Iron Man 2

Films based on Marvel comics always hold a special place in my heart. I try to be objective but the characters are just so cool. When the first Iron Man was released, the character replaced Spider-Man in a lot of ways as THE superhero that was considered to be the best by the American public. We saw with the release of Spider-Man 3, and the eventual drama that ensued with the studio, that the hype can get to be too much, even with a fictional character. Luckily, The Dark Knight came out and took away all expectations for a comic book film and Iron Man 2 can just exist for what it is.

The Iron Man franchise’s strength lies with its acting. Robert Downey Jr. has become one of the most popular actors in the world and usually has the performances to back it up. His second time out as Tony Stark was good but I could have used a little more development from the first film. Mickey Rourke stole the show, portraying Whiplash, a poor scientist hell-bent on revenge with intelligence close to the level of Stark’s. He was creepy, but even creepier than the real life Mickey Rourke so there was some acting involved.

The rest of the main actors were strong, as expected, except Scarlet Johansson. I seem to be the only one complaining about her performances, but it was as if she was reading off of cue cards.

The pacing and overall plot was also well built, while being a bit fragmented at times. The very funny and entertaining first half of the film lost a few steps at the end when the plot fell victim to “Transformer-esque” robot battles. I would have preferred a more intimate fight, like the one Whiplash, and Iron Man had at the racetrack, earlier in the film.

Lastly, I have to mention the hidden puzzle pieces featured throughout the movie. I am very excited about the Avengers spin-off that is in the works, but I feel that if I can’t catch the references, non-comic book fans don’t stand a chance. We want to be in on the game, but it’s awfully hard to pause the movie and rewind when we see it in the theaters

Now comes the moment of truth for director John Favreau, and everyone involved in the next installment. How can they make Iron Man 3 live up to hype and not fall victim to the “Spider-Man 3 effect?” The most likely solution they’ll use is throwing more money at it. (8.8 out of 10)