Iron Man 2
Year: 2010
Director: Jon Favreau
Studio: Paramount Pictures / Marvel Entertainment
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 124 Mins





This past weekend, the 2010 summer film season kicked off, with a film that I have been looking forward to all year. Yes, I’m taking about Robert Downey Jr’s latest film “Iron Man 2”. This is a film that I’ve been waiting for, since the end of the first film.

The film picks up where the first film left off with Tony Starks (Robert Downey Jr) having to deal with the world knowing that he is “Iron Man”. The government isn’t helping matters by wanting the suit and technology for themselves and facing pressures from the press and the public that wants him to share the technology with the military. He also having trouble in his personal life as something strange is happening to him and he doesn’t want his friends to know about it. If matters weren’t worse, a Russian scientist (Mickey Rourke) find out that Starks is Iron Man and wants to exact revenge for what Starks’ father did his father and claim the technology for himself. In order to stop him, he must uncover the dark secrets of his father’s legacy and find out what’s happening to him, before something unthinkable happens. The film also co-stars Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Samuel L. Jackson.

"Iron Man 2" picks up, where the processor left off. Jon Favreau’s direction was as good as the first film. Favreau does a good job keeping your interest considering that most of the big action scenes don't take place until final act. He’s able to keep your interest; by the way that he directs his actors. The performances were very good here. Robert Downey Jr. is still very good as the title character. He brings the energy that is needed to make Tony Starks very likable. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role, as Downey Jr has that it that is needed for the role. The supporting performances were also very good, as Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow were also good here as they brought a presence to their roles, which also makes this enjoyable.

What also makes Favreau's direction good was the fact that he didn't get too crazy with the use of special effects until the last act of the film. I liked, how he was able to let the film's story become one of the film's focal points as the material in the screenplay was good. He also goes a good job moving the film at a reasonable pace, so that you are drawn into the story and not the effects.
The screenplay this time around was handled by Justin Theroux, who only has one screenplay to his credit ("Tropic Thunder", in which he co-wrote with Ben Stiller back in 2008). If I had known this going in, I probably would have been feeling nervous considering how material like this is being handed to inexperience writers. Thankfully, I never knew that going in, because I expected a good time and enjoyed it.

For the most part, I liked how Theroux handled the characters in the Iron Man universe, even though I thought that Paltrow's character was a little bit under used here. I would have to have more tension between her and Downey Jr. Besides that little gripe; he does a good job making sure that each of the characters has their moment. It makes the material fun to watch. Theroux also does a good job exploring the trouble and backstory of Tony Starks and his corporation. It really makes the character more interesting and it gives material that Downey Jr can work with and make it as one of his own characters, Also, I liked about that script was the fact that most of the main action sequences were held back until the second half of the film. It doesn’t feel cramped in to that point that you're feeling like your watching an effects film. Overall, this is a very fun film and a good entry in the "Iron Man" series.

“Iron Man 2” isn’t a films that going to win on style points, but it’s sure to make fanboys like me happy with the material and the way the property is being handled. This is a fun start to the summer movie season, as “Iron Man 2” is fun and entertaining.

Review Rating Four Stars

0 comments