"Secret identities are pretty well picked over", director Jon Favreau said in a recent Entertainment Weekly interview. In "Iron Man 2", Tony Stark is out, loud and proud. And, for those of you wondering why secret identities are important to superheroes, "Iron Man 2" serves as a cautionary tale.
First of all, the military is constantly trying to copycat your Tech (though only Tony can get it right, apparently). Then, you're inconveniently subpoenaed by a Senate subcommittee led by a smarmy Senator (Garry Shandling!). At the same time, you're relentlessly courted by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, biding his time until that "Avengers" movie) and his sleeper agent, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson, unable to top 11-year-old Chloë Grace Moretz's fight scenes from "Kick-Ass").
Picking up a scant six months after the original, "Iron Man 2" is a worthy follow-up. Fans of the original will get more of what they loved. Newbies, well, you're fine too. Of course, the key to "Iron Man" isn't the plot or the suit. The key - the Arc Reactor that powers the core of the whole enterprise - is, naturally, Robert Downey Jr. Who would have thought the man who was once known more for his appearances in rehab than on screen could so memorably anchor a superhero franchise. Tony Stark is his Jack Sparrow. And like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" saga, the "Iron Man" films are diverting enough - they look great, the special effects are top notch, but really we're just waiting for Tony to mouth off again. He's the rare superhero who's more interesting outside the suit. Thankfully, Mr. Downey is given plenty of meaty dialogue as the film amps up his relationship with ol' buddy Lt. Col. Rhodes (Don Cheadle, taking over for Terrence Howard) and steadfast assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow, going toe-to-toe with Ms. Johansson in a tight dress/high heel competition).
It's a sequel, so you know what that means: everything that made the first one popular is amplified. There's action (including a ludicrous set-piece at the Grand Prix), guest stars (Sam Rockwell, making you want to punch him more than ever) and a bigger, badder villain played by the continually-impressive Mickey Rourke. Of everyone in the film, Mr. Rourke is the only one playing it deadly serious. As glib and sarcastic as Tony is, Mr. Rourke's Ivan Vanko is the polar opposite. It's an effective contrast, and it makes him a worthy Khan to Tony's Captain Kirk.
The studied script by Justin Theroux wisely connects Ivan's past to Tony's family. And so we get John Slattery as Tony's Dad, who holds the key to the Reactor technology which, in a clever touch, is slowly killing Tony. But that's not really important; it's all building to that eventual "Avengers" movie. And, yes, those who want to should wait until the end of the closing credits. It is worth it? Well, if you have to ask, you probably shouldn't be waiting.
| Movie title | Iron Man 2 |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2010 |
| MPAA Rating | PG-13 |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Director Jon Favreau's light touch and Robert Downey Jr.'s gift with a wisecrack continue to make this superhero franchise good, noisy fun. |
