Iron Man 2 is more ambitious, quirkier, and more action-packed than its predecessor. It improves upon the first film in a number of ways, but at the same time fails to measure up to it in a number of important aspects.
The story takes place about six months after the previous film. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is now an even bigger celebrity than ever: genius, billionaire CEO, superhero, and one-man-army, he has singlehandedly stabilized the world stage, leading to the longest period of uninterrupted peace in years. Not only that, but he’s stepped up his philanthropic efforts, staging a huge, year-long ‘Stark Expo,’ showcasing the best and brightest technology from around the world. In short, Tony Stark is still a changed man following his conversion in the previous film.
Changed, not completely different. He may be giving more to the world these days, but he’s still self-centered, irresponsible, and, increasingly, unstable. His social disorders have gotten worse, and he is now prone to reckless, impulsive behavior, such as giving away his entire Modern Art collection, or taking it upon himself to drive in the Circuit de Monaco.
His excuse for this behavior is that he’s dying: the arch reactor in his chest is slowly poisoning his blood, leaving him with only a few weeks to live, a fact he is studiously keeping from his assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his best friend, Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle, ably replacing Terrance Howard).
He has other problems as well. Not everyone is happy about his taking it upon himself to fly around the world protecting freedom. The Senate, particularly the obnoxious Sen. Stern (Garry Shandling), wants him to hand the Iron Man suit over to the government, while Rhodey thinks he should enroll himself into the armed forces so that he’ll have both some backup and accountability. In addition, rouge nations like Iran and North Korea are working to duplicate his technology, as is his obnoxious business rival, Justin Hammer (hilarious Sam Rockwell), though their prototypes are far from functional (“I’d say these countries are five, ten years away from a working prototype. Hammer Industries, twenty.”).
Worst of all for him, however, is the fact that someone has duplicated his technology. Ivan Vanko (intimidating Mickey Rourke), a Russian physicist and ex-convict with a grudge against the Stark family, has replicated the arc reactor and uses it to power a pair of electrified whips that put him in Iron Man’s league, a fact he demonstrates very directly at the Monaco race track.
“If you could make God bleed,” Vanko tells Tony after their battle. “Then people would stop believing in him.” Vanko may have lost their first battle, but he’s made his point: Iron Man isn’t invincible, and his technology isn’t as unique as he thinks it is.
The incident sends Tony’s life spiraling even further out of control. There is renewed government pressure on him to give his technology to the military, while at the same time his blood-toxicity levels increase dramatically, eventually leading to a drunken brawl at his birthday party that leaves him alone and humiliated as his life draws to a close.
Meanwhile, Justin Hammer decides that Vanko is just the man he needs to show up Tony Stark. With that in mind, he breaks him out of jail and, as one critic so succinctly put it, “woos him like a bow-tied freshman determined to take the Goth biker-chick to the prom.” Vanko, while clearly disdainful of Hammer (and not without reason), can’t argue that he needs his resources and sets to work on a bigger and more nefarious plan to destroy Tony…
As you can tell, this is a much less straightforward film than its predecessor; plots and subplots abound, and not all of them pay off. In addition to what I’ve outlined above, there is also Tony’s attempt to come to terms with his troubled relationship with his deceased father (John Slattery), his decision to make Pepper CEO of Stark Industries, and the mysterious, stunningly gorgeous new assistant sent in ‘from legal’ to handle the transition (Scarlett Johansson, surprisingly persuasive in a role most actresses would look ridiculous in).
One of the most common complaints regarding this film is that it includes too much, a complaint not without merit. Personally, however, I thought the film juggled its numerous subplots with comparative grace, only dropping one or two at the most. Certainly it does much better in this regard than the equally over-stuffed Spider-Man 3 (which, I confess, I enjoyed more than most, but certainly it was a story in need of massive trimming).
Once again, the movie shines in its dialogue and character-driven scenes, particularly between Pepper and Tony. They’re as much fun as ever, though their relationship has clearly changed at this point. When we first met them, there was a definite divide between them; they were friends, but more importantly he was her boss and she was his employee. Here that line is blurred even before he appoints her CEO; she openly calls his art collection “ours,” noting the time and effort she spent on it, and she generally seems much more willing to call him out and confront him about his behavior. For his part, it soon becomes clear that Tony has by now officially fallen in love with Pepper, but his emotional problems mean that he has no idea how to express this (and his attempts to do so lead to some very funny scenes. “You made an omelet?” “Where do you think I’ve been for the past three hours?”). I’m glad the filmmakers are allowing the characters to grow and develop rather than merely attempting to redo the first movie. This time around their trademark banter is also amusingly mirrored by Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko, whose scenes together are some of the funniest in the film as Hammer prattles on endlessly while Vanko merely watches with a bemused expression.
Downey Jr. again carries the film ably; this time showcasing Stark’s deteriorating health and spirits with great feeling and nuance. I particularly liked how Tony was able to go from staring dejectedly in front of mirror one minute to cheekily commandeering a race car the next, letting us see how he is layering on his playboy persona ever more thickly to cover up his own despair at his impending death. He’s also particularly good in the aforementioned scenes where he tries to confess his feelings to Pepper, starting and stopping so many times that he only serves to make her even more concerned about his mental stability. As in the first film, Downey Jr. excels at portraying Stark’s more irresponsible and selfish side while still holding the audience’s sympathies. He lets us see that Tony really is trying to do better, even though his habits and personality issues constantly drag him back downwards. Tony, in short, is a deeply flawed man with good intentions who isn’t entirely sure how to carry those intentions over into practice. He hasn’t lost anything in the transition to a sequel, and is still an interesting and delightful character to watch.
Paltrow likewise is still a joy to have around, though she’s much more assertive and serious in this film, as she grows increasingly fed up with Tony’s irresponsible, self-destructive behavior (which, as she reminds him constantly, she, as the CEO of his company, has to make amends for). She has a number of very funny scenes with Tony, particularly when he arrives in her office to apologize for the aforementioned birthday party (and to express his feelings for her, though he doesn’t quite manage that) bearing an atonement gift of strawberries. “Do you know,” she says, fuming. “There is only one thing in the world I’m allergic to?” “This is progress,” he responds hopefully. “I knew there was a correlation between you and strawberries.” Pepper is still a strong, self-possessed woman, one you can easily see running a major company and, as Tony seems to realize, not one who would be won over easily. I also appreciate the fact that, despite her being an undeniably strong female character, she is not an action star. She avoids the action wherever possible, and panics and screams when she can’t. It’s good to see that the filmmakers understand that “strong woman” and “badass tough girl” are not the same thing.
Speaking of which, Scarlett Johansson as Natalie Rushman AKA Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow unfortunately doesn’t have a whole lot to do for most of the film. There’s some gesturing towards her being a spoiler in the Tony-Pepper romance, but we never really buy it and the film wisely doesn’t press the issue. Mostly her role involves being mysterious and looking good (two things Johansson pulls of very well, it should be noted), and she doesn’t really come into her own until the climax. Once she does though, it’s well worth the wait. I would particularly like to applaud the fight choreographers for giving her moves that a woman of her size and build actually could conceivably use effectively against larger male opponents, ensuring that our enjoyment of the scene isn’t tempered by overly stressing our suspension of disbelief. Rather than kicking or punching her opponents into submission, Black Widow uses a variety of take-downs, joint-strikes, chokes, and elbows, relying on her speed and maneuverability while striking at her opponent’s weak points. Generally the idea of slim, attractive women beating up larger men is fairly stupid, but here it actually works.
Don Cheadle makes a very able replacement for Terrance Howard, who, as noted, didn’t make much of an impression in the previous film. Cheadle is more able to match the rapid-fire dialogue, as well as generally coming across as tougher and more military than the friendly-looking Howard. Fittingly, Rhodey has an expanded role this time around, with more emphasis placed both on his friendship with Tony and his own tough-guy credentials (which were mostly theoretical last time). Here Rhodey actually puts on the Iron Man suit (which he only gazed at longingly in the first film) and goes toe-to-toe with Stark. Later, upgraded with new weapon systems, he emerges as a superhero in his own right in the form of War Machine, leading to a spectacular climactic battle where he and Iron Man team up to take on Vanko.
Mickey Rourke, meanwhile, makes a truly imposing villain. A massive, tattooed Russian, he comes across as the anti-Tony: equally brilliant, but as impoverished and taciturn as Tony is rich and chatty. Rourke deserves especial credit for making Vanko both sympathetic and frightening: he’s not a two-dimensional bad guy out to cause mayhem simply out of self-interest; he’s a bitter, fanatical son taking vengeance on perceived wrongs done to his father. He has a definite humanity to him, keeping a pet cockatoo, which he dotes on. When he speaks, he can be eloquent and philosophical, mirroring Tony’s rare moments of silent focus and introspection, and even shows a sense of humor, particularly in his interactions with Hammer. At the same time, though, he demonstrates an utter disregard for human life, making him a hypocrite of the first order. “You come from a family of thieves and butchers,” he tells Tony at one point, yet he himself sees nothing wrong with murdering innocent people to enact his revenge upon Tony. At the Monaco racetrack, for instance, he casually destroys at least two racecars for no apparent reason before getting Tony in his sights. Vanko is a complex, contradictory character; a villain who is both fascinating and repulsive at the same time.
Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer is probably the single funniest element in the movie. Like Tony, he’s an irrepressible chatterbox and billionaire CEO. Unlike Tony, he’s almost completely inept at what he does, relying on his salesmanship and smooth talking to get ahead, rather than his technical expertise. Stark is a genuine genius, Hammer is a self-aggrandizing parasite. Rockwell’s constant stream of dialogue, his repeated attempts to best Tony, and his rather pathetic attempts to schmooze Vanko are consistently hilarious.
Other rolls are generally reprised from the previous film. Paul Bettany is back as JARVIS, who is, if anything, even snarkier this time around (“Might I say how refreshing it is to see you in a video with your clothes on, sir”). Clark Gregg is back as Agent Coulson, though his role is considerably reduced here, to the point that it’s little more than a cameo (he does get at least one great line though). Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury has his largest role yet, though it still probably comes in at under five minutes (“Do I look at the eye or the patch?” Tony asks upon meeting him). The mechanical arm “Dummy” returns as well, though its role, like Coulson’s is substantially reduced. In contrast, director Jon Favreau as Tony’s bodyguard/driver Happy Hogan has been upgraded from cameo to supporting character and gets some very funny scenes (most of which revolve around his being bested by Black Widow). John Slattery as Howard Stark, appearing in archive footage, gives off a definite Howard Hughes/Walt Disney vibe (I doubt his first name is accidental) and has one particularly touching moment speaking to his son from across the gap of time and death, saying the words he couldn’t say in life.
The action scenes are definitely improved this time around, with higher stakes and larger scope. The climactic battle is better and more impressive than the previous film’s somewhat routine fight with Iron Monger, and other scenes, such as the fight at the racetrack, likewise show greater creative energy than last time, as though the filmmakers have grown more comfortable with the characters. I already mentioned the excellent Black Widow sequence near the end of the film, but it really is one of the best scenes in the movie, my only complaint being that it could have stood to go on a little longer. The rough brawl between Iron Man and War Machine, meanwhile, is probably the most routine action scene in either film, but packs enough emotional punch to make up for its comparative lack of creativity.
Thematically, the film is about legacy: what has been left to us by our fathers and what we leave behind in our turn. Vanko inherited bitterness and hatred from his father, in addition to the technology to put his hatred into action. Stark inherited wealth and genius, but also a number of neurosis and character flaws that continue to plague him. Faced with his own death, Stark doesn’t know how to respond and in the process threatens to derail his own legacy (though a throw-away line implies that he intended Iron Man to live on after him as his final gift to the world). The movie, alas, doesn’t realize these ideas as successfully as its predecessor, and the legacy theme doesn’t really pay off effectively, but it adds an interesting layer to the proceedings and lends a little depth to the story. I also appreciated the depiction of Stark’s struggles with his social maladjustment in his relationship with Pepper, trying to struggle past his own psychological issues to make a stab at a normal relationship.
The biggest problem with the film is that its attempt to take on too much leads to some elements feeling out of place. For instance, a meeting with Nick Fury half-way through the film doesn’t really establish anything that couldn’t have been done otherwise, and welcome as Black Widow is, she doesn’t really contribute much to the actual story of the film. Basically, you can tell that the writers really wanted to include her and Fury in the movie and see the stitches where they inserted them. Both are enjoyable enough that this doesn’t really take much away from the film, but it’s a little distracting.
More problematic is the way the many, many elements in the film sometimes lead to perfunctory or unsatisfactory resolutions. Stark’s reconciliation with his deceased father, while touching enough, is a little too neat and doesn’t really address what seem to be the central issues of the relationship, requiring the audience to fill in the gaps for themselves. Likewise, another major plotline is dealt with in a massive story contrivance which requires us to swallow quite a bit in a short amount of time.
Another issue is that it sometimes feels like the filmmakers were trying too hard to bring back as many characters from the first film as possible, whether they had a place in the story or not. For instance, though it leads to some amusing moments, I don’t think we really needed to see Christine Everhart (Leslie Bibb) again. In the same manner, Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, while always a welcome presence, feels like he’s only here because the filmmakers felt they had to have him to tie the film in with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He literally has maybe three short scenes, including the teaser after the credits.
Other flaws are not so glaring, but drag the film down some. Senator Stern is a ridiculous caricature of the two-faced politician (though he thankfully doesn’t have too much screen-time). Tony’s antics, particularly at his birthday party, occasionally threaten to alienate the audience as well as his friends. Some elements, such as Black Widow’s inexplicably seductive attitude towards Tony in one scene, simply don’t make sense considering what’s been established. We also have to wonder, given Hammer’s gross incompetence, how he managed to get as far as he has in the first place.
On the whole, though, the film’s strengths are enough that these flaws can be overlooked. We note them, acknowledge them, but ultimately they don’t overly affect our enjoyment of the film. Like I said regarding Black Widow; we know she isn’t really necessary to the story, but we appreciate her presence nonetheless. Basically, the film is enough fun, the actors are charismatic and talented enough, and the action is thrilling enough that we can look past the flaws and just enjoy the ride.
Final Rating: 4/5. Pretty much the same recommendations from the first film apply, with the addendum of a willingness to let unnecessary elements slide and the addition of those who appreciate an especially good villain.
Memorable Quotes:
(first line)
Tony: “Oh, it’s good to be back!”
Justin Hammer: “I believe you know Christine Everhart?”
Pepper: “Yes, we’ve met.”
Hammer: “She’s doing a spread on me for Vanity Fair…”
Pepper: “Yes, she did quite a spread on Tony last year…”
Tony: “And she wrote a story too.”
“Natalie Rushman:” “I need to get your impression.”
Tony: “Okay, you have a quiet reserve about you…”
“Rushman:” “I meant your fingerprint.”
(Upon meeting “Natalie Rushman” for the first time)
Tony: “I want one.”
Pepper: “No.”
Vanko: (to Tony) “You come a from a family of thieves and butchers. And now, like all guilty men, you try to rewrite your own history. To forget the lives the Stark family has destroyed.”
(to Vanko)
Justin Hammer: “You and me, we’re a lot alike.”
(Vanko raises an eyebrow)
Nick Fury: “Sir! I’m going to have to ask you to exit the donut!”
(Tony is incoherently trying to confess his feelings to Pepper in her office)
Pepper: “I need you…”
Tony: “I need you too, that’s what…”
Pepper: “To leave.”
Howard Stark: “What is, and always will be, my greatest creation…is you.”
Vanko: (to Tony) “What you and your father did to my family over forty years, I will do to you in forty minutes.”
Tony: “You sound pretty spry for a dead guy.”
Vanko: “You too! Heh heh.”
Iron Man: “You have a big gun, you aren’t the big gun.”
War Machine: “Yeah, it’s called being a badass.”
(reading the assessment Black Widow has written on him)
Tony: “’Mr. Stark displays textbook narcissism…’ agreed.”
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