Comic book sequels are always a crapshoot. Some have been better than the original (Spider-Man 2,X2:X-Men United and obiviously The Dark Knight) and some have completely crashed and burned (Fantastic Four:Rise Of The Silver Surfer and Batman and Robin). Iron Man 2 actually avoids doing both of those. It is not as good as the original but its also no where near awful.
The new chapter in the Iron Man franchise picks up 6 months after the end of the first Iron Man. Tony Stark(again played by Robert Downey Jr.) has been basking in glory at the fact that Iron Man is a true hero. Crime is at all an all-time low and Stark is the leading force behind. The government wants Stark to turn over the Iron Man weapon. Stark ends up winning the court case. Despite winning the court case Stark's problem aren't even close to over. Russian Ivan Vanko(Mickey Rourke) has constructed his own suit and wants Stark dead. Stark's heart is giving out on him and his life-long rival Justin Hammer(Same Rockwell) also wants on in on the glory of the Iron Man suit.
Iron Man 2 is pretty much the epitome of a summer blockbuster. It gets the job in the entertainment department. The action sequences are top-notch and defintley help the film balance out with some of its weaker elements. Despite introducing a ton of new characters none of them really feel forced. The script succeeds in giving all the new characters reveleance and they aren't just there chewing up screen time. Acting wise Downey Jr. is great as usual. His charisma and the way he approaches the roles makes Tony Stark/Iron Man one of the most memorable superheroes ever. Don Cheadle also does quite a good job replacing Terrence Howard as Col.James Rhodes/War Machine. Cheadle I think overall is a better fit for the role then Howard was. Rockwell plays Justin Hammer quite well. I think he was a great casting choice as a villian and despite Hammer being a very old man in the comic I think the writers made a good choice making the character younger and having Rockwell play him.
This film does have its shortcomings though. Mickey Rourke was a good choice to play Whiplash but his Russian accent seems kind of phony. I mean it didn't bug me that much but should have gotten a better grasp on the accent. The biggest problem this film has though is that the story is just no where near as engaging as the first one. The first one was pretty much flawless in the pacing and direction of the story. This installment drags in some places and just isn't nearly as enthralling of a story.
Iron Man 2 is a worthwhile sequel and a solid entry to the Iron Man franchise. It is not on the same level as the first one and It is a bit disappointing but it does what it was supposed to. Hopefully Iron Man 3 has a better plot and they give Samuel L.Jackson (Nick Fury) a bigger role because he needed more screen time. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment and I hope this franchise will end up with Spider-Man and X-Men as one of the elite Marvel comic franchises.
4/5 Stars
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