Iron Man 2
Mon, May 3, 2010 
When it was first announced back in 2005, that Marvel was developing a live action incarnation of Iron Man, the billionaire playboy /arms dealer turned super hero. I think it’s safe to say, the general audience had no idea who he was, and had no interest in the character. Then came the casting of Robert Downey Jr. , both the fan boys and the general audience’ interest was dramatically spiked. Iron Man was released in May of 2008, it opened with 98.6 million, and went on to earn over 585 million worldwide. A sequel was inevitable.
Iron Man 2 takes place six months after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) announces to the world, he is Iron Man.
It starts off in Russia, where we’re first introduced to Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), he’s watching the news broadcast as Stark declares to the world “I am Iron Man”. Then jump to New York, where Tony/ Iron Man is hosting the newly revived Stark Expo, extravagant entrance and all. Stark declares to the audience “If feels good to be back”, and goes on to talk about creating world peace. As he’s leaving the expo, he’s served with a subpoena to appear in front of the senate of arms comity.
It’s at the comity hearing, where we’re first introduced to Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) of Hammer Industries, he is the Department of Defence primary arms contractor, and he’s at the hearing on belhalf of the military which would like Stark to hand over his Iron Man technology, in order for Hammer to put it into mass production for them. Both in attendance for the military as well as Stark, comes in James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) , he sticks his neck out on the line for Stark, but Tony interrupts him anyways, wins over the senate, and refuses to hand over the armour saying “you want my property, you can’t have it, I’ve successfully privatize world peace, you’re welcome”, to which the senator replies “F*** you Mr. Stark, F*** you buddy”. This basically sets up the tone of the movie, He has changed the world, and the US military is not happy with just that, they intend to stop at nothing to obtain his technology.
Tony realizes his technology that happens to be keeping him alive, and powering his suit, is also killing him, so he appoints his assistant Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow) as CEO and chairman of Stark Industries.
Six months later, back in Russia, Ivan is creating his own version of the arc reactor originally designed by Howard Stark, from blue prints he just happens to have laying around. Once he has reactor constructed, he purchases a passport and ticket to the Monaco Grand Prix, where Tony Stark is set to appear.
The pace really jumps all over the place like this for the first half of the movie, from Russia they head back to Tony’s house in Maibu, where happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Tony are boxing, in comes undercover Russian super spy Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), who happens to also be Starks new assistant and replacement for Pepper Pots. She gets in the boxing ring with Hogan, and essentially twists his arm around and throws him on his ass, I think this was meant to hint at the fact that there is obviously something more to her, but as most everyone going in will already know, she also a SHEILD agent by the name of Black Widow.
The Monaco Grand Prix, one of only a select few action sequences through out the film, is done amazingly. Tony unexpectedly last second decides to drive the race car he’s sponsoring, himself. Whiplash aka Ivan Vanko walks right out onto the race track and starts cutting cars in half with his whips. Lucky for Tony though, Hogan comes to his rescue racing down the track in his Bentley with Potts, they deliver Tony the Iron Man armour suitcase, very cool. The only problem is, after this he quickly defeats whiplash and that’s it for the action until almost the end of the film. Stark visits Vanko in his Monaco prison cell, where he learns a little bit more about Vanko, and what exactly he knows.
Justin Hammer cleverly breaks Vanko out of prison in Monaco, in order to have him build the technology of Tony’s, that he’s not able to perfect himself, at the same time he’s able to set it up for everyone to believe that Vanko is dead. Hammer tells Vanko “ I want to go to the Stark Expo this year, and take a big dump in Tony’s front yard”. Clever I know, this is how extremely rich geniuses talk.
Bounce back to Stark’s birthday, where we get a small cameo from the now deceased Dj AM, who actually plays part in a small comedic moment between Iron Man and War Machine as he’s first introduced, sort of.
The entrance of Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) is where things start to get interesting. Natasha, Stark’s new assistant, is revealed as Black Widow, but does next to nothing until closer to the end. Fury knows that Stark is dying from the very thing keeping him alive, so he injects him with lithium dioxide to help, I have no idea what that is. He further explains Vanko’s “story” and his motive behind trying to kill him, it’s Fury that pushes Stark to develop the more perfected version of the arc reactor.
The second half of the film really tries to help set up the next few Marvel projects leading into the Avengers in 2012. SHEILD agent Coulson is reassigned from watching Stark, to New Mexico, which ties into the bonus scene after the end credits. The Captain America shield also makes a cameo, in the form of a table wedge of sorts, for Tony’s gigantic arc reactor, he shoves it underneath one side to help level it out.
Hammer finally clues into the fact that Vanko is only using him and his resources to help further his own personal vendetta with Stark, so he attempts to “muscle” him into doing what he wants. Great idea, you’re going to intimidate a huge crazy tattooed Russian genius, that happened to also spend 15 years in a Siberian prison, good luck.
The final battle lacks in comparison to what the Monaco grand Prix scene could have been, it still serves the general purpose of the story, but comes with a few small plot holes.
Fury’s last scene with Stark really sums up what Iron Man’s involvement with the Avengers will be, which was somewhat surprising.
Iron Man 2 is very successful at being a sequel, but it is not however the mind blowing experience you’ve been promised. I’ve heard some people say it's the Dark knight to it’s Batman Begins, not true. It came in about the same as what the first one did, maybe slightly better, it was not by any means worse, but also not a huge improvement either.
Biggest problem for me, was favreau beefing up his part as Happy Hogan for no real reason, and the lack of screen time for Whiplash, which Rourke did an amazing job bringing to life.
I'm giving Iron Man 2 an overall 6.5/10
Reader Comments (35)
I thnk shrek has lost a lot of it's appeal, and Iron Man will have no trouble in walking right over it, and all the other competition for atleast the next month
I don't doubt that Iron Man will make some serious money, but I doubt it will remain at number one right through until next month.
It will take the number one spot next weekend for sure, even though Robin Hood is opening it will likely land in second, then when Shrek opens dont kid yourself thats taking the number one spot, and Ironman will likely fall to number 2, then the following weekend sex and the city 2 opens up...Iron man will not remain in number one longer then this coming weekend and the week after.
Sweet review! got the full picture with your scene by scene re-call lol.
I think it was more of a 7/10
i think they really dropped the ball here. They rushed this out to quick so they could keep the thor cap and avenegrs sequel
@BRAD
What does rushing out Iron Man 2 have to do with keeping Thor or Cap? Very wierd, unless you meant keeping their release dates. I don't think this was rushed too much, but Favreau was doing a lot of other things that may have taken his attention away from Iron Man...some directors worry about one project at a time
sweet fuckin movie
I dont understand all the complaints i hope there is an iron man 3 then well have three good batmans and three good ironmans
How does this keep getting compared to dark knight? there was alot more story with batman. Iron man was cool, i agree with your review. it was fun, but it wasn't a mind blowing experience.
most of the comparison comes from the hype built up around its opening weekend, now that the actual numbers are in...TDK kicked Ironmans ass by 30 mill...not even close shell head
wicked movie, i wish iron man 3 was coming out before avnegers. it sounds like rdj is barely going to be in it