IRON MAN 2 (2010)

IRON MAN 2
Directed by Jon Favereau
Screenplay by Justin Theroux
Based on the comic book by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby
Paramount Pictures

“I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one.”

Not only are Tony Stark and Iron Man one, but Robert Downey, Jr. completes the set. This role has been the part of a lifetime for RDJ, and he plays Tony Stark with such a perfect mix of glee and determination that it even makes this lifelong die-hard Batman fan sit back and say, “Bruce who?”

IM2 is nothing but pure fun from start to finish, and the movie just flies by. The action is non-stop, the dialogue is sharp and funny, and this is the perfect movie to kick off what promises to be a really outstanding summer at the movies.

I’ll attempt to remain spoiler-free here, but if you’ve seen any superhero movie – or any movie ever – then you shouldn’t really be expecting more than promised. There is a hero, there are conflicts both internal and external, there are battles, and there is a victory.

Two things to note, however: The “You Complete Me” bit from the trailer is not in the finished film, and make sure you sit through the credits for the tag at the end of the film (and to be a good moviegoer and give the people who worked on the film their due).

There were two performances in the movie that really stuck with me. The first was Don Cheadle, who took over the role of Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes from Terrence Howard. Cheadle is so much better than Howard for this franchise, and plays Rhodey perfectly. He’s hard, and he does not suffer Tony Stark gladly. More importantly, he’s Tony’s friend. He speaks truth to power and, when needed, will smack Stark back down to Earth.

Literally.

When Iron Man and War Machine go steel toe-to-toe, it’s a battle royale. I’ve never been a reader of the Iron Man comic, other than the most recent “Invincible Iron Man” series, but I felt that Cheadle’s performance was a spot-on match to the comic. Of course, it helps that Matt Fraction was a consultant to this movie, and I’m certain he had a hand in molding the War Machine in the film to closely resemble his comic book version.

The other was Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow). Scarlett fit the role great. She had the look, she had the skill, and I believed her as Natasha when she wasn’t talking. I felt that her delivery was just too stiff and lifeless, but I’ve had this same issue with Johansson in other recent roles (especially in The Spirit, but that was just a bad movie all around). I don’t mind that she didn’t attempt a Russian accent, because I think that might have made it worse. Black Widow is a tough cookie, and she’s not a particularly happy character, I just wish that Scarlett Johansson had brought a little emotion or nuance to the part. A minor hiccup in an otherwise fantastic movie.

Overall, this is a movie I’d gladly go see again in the theater, and while no scenes were shot in the format, I was really glad that I saw it on an IMAX screen first. It made everything so much bigger and better, and for this kind of movie that’s never a bad thing. I can’t wait for the Blu-Ray to come out now.

Elwood Says: 4½ Stark Expos out of 5.