What an enjoyable franchise. I will preface this appropriately by saying I have watched both the first and second Iron Man films today, so this review will probably mix the two together abominably. But they're both awesome, so get over it. :)
I didn't plan ahead very well on preparing myself to see this movie, and it was only last night around midnight that I started to get the Iron Man fever. I am ashamed to say I only saw Iron Man once in theaters and never again, despite liking it immensely when I saw it. I thought it was timely and poignant and, of course, awesomely superheroish. But for some reason I lumped it in with those other manly movies I don't like to watch when I have options like Pride and Prejudice sitting around, so I never picked it up again. It's quite surprising, because my husband and I liked it enough to buy a genuine copy of it (we don't do that very often anymore).
So this morning I woke up undecided, should I spend my entire day watching Iron Man or should I go out and enjoy the sunshine? Around noon I decided it was definitely an Iron Man kind of day. So I plunked myself down on the couch to watch the first one so I would be properly prepared to see the 2nd one at the 3:00 showing. And we're off!
I had forgotten just how good the first one really was. I repeat all those sentiments I had when I watched it the first time. It's a rich guy fighting terrorists in the middle east. You can't get much more timely and appropriate than that. He's unfailingly charming and charismatic, and Robert Downey Jr looks quite spiffy in all his expensive suits and tight tank tops. He's very fit and looks every bit the hero, with that mischievous side that makes him all the more interesting. Tony Stark is a totally different breed of superhero--he's womanizing, cocky, and has apparently unlimited resources at his disposal. His wealth puts him in league with Batman, but whereas Bruce Wayne is brooding and secretive, and very dark in his tactics, Tony Stark is all about flair and drama. It makes him so fun to watch. And whereas Peter Parker as Spiderman is mousy and adorable, Tony would do things to Mary Jane that Peter Parker couldn't even imagine. *wink wink* :)
Robert Downey Jr is such a joy to watch in this role. I was not familiar with him before this role, but I watched a Bio of him last night and my goodness he's been around the block a time or two! Apparently he was part of the brat pack back in the 80's and was involved in a huge drug scandal in the 90's/2000's. Mid-2000's he cleaned up his act and boy are we glad he did! Iron Man was his big (re)breakout film in 2008, and since then he's done things like Tropic Thunder and Sherlock Holmes--another fantastic venue for him to display his charismatic, mischievous and, yes, brilliant side. It's actually a role very similar to Tony Stark, but I won't go into too much detail. Suffice it to say that he plays these roles brilliantly.
In Iron Man 2, he's much more introspective. At the end of Iron Man, he announces to the world that he is indeed the metal-clad hero known as Iron Man. He has used this role to catapault him to world fame, and world domination, in a way. He has brought peace to the entire planet, because everyone's too terrified to cross him. The Senate is determined to comandeer his technology for use in the military, but Tony denies them, saying that he's doing just fine, and walks out of his hearing to a boisterous standing ovation. It's clear that he is America's darling, their white knight, their very own superhero, and they love him for it.
His role as keeper of world peace is threatened when a new villain appears, holding the key to make arc technology equal to Tony's although he did not steal it like the previous villain did. Through this character, we begin to see the not-so-pretty history of the Stark family. Hushed up secrets like scientific partners who were deported to other countries when they threatened the Stark legacy. This lightning-weilding villain is a product of these secrets, so his beef is with Tony Stark in particular, not with the rest of the world.
Ivan Vanko is a very interesting anti-hero. Mickey Rourke plays him excellently. He's not your typical superhero villain because you can really relate to him. Tony's father cheated his father (in his opinion, at least), and he is bent on destroying what Tony has inherited thanks to his father's foul play. This sets up a villain that is specifically bent on destroying Iron Man himself, meaning Tony Stark is in more personal danger rather than trying to save the world like in other superhero films. Fortuitously (or not, really), Vanko teams up with and is funded by a rich yuppie competitor of Stark's, Justin Hammer. He's a total pansy, so he doesn't really understand what he's taking on when he promises to fund Vanko's project to destroy Tony Stark.
Because really, I'd say they both have the same goal: destroy Tony Stark. They just see that goal in a different light--Hammer wants to put Stark out of business and Vanko wants to completely destroy everything about him--his legacy, his company, and of course, the man himself. This creates a little bit of a problem, but I won't say more than that.
Beyond all the new bad guys out to get him, Tony's got his own problems. The palladium chip he's been using to power his heart and suit is slowly poisoning him, so that time is clicking away faster and faster in the background. He engages in several bouts of reckless behavior as a result of this fear of his immediate death, and this heightens the story. He also starts to admit that he's genuinely attracted to Pepper, but he's done so much to push her away that it doesn't look entirely promising for him. His introspection adds a layer of depth to the Iron Man persona, because he's not just Tony Stark strutting around and feeling like he's on top of the world anymore--now he knows his time is limited and he just can't seem to get a grip on the fact that he's facing the end of his life.
Enter Natalie Rushman, the secretary he hires to replace Pepper when he makes her his CEO. Let's just say this woman is more than she appears. She's on the trailers, but I never knew which side she was fighting for. She's got some amazingly kick-ass fighting in this movie, so for any Scarlett fans, it will be a treat. Plus that woman was blessed with an amazing body so she looks good in her little leotard thing. I'm shallow, I know, but I like to watch pretty superheroes. This movie delivers.
I was highly amused by the entrance of Don Cheadle as Tony's new military sidekick, specifically because he's not new. Don Cheadle really doesn't look anything like Terrence Howard other than they're both not white (Don's much darker than Terrence), but he filled the shoes excellently. Terrence played a perfect hesitant military liason in the first movie, Don stepped in to play the bad-ass sidekick in this one. There was a very cheeky scene when he first entered the movie and I'm half convinced it was smart-alec ad-libbing between Robert Downey Jr and Don Cheadle in reference to the fact that it was a completely different actor for such a pivotal role when the entire rest of the cast was back. But it was an excellent, good-natured way to handle the change and allowed you to just move on with the movie.
The effects in this movie were great, of course. I can't even imagine what a huge budget they must have had on this movie. I mean, they probably had a crazy budget on the first one, but by this sequal--my oh my. They probably had an unlimited amount of funds. It was impressive without being overly showy. I loved it. Perhaps the best part about watching a superhero in a metallic suit is that you're pretty well convinced he can't die. Bullets, fire, nothing affects him. The greatest threat comes from within--the deadly palladium, a malfunctioning suit, that sort of thing. So I can watch the fight scenes almost without fear because I'm so utterly convinced that he can't be broken. It's a pleasant feeling.
This was also a very brainy movie. It's similar to Batman, where a lot of the technology to be "super" has to be formulated by man himself; there are no superpowers here. The first one was just impressive that he came up with this stuff on his own, but by the 2nd one, they've got to think of new ways to wow the audience. Several of the characters in this one were at some point described as physicists, and I would say they definitely fit that description. There was one point when he was working on something so scientific and so out there, that I just sat there and thought my god, this must be what scientists do. They think about stuff that no one else can even comprehend. It's unusual to be sitting in a movie and feel like you're in an over-your-head science lecture, but as the scene was integral to the plotline of the movie, you sort of forgive them for the heady content. You're not really supposed to understand anyway, but you get a real sense of just how brilliant Tony Stark is. If he can understand what's going on to begin with, and then know how to act on it, well that's one serious genius.
I felt that Iron Man 2 lived up to Iron Man but in different ways. This was more introspective, more about Tony the man rather than Tony on his way to becoming Iron Man. Even the villain had a sensitive side that you could relate to, so that added depth to the fight as well. It was funny and charming and had its full gamut of shiny and impressive special effects, so it was a very enjoyable film to watch. Plus, of course, it has a happy ending, so you can't go wrong.
Is there another sequel on the way? That's a great question. If they can make 4 Shrek movies then they can certainly make 3 Iron Man movies. Spiderman was a great trilogy, and Pirates of the Caribbean is another example of a mega-blockbuster franchise that was able to make 3 great movies that were very well attended. I would plan on there being another one as long as all the actors are on board. The scene at the end of the credits on the first one hinted at the Avengers possibly getting together, but so far nothing on that, just another Iron Man movie. The end of this movie also hinted at a future that includes an Avengers movie, but they seemed to write Tony Stark out of it this time. I'll be honest, I'm not really familiar with the Avengers or Iron Man in their comic forms, so I can't even tell you who all is in the Avengers. I do know, however, that Iron Man must be among them or they wouldn't be mentioned in both movies. Perhaps Robert Downey Jr has lost interest in doing an Avengers movie? Perhaps Don Cheadle will pick up the role in his own Iron Man suit? Or perhaps they're going to write him out entirely. I'm not sure. The scene at the end of the second movie also hinted at another superhero on the way, but since I don't know anything about comic books, I didn't get it. I suspect it was another Avenger, but I would have to talk to an Avengers fan to know for sure. It's safe to say, at least, that some sort of sequelishness is on its way. Whether it's directly related to Iron Man, I'm not sure.
This was a great movie. I would highly recommend it, especially if you liked the first one. Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark is an amusing, charismatic (not to mention good-looking) hero, and his Iron Man suit kicks ass. Don Cheadle is an equally excellent sidekick, and the villain is believable, relatable, and yet still frightening in his quiet menace. And if you can't be impressed by the acting, then by all means go for the effects. You won't be disappointed! I give this 5 rainbows and ponies, my full recommendation!
Rating (out of 5 rainbows and ponies): 5 rainbows and ponies
Conclusion: HAPPY ENDING!
-PrincessM
Edit: I just discovered that Robert Downey Jr is slated to star in sequels for the following: Sherlock Holmes (2011), The Avengers (2012), and Iron Man 3 (2012).
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