal on metal finale. The first is sharply crafted, taking Stark out of his suit and putting him in real harms way in a smaller scale set piece that actually creates some token tension. The latter is a bloated series of nondescript suits hitting each other for 15 minutes, which manages to be even more insufferable than the vacuous ending fight in the first film. It's clear that director Jon Favreau has a knack for directing comedy but his action is dull and lacking in personality, geography or danger.

Iron Man 2 is a slightly deeper film than the facile original but also suffers from too many unnecessary characters and inexpertly-directed action. The cast is mostly fun and there are some solid comedy moments but those expecting an action-packed superhero extravaganza will be a mite disappointed.

3/5

[Nostalgia trip - check out what I thought of Iron Man back in 2008 here]