Iron Man 2

The follow up to the uber-successful launch of this super hero’s silver screen career attempts to recreate the magic of the first go-round with mixed results.  Robert Downey, Jr. is back in the iron suit and once again shows us he’s having a grand old time, but he works hard to make sure we do as well.

Synopsis: Tony Stark’s innate merry attitude is besieged on 4 different fronts.  His heart replacement works less and less on a full charge, and seems to be poisoning him as a side effect of keeping him alive.  The US government wants him to turn his Iron Man suit creation over to the Pentagon so it can be studied, replicated, and deployed on the battle field.  His main competitor for Defense Department contracts is playing dirtier and harder than ever.  And the son of a former colleague of his father is out to get revenge for the way his father was treated by the elder Stark by bringing down Stark Industries.  However, Tony won't have to fight these battles alone.

The story is a little convoluted and there seem to be a few too many stretches, but overall it works, especially since we know the character of Tony Stark is supposed to be over the top in Hollywood's re-imagining.

Downey, Jr., very good as usual, is supported again by a funny and likeable Gwyneth Paltrow.  Episode 2 sees the welcome addition of Don Cheadle (good but not perfect), Scarlet Johansson (impressive and mysterious), Sam Rockwell (quite good as the villain), Mickey Rourke (in a very good "bad" turn for the reformed actor), Clark Gregg and John Slattery (both very handsome actors who help link the movie to Thor as a tie-in for next year's super hero mash-up), Garry Shandling (good in the fairly standard role of the sleazy politician), and Samuel L. Jackson (who resumes his cameo from the first Iron Man movie and stretches it a bit in a tantalizing few key scenes).

The visual effects, which are de rigueur in a movie of this genre, are excellent.  The screenplay is quite tight and the action unrelenting.

The Bottom Line: if you liked the first movie, you should enjoy the second.  Sure, it's more overblown and over the top than its predecessor, but overall it's a fun ride in the company of a character we've come to like.  I'd recommend it.

Grade: 7