Robert Downey Jr. returns as billionaire Tony Stark in this thrilling sequel to the worldwide blockbuster. Now that his superhero secret has been revealed, Tony’s life is more intense than ever. Everyone wants in on the Iron Man technology, whether for power or profit…but for Ivan Vanko (“Whiplash”), it’s revenge! Tony must once again suit up and face his most dangerous enemy yet, but not without a few new allies of his own. Co-starring Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson, Iron Man 2 is a “total blast!”After the high-flying adventures of the first Iron Man picture, the billionaire arms manufacturer and irrepressible bon vivant Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself nursing a hangover. But not like any hangover he’s had before: this one is toxic, a potentially deadly condition resulting from heavy metals (or something) bleeding out of the hardware he’s installed in the middle of his chest. This is the problem Stark needs to solve in Iron Man 2, not to mention the threat from resentful Russian science whiz Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), whose father helped create the Iron Man technology. There’s an even bigger problem for the film: the need to set up a future Marvel Comics movie universe in which a variety of veteran characters will join forces, a requirement that slows down whatever through-line the movie can generate (although fanboys will have a good time digging the clues laid out here). Actually, the main plot is no great shakes: another Iron Man suit is deployed (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard from the first film, gets to climb inside), Stark continues to bicker with assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and a weaselly business rival (Sam Rockwell) tries to out-do the Iron Man suit with an army of Vanko-designed drones. Mickey Rourke is a letdown, burdened by a wobbly Russian accent and looking skeptical about the genre foolishness around him, and Scarlett Johansson has to wait until the final couple of reels to unleash some butt-kickin’ skills as the future Black Widow. That climax is sufficiently lively, and the initial half-hour, including Stark’s smirky appearance before a Senate committee and a wacky showdown at the Monaco Grand Prix, provides a strong, swift opening. But the lull between these high points is crying for more action and more Downey improv. –Robert Horton
Rating: 
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July 28, 2010
#1
Review by Pumpkin Man
Rating:
I thought this movie was awesome and just as good as the original. It’s filled to the brim with action, explosions, suspense, and comedy. The film takes place six months after the original, and Tony Stark is loving the fame and publicity he’s made with Iron Man. Tony is slowly being poisoned by the palladium in his arc reactor, until he can find a replacement. He soon develops a drinking problem. During a race at Monaco, Tony is attacked by Ivan Vanko/Whiplash. Whiplash teams up with a weapons manufacturer to perfect a line of armored combat units that will upstage Tony. The units begin to attack, which are remote-controlled by Whiplash. Iron Man must team up with War Machine in order to save the day. I highly recommend IRON MAN 2!!!
July 28, 2010
#2
Review by Renfield
Rating:
I will admit that I was a tad worried about Iron Man 2, because, well let’s face it, the first movie was so fantastic that it was almost untouchable. I mean, with the first movie, you had the extraordinary talents of Downey, Howard, Paltrow, Bridges and plenty more anchoring what was an incredible must-see summer slam of a movie. However, seeing the trailers for the second movie made me think “Uh oh, Spider Man 3 all over again.” Sequels, especially superhero ones, seem to think that since they bring tons of random crap and characters into the frame, that they are always better, and as excited as I was for this movie, I felt it was going to be another one of those movies. So upon going into the theater, I kept those worries in mind.
Well, I can now officially say that those worries didn’t prevent me from loving the movie.
Remember when Michael Bay tried to accomplish something epic with Transformers 2 with all these new characters and stuff? Well, Jon Faverau has managed to accomplish what Michael Bay never did- make a near-perfect sequel that manages to be just as great as the first. Now like the first, there’s not a ton of action, but those scenes where action is absent, Faverau manages to make the most out of them. Complete with great action, laughs and characters, Iron Man 2 is the first big summer movie, and a must see on the big screen for sure, especially if you see it in digital!
***SPOILERS***
Iron Man 2 picks up half a year from when the first movie left off. The Stark Expo has just begun in Flushing, New York, and is to last all year. Tony, in a televised hearing, privatizes world peace. Life seems to be great, except for the fact that the reactor keeping him alive is killing him. This doesn’t stop him from being Iron Man though- he continues to go on as Iron Man for the moment. He even considers replacing Pepper Potts with Natalie Rushman, appointing Potts a CEO to Stark Industries. However, in Russia, Ivan Vanko, the son of physicist Anton Vanko, having just lost his father and jealous of Stark’s success, creates his own arc reactor, and becomes Whiplash, a badass villain with two electrified whips that can split anything in half with enough force.
His first appearance is at a race in Monaco, and after a brief (and failed) attempt to kill Tony, he meets up with Justin Hammer, Stark’s rival, and they both collaborate to build a new technology that will hopefully overthrow Tony. However, with a stint at Tony’s house appointing James Rhodes as War Machine, and several other plots, Tony Stark, suffering through personal problems, doesn’t know if he really can be Iron Man and resolve all this.
Now the plot may not sound that great, but when you see it in the movie, you will be impressed with how complex it is. To not spoil too much, I left some stuff out, because the movie is that great. Aside from the plot, everything else is great. The acting here is fantastic! Robert Downey Jr. has his usual charm here, playing the lovable jerk that is Tony Stark. Replacing Terrence Howard is Don Cheadle, and he does it well! I can’t believe I am saying this but I actually preferred him to Howard. Howard was great but wooden in places, whereas Cheadle was great the whole way. And Scarlett Johannson… whoa. When is she NEVER eye candy? As for her performance- this movie proves she is not just another pretty face. Her fight scene is just… mind blowingly amazing! Mickey Rourke gives a a fantastic performance as well, and manages to shine as the villain,
Of course, halfway through, the movie takes a break from the action and focuses on some character development- I was worried about it at first hearing but as I was watching the movie, I realized that sometimes, in superhero movies, character development does more than whiz-bang action. Don’t worry guys, the scenes where action is absent are just as great as the scenes with action. But the action scenes are INCREDIBLE!!!! People are exaggerating the lack of action- the last 20 minutes alone has more action than the first, and is certainly more thrilling than the first too. The climax certainly is a thrill, and I gotta say I had a blast seeing it on the big screen.
So in short, Iron Man 2 is a success. I had tons of fun seeing it on the big screen. A great sequel and a great standalone movie, Iron Man 2 is a sequel that truly kicks ass. Whatever worries you may have, I recommend you cast them aside, because you’re in for a 2 hour fun ride. So if you wanna see a sequel that truly kicks ass, this movie is it!
July 28, 2010
#3
Review by Rocky Raccoon
Rating:
The best asset of a superhero franchise is when any installment lacks hubris: either from its hero or from those who design it. When a superhero is thrust in such peril that the outcome is in question, and the usual assumption that the good guy always wins has to be drawn back to consciousness, you know the creators have assembled a great movie.
All the parts are intact: The trajectory is fun; the enemy is menacing; the dialog is witty and clever; and the story is cogent and clear–easy enough to understand, but detailed enough to be stimulating without overloading our efforts to suspend disbelief.
This time Iron Man [aka Tony Stark] (Downey Jr.) faces off with a Congressional committeeman, headed by Senator Stern (Chandling) who challenges his personal armored technology as dangerous and capable of escalating the arms race when brought to the wrong hands. Stark’s snappy answers win the day, but his lack of concessions bring a headlong, prideful fall that sends him unraveling.
The Senator’s lawyer, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) doesn’t take his defeat in stride. While showing off his prowess at auto race in Monaco, Stark faces his biggest challenge when an equally disgruntled Russian nemesis, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) unveils his electrifying half-man, half-human hybrid imitation. From there Hammer builds an alliance with Vanko that makes inroads into the U.S. military, including with Stark’s closest ally, Lt. Col James Rhodey (Cheadle).
Of course the trajectory of the movie doesn’t work without the fun. A celebrated Iron Man must be chastened by all his handlers, including Pwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, his still wise-cracking assistant. New to the fray is Scarlett Johansson in a refreshing, make-over role as the attractive and lethal duo identity Natalie/Natasha. And while Stark’s adolescent tendencies are not towed in line by both leading femme fatales, Cheadle and Jackson give able support.
This adventure does go to the edge of danger, but not enough to fully pay dirt. In some ways this isn’t a five-star film for what I first thought were intangibles. My first inclination was to dock the movie for its overlong half-time exposition, but that’s not really fair. An adventure movie that takes time out to think shouldn’t be diminished, particularly when it delivers on the intelligence. It also helps that Iron Man has some health/toxicity issues, thickening the plot, even if it is a dropped opportunity to provide more tension.
The freshness and fun are just as apparent; it just comes down to the one factor I started out with at the beginning: Do you have to stop and wonder (while you’re clinging to someone’s hand [or your chair] and sitting at the edge of your seat) how this guy is going to get out of all the mess? What this sequel has going for it will propel it to at least two more sequels, but to have the cliffhanger feel of a sequel, like, say, ‘Spider Man 2′ is a bit of a stretch.
July 28, 2010
#4
Review by trashcanman
Rating:
The first Iron Man film still stands as the best pure superhero movie in my mind. It was like a perfect storm of awesome visuals, great cast, new and old takes on various aspects of the source material, and popcorn fun. Every single aspect of that film just struck me as exactly right. Was I looking forward to the sequel? Don’t ask stupid questions. So how does the sequel fare? Read the review title, genius. Alright, I’m sorry. I’m in a bit of a bad mood because I expected much more than I got. But here’s the thing: I actually loved Iron Man 2 on some levels. But I have to face the fact that this movie was only saved by probably the most phenomenal cast I’ve ever seen onscreen. A well put-together film does not rely entirely on the performances of the cast, but is merely enhanced by them. Aside from the witty dialogue, too much of this production simply did not click. World peace? From one dude in a suit? How? Why? Let’s see a movie about that! The likes of Celestial Being and Captain Nemo couldn’t do it and their stories are pretty involved. How’d this happen? You expect the audience to buy that the world laid down their arms in response to the appearance of one superhero? Garbage. There is shockingly little action for a sequel to the brilliant origin story of the first film. The sequel’s primary draw is the comedy. Most of it is excellent, but some of it is flat-out cheesy because they simply put too much of it out there. Did anybody want to see Tony Stark stumbling drunkenly around in full armor at his birthday party? Did we really want to wait until the final act to see a serious action set piece? Is it too much to ask that Rhodey have a better part to play and his relationship with Tony re-established along the way considering there’s a new actor in the role? And for the love of God, I do not EVER want to see Bill O’Reilly’s mug on the big screen ever again. Favreau, I’m putting you on notice. You made me throw up in my mouth a little with that one.
The whole production of Iron Man 2 felt unpolished and thrown-together. It BARELY squeaks by as a worthy follow-up because it still kicks the snot out of Spider-Man 3. Okay, I’ve ranted and raged about what’s wrong with Iron Man 2. What’s right? The cast, the cast, THE CAST! Robert Downey Jr is still brilliant as expected. Gwyneth Paltrow’s endearingly flustered Pepper Potts is still strong as expected. So what else is new, right? Well, Mickey Rourke. Wow. I was not expecting that amount of coolness from the villain in this one. Rourke plays Ivan Vanko (aka Whiplash) like a Russian Danny Trejo. Covered in tats and scars, grinning sardonically, toothpick hanging out of his mouth, killer accent, and laid back as hell. This man just great to watch. He seems to have popped right out of a Tarantino flick. His benefactor is the compulsively-punchable Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a professional rival of Tony Stark and one cheesy bastard. The guy’s mannerisms are so naturally geeky I almost want to cheer for him. But he’s such a corny d-bag, I’d rather see him get kicked in the nuts. Either way, a fun little punching bag for the proceedings. I wanted a bigger role for the unnaturally beautiful Scarlett Johansson, but her Black Widow is primarily relegated to eye candy until the final act. Thankfully, I’ve never seen a more gorgeous character onscreen so the role works on that level. But would it have killed her to put on a hot accent? Natasha Romanov should have a Russian accent as a general rule. Does Samuel L Jackson need an introduction as Nick Fury (psst…he’s really just playing himself as usual). All of this goodness kind of leaves Don Cheadle the odd man out, but it’s alright. With all the impressive performances onboard there was no way for James Rhodes to stand out from this cast. That is, until he finally gets to rock The War Machine to the utmost. This takes too long to happen. Stupid, crappy pacing.
Is that the longest I’ve ever raved about a cast? I think it is. Well, when we finally get the big action throwdown we’ve been waiting for it’s awesome, but it’s over fast. I guess they didn’t want to pay ILM any overtime. Boo. But the dialogue and the actors are so strong that these things are surprisingly easy to overlook. I seriously wonder how much of that stuff was improvised because it just seems so completely natural it’s hard to believe it was written and performed. That is the highest praise, really. The soundtrack drops plenty of Clash on you along with some James Brown, Queen, Tupac, and of course AC/DC. One could do worse. Not in love with the end credits though. Oh, and if thee hath plans on leaving before the credits are through, I say thee nay! Marvel’s got something for you. Seeds are sewn for the upcoming Avengers film along the way including a special part for a certain star-spangled deflection device that the frame-by-framers spotted in the background of the first film. Well played, Mr. Faveau. Well played. The thin story may have been better if it had focused more on Stark working with SHIELD as an anti-terrorism agent and utilized Black Widow as more of a double agent whose allegiance is in doubt. Would have been much more Marvel, much less Hollywood, more action-packed, and even potentially socially relevant. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
Iron Man 2 clearly fails to live up to the credentials of it’s flawless predecessor. In fact, it’s almost like a really lengthy and really cool commercial for Marvel’s next projects. I expected much, much better from the man who made my favorite superhero movie ever but what I got was better than acceptable all things considered. I didn’t leave the theater angry and aside from being assaulted by a raving FOX News lunatic bad-mouthing Miss Potts, nothing about this sequel really made me want to rip the director a new one. If you weren’t thrilled by the first film, I wouldn’t rush out to by this blind; and to the rest, keep your expectations in check and you should emerge relatively unscathed if not impressed.
3 1/2 stars, rounded up for visions of Scarlett dancing in my head.
July 28, 2010
#5
Review by David Bonesteel
Rating:
Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), AKA Iron Man, is targeted by Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a Russian physicist with a hunger for vengeance and a talent for designing powerful energy whips, and Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a venal munitions manufacturer who covets Stark’s fame and success.
It has become almost obligatory for everyone to say that this film is not as good as the first, but I liked it more. Director Jon Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux incorporated a large number of elements from the Marvel Universe (Iron Man, Whiplash, Nick Fury and SHIELD, the Black Widow, Justin Hammer, War Machine) but made it all pull together in a coherent narrative. This bodes well for the upcoming Avengers film, which Favreau will help produce. The motif of the basically good but also weak man within the invulnerable suit of armor is used to good effect, but even the more weighty aspects of the film are handled with a light touch that keeps it hugely entertaining. Also, character is not sacrificed for the sake of spectacle. There may not be as much action as some might wish, but when it comes it really lets loose and the context gives it real stakes.