Iron Man 2

This movie contains some throughly enjoyable moments that are on par with some of Downey Jnr's highlights as Tony Stark. The relationship between Pepper and Tony is taken further and built upon brilliantly in this movie. It contains some really cool and innovative action scenes which are taken for granted now. However the poor villain, a pattern in Iron Man Solo Outings, and the lack of direction meant this is easily the poorest Iron Man Performance. It's still an entertaining watch but you wouldn't be wrong if you skipped this movie when rewatching MCU Classics.

Jon Favreau knew exactly what he was doing with this movie. This is a sleek, no-holds barred superhero movie, with great performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Mickey Rourke. Let's face it, it was almost impossible to top the first one; nevertheless this a good sequel to one of the best superhero movies ever made.

Scarlett Johansson fulfilled her role as the the sexy and cunning agent Natasha Romanoff, and Gwyneth Paltrow is fine as Pepper Potts. Sam Rockwell plays Tony Stark's competitor, and does a pretty good job at it.

The only problem I have with this movie is that too many things have been fitted into 124 minutes. I understand that the movie was meant to be a roller-coaster ride, intended to thrill, but a little more character development would certainly have helped the movie. For example Samuel L. Jackson ans Johansson's characters are underused. Also, the ending was a little disoriented and predictable; something just didn't feel right about it.

All in all, Jon Favreau has made a movie that would please the fanboys and satisfy the critics. This is a movie that entertains, while still complementing the first movie, and setting up a third movie. If you liked the first movie, just go ahead and watch this movie - you won't see a masterpiece, but you'll have a fun day at the movies.

P.S.- Watch out for the after credits scene

Iron Man 2 is a lot messier than its game changing predecessor as it does what too many comic book sequels do and crams too many characters into one film. There's a genuine story of addiction that has to share screen time with 2 separate villain storylines and some clunky set up for the Avengers. On top of those, there's also another plot thread involving big revelations about Tony's father and it can't all cohere but it does a really good job overall.

MCU movies almost always cast the best people in the title roles and Robert Downey Jr. In every single appearance as Tony Stark/Iron Man is the epitome of Marvel casting in full effect. Whatever issues this film has, he's never one of them as he navigates a self destructive character arc by initially pushing away those closest to him. Scarlett Johansson is equally perfect thanks to her winning combination of confidence and mystique.

Sam Rockwell is a perfect pathetic villain who absolutely should've been utilised way more in the wider cinematic universe. He nails his character's desperation to be as charismatic as Tony Stark without ever being able to come close. Don Cheadle is effortless in taking over the role of Rhodey and succeeds in making the character his own. Samuel L. Jackson instantly arrives with his trademark screen presence and Mickey Rourke does a decent job despite working with scraps.

Even though Jon Favreau's direction is understandably struggling to give every element the necessary space, the technical craft remains strong. The CGI is pretty damn good and whilst the action sequences are a little too sporadic, they definitely deliver the goods and the Monaco Grand Prix set piece has a very satisfying sense of danger and excitement. The third act battle feels slightly rushed however, it still contains plenty of thrilling moments.

The makers of this film held nothing back. When it works, as it does here, it rekindles even a cynic's movie love. So kudos to Downey, Paltrow, Cheadle, Scar-Jo, Rockwell, Rourke and especially Favreau. What a film! It is a sight to behold. Every scene was captivating, whether it was full on armor action or the charismatic "down time" delivered by the best cast possible. Isn't that what movies are suppose to be about? It's good to see the response to the movie has been, for the most part, positive. I've noticed that sometimes expectations are unreasonable or some fans are too attached to their comic book preconceived notions. (X-Men and Wolverine fans I'm looking right at you!) Iron Man 2 stayed close enough to its roots and I hope most judge it as a film first. If you do, I'm almost certain that everyone will enjoy it as much as I did.

It easily fulfilled and then exceeded all of my expectations. The only thing I worry about is that they may be setting expectations for that Avengers movie too high. How can it possibly live up to the standard these movies are setting and setting up????? Iron Man 2 is EVERYTHING you would want in a movie and much more! It is a special treat when a sequel reaches up and delivers an excellent film that you thoroughly enjoy as much if not more than a beloved first installment. It truly feels like they just paused and kept telling the same story but with more of an edge. Hopefully, they can do it again and skip that third movie curse. Think of it as another installment and they'll be fine. Fitting Avengers in to the mix is even more fun to think about but I heard that Favreau will be involved with that as an executive producer. So, I'm not worried. In the meanwhile, we can all enjoy this film because it stands on its own but as a great part of a running saga.

Positives:

• Robert Downey Jr.
• The first act
• Ideas with potential

Negatives:

• Second and third acts
• Inconsistent story and pacing
• Villain(s)