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This is Iron Man
Encore film review of Iron Man 2
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Within the first five minutes of Iron Man 2, the issue of stereotyping and class is brought up, followed by another five minutes of racism and sexism. But Robert Downey Jr. is just so charming as Tony Stark, we forgive all of his misgivings with his claim to fame:
“I am Iron Man.”
The film picked up about a year after the original left off. Stark Industries has hit a new high and the world is at peace thanks to the weapons manufacturer (ironically enough). Tony Stark is a super star living his high lifestyle, this time with an even closer relationship to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts.
Not all is well with Mr. Stark, however. He is under questioning led by the surprisingly present Gary Shandling, and the device implanted in his chest that previously saved his life appears to be killing him. On top of that, he is now confronted with a new enemy, son of his father’s business partner, Ivan Vanko (based off of the villain Whiplash), played by Mickey Rourke.
With an all-star cast, one could expect some all-star performances. Downey and Paltrow played off of each other well with their quick bickering and Potts’ ability to keep Stark’s ego in check. Rourke’s performance as Vanko is forgettable as he is forced into a position as the lesser of two evils to Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer. We were introduced to Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff (future Black Widow), who unfortunately fell flat, and Samuel L. Jackson’s Fury, who held little significance in Iron Man 2, but shows promise for the announced Avengers movie where he (along with Downey and Johansson) will reprise his role.
Don Cheadle’s replacement of Terrence Howard was a step up, and in a classic Jon Favreau move, he cast himself in his own film as the (well performed) comic relief.
For a sequel in the supersaturated comic book genre, Iron Man 2 outperformed many of its rivals as a fun, action packed movie, a great opening for the summer movie season. Be sure to stick around post-credits for an extra scene, sure to make comic fans salivate. For more information, please visit www.ironmanmovie.marvel.com.