Iron Man was quite an act to follow. Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. created a hip, funny, action-packed origin story to one of the greatest superheroes around. Expectations for the inevitable sequel were sky-high; there was even talk of the film breaking The Dark Knight's opening weekend record ($158.3 million). With the introduction of several new characters, some were worried that Iron Man 2 would turn out to be more like Spider-Man 3, a disjointed and overstuffed mess that left the audience disappointed and bewildered. Well, everyone can relax -- Iron Man 2 is one hell of a way to open the summer box office.The film picks up six months after the events of the original and little time is wasted in introducing us to the tattoo-covered, gold teeth-filled physicist Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash, played by the surging Mickey Rourke. You see, Vanko's father had been partners with Tony's dad, but was eventually deported and never received the credit he (may or may not have) deserved. So begins Vanko's quest for revenge, aided by the swarmy Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), a kind of poor man's Tony Stark who's never been able to escape the shadow of his smarter, richer, and more successful competitor.
Rourke has few lines in the film, half of which are in Russian, but he completely owns the film during every second of his regrettably short amount of screen time. Rourke's hard living during the past twenty years has been well-documented, and oddly enough, it seems to have been serving him well in the past few years. As with The Wrestler, he is hulking slab of muscle and each line and crag in his well-worn face helps in his performance. Rourke has always been an incredible actor, and now that his matinee idol good lucks have given way to a rough and weathered face, he is more interesting than ever before. As Whiplash, Rourke snarls and laughs his way through the film, his thickly muscled frame covered head to toe in Russian prison tattoos as the man exudes not only menace but intelligence as well. The role is rather one-dimensional and the film would have suffered for it, had any other actor been cast in the role, but Rourke manages to turn the character of Ivan Vanko into one of Iron Man 2's real strengths. Here's hoping that he continues to pick good projects and catapult himself back into the limelight of which he is so clearly deserving.
Equally impressive is Sam Rockwell as the slightly pathetic arms tycoon Justin Hammer. It's quite a treat to see Rockwell in a big-budget studio picture these days, as he generally prefers indie roles (Choke, Moon, etc.). As any fan of his would expect, Rockwell knocks it out of the park. Armed with a series of three-piece suits and pompadour hair cut, Rockwell imbues the character with a humanity that is rare for such a role. You almost feel bad for Hammer at times, as it's clear he just wants to be like Tony. He wants to be Tony's friend and equal; both of which he will never attain. As with Mickey Rourke, it is a great performance in what could have easily been a cookie-cutter role. When Hammer does his bizarre shimmy across the stage to open the film's third act, you will know exactly what I mean. Rockwell is a welcome addition to the franchise and one can only hope that this will open more doors for him in Hollywood, as the man is one of the five best actors in the world today.
Also joining the fun this time around are Scarlett Johannson and Don Cheadle. Johannson appears as Black Widow, a Russian secret agent for S.H.I.E.L.D., the mysterious agency from the first film. Although her screen time is brief, Johannson brings the proper amount of intelligence and sexiness to the role. When she finally gets a chance to engage in some fisticuffs, the result is perhaps the best action sequence in the entire film -- dressed in an eye-popping skintight leather bodysuit, Johannson demonstrates a surprisingly high acuity for action, as she takes on a hallway full of bodyguards. Cheadle takes over for Terrance Howard in the role of Lt. James Rhodes and I have to say that I much prefer the character this time around. It always helps to have Cheadle, a world-class talent on hand, but it helps even more to stick that talent in the War Machine suit and allow him to wreak havoc. Yes, War Machine finally gets a chance to shine, as was so tantalizingly hinted at in the first film. With his shoulder-mounted mini-gun and tactical knowledge, Rhodes proves a worthy sidekick to Iron Man and I'm already excited to see where the third film takes this new dynamic duo.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L Jackson also return to round out what may be the single most impressive cast of any of this year's movies not named Inception. Oh, and of course there's that Downey Jr. guy. What more is there to say? Robert Downey Jr. completely owns the role, inhabiting the character of Tony Stark with such charm and gusto that the audience can't help but love a character who, on paper, has zero redeeming qualities. We are seeing a fantastic actor at the top of his game, and as with Rourke and Rockwell, it's an absolute thrill.
Jon Favreau's direction has improved, most notably during the action sequences. The number one complaint many had with the original Iron Man was the poorly shot action sequences. What good is Iron Man blowing things up and beating the tar out of the bad guys if we can't make out what's going on? Luckily, the actions sequences are much easier to discern in the sequel. Unfortunately, there seem to be far fewer action scenes this time around. The vast majority of our time is spent with Tony Stark as he battles his narcissism, alcoholism, and various other -isms that present themselves to billionaire playboys. And while watching Robert Downey Jr. strut his stuff as Tony Stark is an absolute ball, it still doesn't measure up to watching Iron Man fly around and blow things up, the movie is called Iron Man 2 after all, not Tony Stark 2. Still, this is a relatively minor complaint, as when the action does hit, it hits so hard and fast that you won't even realize it's been 40 minutes since we last saw Tony suit up and kick ass. The true unveiling of Whiplash, during the Monaco Grand Prix no less, is a fantastic sequence and perhaps the single most thrilling and creative action scene we are likely to see this year. However, for this reviewer, nothing can compare to seeing Iron Man and War Machine, standing back to back, fight off a small army of robot drones, the bullets and motor oil spraying across the screen as both of our metal heroes scowl. This was the moment where I achieved movie nerd nirvana. You know what I mean -- that moment where you can't help but smile and think "Wow, this is $@#%ing awesome."
And really, that's what the Iron Man films are all about. Christopher Nolan has already mastered the serious dark tone with his Batman films. And now with Iron Man 2, Jon Favreau is proving that he can provide a lighter, yet still serious enough, companion series. Of course, having a stable of world class actors never hurts. And of course, when all else is in doubt, just have Iron Man blow things up. Here's hoping there's a bit more of that next time around; either way, Iron Man 3 should be a hell of a ride. 4 out of 5 stars.
