Robert Downey Jr. and crew are back for the sequel to Iron Man. This time around, Mickey Rourke plays the villain and Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as James “Rhodey” Rhodes aka War Machine.
IMDB Synopsis: With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, along with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances — and confront powerful enemies.
“Iron Man 2” begins with Tony Stark embracing his celebrity status as the coolest superhero in the world. Little does he know that Russian villain, Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), has a vendetta against him. Whiplash’s primary weapon are laser…whips and we see him whooping Iron Man’s ass every time they fight. I still don’t get how whips are far superior to Iron Man’s missiles and his flying abilities. This is the main problem with the movie: build up. Everything is thrown together so quickly that there’s no explanation what’s going on screen. We see it happening but there’s no emotional feeling behind it.
Director John Favreau tries to stay close to the comics by making Tony Stark have emotional issues and it doesn’t work. Stark becomes condescending and self centered. Instead of feeling sorry for him, he becomes a jerk. Surprisingly, Terrence Howard as Rhodey in the original is better than Don Cheadle. It felt like Cheadle was just tacked on to don War Machine. The movie doesn’t even show how Rhodey learns how to use the suit. He just does because he hangs out with Stark.
While the movie was below average, there were some enjoyable moments. The banter between Stark’s driver (played by director John Favreau) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) was amusing. I wish they had more scenes together. While Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury delivers his lines with wit and sarcasm and makes his short screen time count.
Since there is enough charm from the cast, the movie is watchable. What disappointed me the most was that I stopped caring for the characters I adored in the original.
If you want a fun action comic book movie, I suggest watching Kick Ass instead.
Grade: C
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Reservoired Dog
May 7, 2010 -
I agree with your review, it was good but not great. The end battle was such a nice build up but the fight with Wiplash was very anti-climactic. Robert Downey Jr really carries this movie, and that is one thing they can’t change.
The Pillows
May 7, 2010 -
If the movie was below average, it should have been a D+.
Cricket
May 7, 2010 -
C+ to me is average.
Mongoose
May 7, 2010 -
Mickey Rourke doesnt seem committed about being Whiplash; it’s almost like he’s embarrassed, same with Cheadle. Gotta love the slow-mos of Rourke walking around in the tracks for 10 minutes.
Magnus782
May 9, 2010 -
I think the film had the same problem as the first film; an interesting and memorable villain. Also, Cheadle’s Rhodey was a wuss, not the brave solider from the comics.