Head to Head: Iron Man 2

By Jackie Ammons     5/16/10 7:00pm

Jackie

I know from firsthand experience that sitting between the Thresher Arts & Entertainment editor and the former Thresher editor in chief while reviewing a film can be intimidating. But as we watched Iron Man 2, Joe Dwyer and Casey Michel may have become more afraid of me after I kept gripping their arms in a deathlock during action scenes featuring Mickey Rourke's electroshock whips. Let's just say that Iron Man may be strong, but my grip can be even stronger.A vast improvement over 2008's Iron Man, Iron Man 2 is a more polished and classic-feeling comic-turned-film. While the original Iron Man had a strong focus on current events and attempted to tie terrorism and Middle East politics into the plot, Iron Man 2 goes back to the basics: It delivers an intense yet comedic action film with solid character development, high-tech gadgets and beautiful women who come to the hero's rescue.

Iron Man 2 continues the story of Tony Stark (Sherlock Holmes' Robert Downey Jr.), the cocky weapons tycoon who has just revealed himself to be the man behind the famous and beloved mask of Iron Man. Lieutenant Colonel Rhodey (Brooklyn's Finest's Don Cheadle) continues to be Stark's ally in the military world, and Pepper Potts (Two Lovers' Gwyneth Paltrow) returns as Stark's ever-faithful assistant who takes over as CEO of Stark Industries. Natalie Rushman (He's Just Not That Into You's Scarlett Johansson), the newest addition to the world of Iron Man, assists Stark in his quest to defeat a rival weapons tycoon (Everybody's Fine's Sam Rockwell) and his evil assistant (13's Rourke).

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Downey's interpretation of Tony Stark is perhaps the best element of the film; Stark's inflated ego, wittiness and compassion make him a likeable and amusing character. And Johansson's character, as might be expected, is more eye candy than a dynamic part of the plotline, but she functions particularly well in this side role.

While sequels are often notorious for failing to live up to the hype of the original film, Iron Man 2 matches - and surpasses - the original. With witty dialogue and a fast-paced, intense plot, Iron Man 2 an excellent summer comic-book movie.

Casey

Two years ago, director Jon Favreau took us into the unheralded world of Tony Stark, presenting every boy's Disneyland dream of monied glitz and explosive power. Favreau returned this month with the second chapter of the Iron Man saga, carrying along the same amount of red-and-gold glamour, and while Iron Man 2's engine occasionally stalls in the middle, it is also buoyed by a healthy mixture of Mickey Rourke's tattoos, the always impregnable Robert Downey Jr., and the creepiest band of AI drones this side of the Cylons.

Instead of following the traditional path of super-sequels giving up the costumes - think Spidey and Bats - Favreau instead follows Iron Man's inception to its logical conclusion: As Rourke's character, Whiplash, alludes, all the sharks will be out looking for blood. Pairing with the petulant Justin Hammer, Stark's rival weapon-producing CEO, Whiplash seeks to collapse everything from Stark's creation to his father's legacy - total annihilation, via electric whip.

The story suffers, as many of the genre do, from a weighty script, and plotlines sometimes cavalcade into distraction rather than augmentation. But between Scarlett Johansson's body-hugging unitard, Stark's surprisingly poignant moments remembering his father, and all those damned toys - nothing has boosted future computer science and electrical engineering ranks like these movies - audiences will find themselves happily along for the ride.

Downey displays his trademark cut, from his suit to his wit, and Gwyneth Paltrow, numbingly beautiful as the redheaded Pepper Potts, provides a charming foil to Downey's banter. The only stuffy performance, in fact, comes from Johansson, though any 18-to-24-year-old male (i.e., the demographic sought) won't pay any mind while watching her ridiculous mixed martial arts moves.

The combat scenes far surpass those produced in the first film. Yeah, even the scene in which Favreau, reprising his role as the cheery Happy, stomps a rippling bodyguard and makes it seem like he's doing nothing but pleasuring himself on screen - see the movie, you'll get the joke. Likewise, the lion's share of the Iron Man mythos makes it to the screen as Don Cheadle, stepping in for Terrance Howard, finally picks up the War Hammer moniker. Favreau treads lightly around Stark's alcoholism, but you need to leave some fodder for the third installment, right?

And speaking of installments, the next time Iron Man soars through the silver screen will come as a member of The Avengers, as the Easter eggs dotting the film made hilariously obvious. After seeing this flick, Steve Rogers is undoubtedly smiling to know that his shield has found yet another use.

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