(This is the part where the male side of the audience start to pay attention)Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson & Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Screenplay by: Justin Theroux
Plot:
Tony Stark is enjoying life as Iron Man until a Russian inventor threatens to destroy his image. Meanwhile, the U.S Military also want Stark too hand over his technology for the Iron Man suit so it can be turned into a weapon for Military use.
Verdict:
It's nice to see, Director Jon Favreau stick to his guns in this second outing for Iron Man. Great, interesting casting, characters actually allowed screen time to you know 'live and breathe' and not just one pointless action sequence after another. Yep that was what made 2008's Iron Man so damn enjoyable and the same can be said for this sequel that does manage to live up to it's predecessor.
Another reason Iron Man proved to be such a winner was the fact it was so effortlessly fun. Downey Jr. had most of the lines of course (and yes he is just as funny and charismatic here) but this time out, nearly everyone else enjoy a fair share too, especially Rockwell and Cheadle whom after somewhat controversially replacing Terrance Howard from the first outing, does a very solid, professional job, never undermining what Howard did before and at the same time making the character his own especially once he becomes War Machine. One slight mishap this time round though is Favreau's decision to extend his cameo appearance into a full-on supporting character; sure he has a lot of fun with it but in a couple of scenes it's just, well, too full-on.
It isn't all about the fun however with some darker terrain covered, in particular the revelation that Stark's suit is actually slowly killing him. Also, the main villain of the piece, Rourke's Ivan Vanko is a character hellbent on revenge. Rourke revels in the role, continuing his recent comeback success story with another interesting turn. Sticking with the villains, the gamble was taken to include two bad guys this time around with Rockwell's weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer along for the ride too. Thankfully the gamble pays off with the duo given equal screen time. Like Rourke, Rockwell is very good too, making his Stark wannabe every bit the smarmy weasel that he really is. Scarlett also makes her mark on the movie as the very sexy, very athletic Natalie Rushman, especially when dispatching Hammer's henchmen wearing a figure-hugging cat-suit.
So their is a lot of talking but that doesn't mean the action scenes are in anyway affected. In fact they are just easier to appreciate because of it. The Monaco Grand Prix set-piece where Vanko tears up motor-racing cars like they were toy cars is a blistering sequence that is equally matched by the climatic battle scene where Iron Man and War Machine take on an army of combat ready droids created by Vanko and Hammer. A gloriously, explosive finale that is only let down slightly by the massive iron suit that Vanko embodies for the scene; basically a repetition from the first film's climax.
Iron Man 2 wins you over in the end with it's sheer enthusiasm for the character and indeed it's supporting characters, just like the first outing did. Marvel's next two outings, Thor and Captain America, will do well to follow in these foot steps.
DDDD
No comments:
Post a Comment