"Iron Man 2" is a shell of its superior big brother. It's got the candy-coated crust, but nothing juicy is found inside.
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Directors: Jon Favreau
Producers: Marvel
Writers: Justin Theroux (screenplay) Stan Lee (Marvel comic book) and Don Heck (Marvel comic book) and Larry Lieber (Marvel comic book) and Jack Kirby (Marvel comic book)
Features: Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language. Running Time: 124 Min.
Characters:
Robert Downey Jr. ... Tony Stark
Don Cheadle ... Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes
Scarlett Johansson ... Natalie Rushman / Natasha Romanoff
Gwyneth Paltrow ... Pepper Potts
Sam Rockwell ... Justin Hammer
Mickey Rourke ... Ivan Vanko
Samuel L. Jackson ... Nick Fury
Clark Gregg ... Agent Coulson
John Slattery ... Howard Stark
Jon Favreau ... Happy Hogan
Paul Bettany ... Jarvis
Genre: Action/Adventure
Review:
Reserve your tickets for "Iron Man 2" at Fandango:
In U.S. theaters: May 7, 2010.
Caution: Some Spoilers Ahead
I adored "Iron Man." It wasn't a great movie, to be sure. The film boasted a sloppy finale and a treacherously bad score, but "Iron Man" was one helluva good time. The characters were exciting. The story was impacting. The action had meaning (barring the dumb finale). And the cast was extraordinary, particularly Robert Downey Jr. who delivered a knockout performance as weapons manufacturer-turned-superhero, Tony Stark (aka Iron Man).
Sadly, it pains me to say it, but everything that worked in "Iron Man" is sorely missing from "Iron Man 2." The clever twists and turns are gone. The social satire and sharp wit are gone, too. The action sequences, what few there are, lack any real weight. The characters are reduced to tired imitations of what they once were. And the story is paper thin, at best. The film, in a sense, is a shell of its superior big brother. It's got the candy-coated crust, but nothing juicy is found inside.
A small bit of plot -- it's been six months since the first film and apparently the world is at peace because of Iron Man (right). The U.S. Government, however, grows concerned that the Iron Man weapon is going to the duplicated by terrorists and other enemies so they attempt to obtain the suit from Stark, who won't hand it over. This forces the government to hire a competitor, Justin Hammer (a way too goofy Sam Rockwell), to come up with some sort of Iron Man alternative. Tossed into the mix is the vengeful weapons mastermind Ivan Vanko (played by a miscast Mickey Rourke) who teams up with Hammer and stirs the pot to his advantage. Meanwhile, Stark is dealing with heated scrutiny, his self-obsessed ego, an unusual health problem related to his suit, and rabid alcoholism.
In other words, the film is all over the board.
It's hard to assess who is to blame for this wasted effort. On one hand, Robert Downey Jr. seems to be phoning it in this time around. He's clever and sly at times, but his performance is not nearly as sharply tuned as the first film, and because of this, this new incarnation of Tony Stark lacks any real dimension.
I was reminded of when Tim Burton began production on "Batman Returns." As it turns out, Michael Keaton couldn't seem to fit into the character anymore. He felt he was imitating Bruce Wayne rather than naturally playing and progressing the character. So, production slowed for a short while in order for Keaton to regain his stride.
It does not appear as though Downey Jr., normally a very capable performer, had such a revelation while working on this sequel. He simply went with the imitation, and the results are noticeable, and frustrating, right from minute-one.
Jon Favreau, a director I truly admire, seems to be suffering from the very same problem. The film attempts to cling to some of the same themes as the first, but can't seem to find the balance between slapstick comedy and real emotional beats. It traipses through important dramatic scenes (i.e. any given scene between Stark and Potts) but focuses too much time on pointless stuff (i.e. spending a full two minutes enjoying the naughty dance routine of the "Iron Man Girls" seen at the beginning of the film). In some ways, the film almost plays like a spiritual brother to Sam Raimi's equally messy "Spider-Man 3" -- there are villains aplenty, and heavy-handed moral themes, and even unique character parallels, but all of these elements are tossed into the mix with no direction whatsoever.
Even worse is Justin Theroux's tragically lazy, and shockingly boring, script. His story has no real guiding light. Everything is circumstantial or meaningless. Take, for example, one of the film's two action sequences (yes, there are only two action sequences in the entire film). It's a brawl about 35-minutes into the feature between Stark and the film's principal (but rarely seen) villain, Ivan Vanko (aka Whiplash).
Stark slips out onto the racetrack before the battle and indulges in a Richard Branson-inspired gimmick -- he races his own Indy car. Meanwhile, Pepper Potts, Stark's newly appointed CEO and longtime friend, freaks out, unaware that Stark was about to race (and possibly commit suicide). Stark's new assistant (a worthless character played by Scarlett Johansson) is equally shocked. Then, just moments after the race has begun, Whiplash shows up. He sneaks out onto the track wearing a pit crew jumpsuit. He then exposes his own weaponry (a pair of handy laser whips) to attack Stark.
That's fine. It makes for a fun, if dumb, action sequence. One question though: How did Whiplash know that Stark would be racing? Even Stark's friends, assistant and CEO didn't know. Was Vanko just guessing? Frankly, such lazy scripting simply shouldn't exist in a movie of this caliber. Not with these performers and such a solid director at the helm.
It almost seems as though Favreau and crew wanted to make the antithesis of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight." They wanted a film that was lighthearted, fun and perhaps a little a goofy. But by doing that, they removed the heart of the film. It's almost ironic that, for most of the film, Stark is suffering from a heart infection -- a flaw in the arc reactor design. It seems a strange metaphor for the feature as a whole.
The faults of the performers, the writing and direction quickly combine to make an unruly cinematic experience -- a film that wants to please the hardcore comic book fans, but throws so much into the meat grinder it drowns in its own excess. Nothing is satisfying. There's so much going on, so much so there isn't even room for action, yet nothing of interest seems to be really taking place.
Basically, the entire film feels like a side-step along the journey to the much-anticipated "Avengers" movie (to be directed by "Firefly"-alum Joss Whedon). But frankly, after this outing, just like Nick Fury, leader of S.H.I.E.L.D feels in the film, I'm not sure I want Iron Man to participate anymore.
Film Report Card:
Entertainment Value: C
Film Value: C-
Final Grade:
C-
Verdict: Check it out at the dollar-theater or wait for video.
Side Note:
Be sure to stick around after the credits for a fun post-credit cookie.
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----R. L. Shaffer