IRON MAN 2

Rating

Director
Jon Favreau
Screenplay
Justin Theroux
Length
124 min.
Starring
Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, Jon Favreau, Paul Bettany, Garry Shandling
MPAA Rating
PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.

Review
Two years and millions of dollars later, Iron Man makes his second foray onto the big screen with double the action and double the characters, but only half the brilliance.

Iron Man 2’s central thrust arises out of Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) need to discover a new element to power his body, a powerful, but poisonous plutonium affair. While he’s at his weakest emotionally and physically, several threats arise to put further pressure on him to find a way out.

The psychological effects of Starks’ impending mortality are well played out, but they are only a small aspect of the film. They play into the plot of the film, but seem more peripheral than integral. It’s in these scenes that Downey Jr. really excels, creating a credible and interesting aspect to the character while the film around him mutes everything he could possibly achieve given more time.

One of the ways this film suffers is by adding several new characters in the hopes of keeping the franchise feeling fresh. Both of Iron Man 2’s villains are ostensibly working together and towards the same goal, which helps mitigate many of the problems that additional villains have hindered films like Spider-Man 3. However, the villains aren’t the reason why the film feels so bloated. In addition to a new actor playing Rhodey (Don Cheadle), we have Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) appearing in far too much of the film, helping set up the forthcoming Avengers film and thus being forced to figure somehow into the plot; and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), an agent of Fury’s organization S.H.I.E.L.D. and showing up for no really important reason and also needing to be pushed into the plot of the film.

With so many main characters, the film does well at keeping them from getting jumbled together, but it still far busier than it needs to be, especially when you add in so many other lesser characters: S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg); Tony’s father Howard Stark (John Slattery); his trainer, driver and bodyguard Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau); and Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), the man trying to force him to turn over his suit to the U.S. government.

The writing is a bit too windy at times, filling up space that could have been filled with silence. It’s as if the superhero franchise must be overflowing with witty repartee, cynical observations, and humorous double-entendres. Actor-turned-screenwriter Justin Theroux has some nice bits of dialogue in the film, but after awhile, everything feels a bit excessive.

As an example, one of the earliest scenes is an overtly political senate hearing where Tony not only refuses to hand over the Iron Man “weapon” to the U.S. government, but actively defies the senate in his stylish, quip-laden way. The scene is flooded with technology and humor and exemplifies the film’s major issue: too much crammed into too little space. It’s like trying to fit an elephant into a Volvo. You can do it, but it’s going to be sticking out in rather ludicrous and unnecessary places and you probably won’t get the vehicle to go anywhere.

And part of the problem is Jon Favreau’s desire to make the second film bigger, stronger and better. Whether the studio convinced him that toning down the political elements of the first film would help it appeal to a wider audience or he simply forgot how to engage the audience in ways other than excitement, the result is less deep and less creatively expressive than the original.

Although the film is certainly a crowd pleaser, the film lacks much of the original film’s creative imagination and depth. One of the most impressive elements of the first film was its political overtones. Discussing at length the billionaire munitions manufacturer’s eye witness exploration of the deadly and vicious game in which his company competes, and how it causes him to turn his creativity and intelligence towards making the world a safer place rather than a place just to make money.

That sentiment is a wonderful one, but you don’t get anything like it from Iron Man 2. It’s your typical summer blockbuster and will still do rather well. However, Favreau has a lot of work to do if he’s going to make the inevitable third film in the franchise feel lighter, quicker and more mentally challenging instead of just superfluously entertaining.

Iron Man was a unique entry in the comic book film genre. Its sequel is not. Iron Man 2 is a derivative experience sharing more in common with films like Spider-Man 3, Superman Returns and Fantastic Four than with the original and that’s unfortunate.
Review Written
May 11, 2010
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