Film Review | Iron Man 2

The joys of the sequel. Iron Man 2 premiered this past weekend raking in $133.6 million surpassing the debut of the original. For many, it's the excitement of watching one of their favorite characters revisited in live action that drove them to the theater. For others, it was just to see the pretty people—and there were some attractive actors and actresses in this sequel. I don't want to spoil the film for anyone who hasn't seen it, so please hit the jump for the full review.

Grade: B

Image via a quick internet search


So, to be completely honest with you, reader, I did not want to see Iron Man 2. It looked really glitzy and possibly cheesy. However, before the film began, I decided to clear my mind of my initial thoughts so I could view the film in fairness. Luckily, my prediction was completely wrong and Iron Man 2 was a rather decent sequel.

Robert Downey, Jr. brought Tony Stark to life once again. He did a great job being arrogant and comedic at the same time. However, the fact that Stark's health was deteriorating set a bit of an eerie undertone to the film. Yet the film was very successful in the following respects:

Excellent acting. While the story is one of the pivotal parts of any film, it can be ruined by bad actors. However, everyone did a great job in character. I am not usually a fan of Scarlett Johannson, but she did an amazing job in the film. I was also sold with Mickey Rourke as the bad guy. The costume and makeup for him was spectacular. I'm not certain if what he said in Russian was said properly, but it sounded believable to my non-Russian-speaking ears.

Visuals. I am a very visual person and I loved the usage of technology in this film. They did a great job making the advanced technology look like it was ordinary. The characters interacted well with the objects and the set designs were well-created. The scene with the cars exploding and being cut in half was riveting.

The film fell short for me in the plot though. They built up this tension between Tony Stark and Russian physicist Ivan Vanko due to the fact that Stark's father apparently stole fame and prestige from Vanko's father. However, when it ends up that this accusation is false, Vanko is never truly able to get a chance to confront Stark alone. It felt a little unfinished in that respect. In fact, the fight between Stark and Vanko fell flat because it seemed a bit abrupt.

However, Iron Man 2 was still a great movie. You'll have a lot to laugh about afterward. I didn't watch it in IMAX, but still loved it, so if you don't feel like paying the extra money for the ticket, you'll still be satisfied. If you decide to watch the film in theaters, you won't feel like you wasted money, but you could always wait until it comes out to rent—it's not life-changing good.