Iron Man 2

Released May 7 2010

Directed by Jon Favreau

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johanssen, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Bettany (voice), Jon Favreau

First Viewing May 9, 2010

Roger AND Jolly (co-written) – 2.5/5 stars

We loved the first Ironman. It was so fresh and clever, somehow. In the big-budget market of superhero movies, it was a breath of fresh air. It had heart and personality, and yet it was impressive, and fueled by terrific special effects which seemed to feed into and compliment the storyline, not overtake it.

Needless to say, we were excited for the sequel. After the first one, how could you not be? Well…it’s not a bad movie, but it’s not a very good one, either. It took us awhile, because the movie looks so good, and all the familiar characters are there, quipping their action-movie one-liners…but at the half-hour mark we began to feel the uncomfortable realization that we weren’t watching a good movie.

Honestly, Ironman 2 is a bit of a mess. It’s hard to tell at first. Mickey Rourke is pretty lethal as Ivan Vanko, and Robert Downey Jr. is the charismatic and loveable Tony Stark we have come to love. We’re all chuckling again comfortably at Pepper Pots and Tony Stark arguing together, and we settle into our seats for a good time.

And yet…plot holes begin to form. Big, gaping ones. Instead of a seamless blend of effects and plot, we are served long sequences of, for lack of better phrasing, “blowing things up.” The gratuitous violence really does feel gratuitous. Plot lines are introduced and coming at us from all directions, fast and without much explanation, development, or reason.

After the halfway point of the movie, Nick Fury (Jackson) comes along representing a mysterious “Avengers” agency, which really, all things considered, was pointless. Agent Romanoff (Johanssen), who is supposedly “Black Widow” (strangely, she is never referred to as such at any point in the movie. What’s going on there?), is part of this agency, but is covering this by playing assistant to Tony Stark. Her role is, once again, pointless. There are sparks between her and Tony, but they don’t lead anywhere. She’s apparently an assistant to Nick Fury, but in the end seems to have the authority to call the shots with the Avengers. Except Tony Stark doesn’t need the Avengers, as he says so himself in a meeting with Fury. So….what’s the point of the Avengers again?

Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell both did a terrific job, and their side storyline was the most interesting and well-developed. Don Cheadle has replaced Terrance Howard as Stark’s partner in crime, James Rhodes, and I’m sorry to say is put into another confusing, pointless role.

It’s all very silly, and we advise you not to think about things too much, because they don’t add up. In one scene, Tony Stark decides to drive his own car at the last minute in the Monaco Grand Prix. It’s a last-minute switch which surprises everyone, and yet how did Ivan Vanko know that it would be Tony Stark in his car, and not the registered other guy? He was already on his way to the track when the switch was made. If Agent Romanoff is so smart, why is she confused at the mysterious identity of the robot-soldier flying towards Ironman when even the audience knows it’s Vanko? And is it really that easy to come up with a new element? Why does Agent Romanoff have to pose for five seconds every time she beats somebody up? Wouldn’t somebody use that five seconds to kick her in the face?

Whereas the first Ironman was near-perfect, the only real reason for seeing this one is to catch up with Tony Stark and Co, and to follow the storylines of the characters we have come to love. Sadly, this one feels like the producers (or whoever) decided to cover up a bad storyline with lots of explosions and close-ups of Scarlett Johannsen looking “hot.” I guess if you’re a young guy, you might rate this the best movie of the summer, but as it stands, we think you should stick with the original for your Ironman fix.