Sir, I'm Gonna Have To Ask You To Exit The Donut.
- Alex Clark
- Jun 18, 2017
- 3 min read
Iron Man 2
May 7th, 2010
Dir. Jon Favreau
Part 3 of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe brought about the universe’s first sequel, Iron Man 2. The film gave us a look at the fallout following the first movie, and the problems that occur when Tony Stark announces himself as Iron Man at the end of the first film.
The film isn’t as strong as its predecessor but to rate the film based on that would be unfair on this one as it still very strong and really puts the MCU movies in the forefront of the film world. With the universe really starting to tie together with things like Agent Coulson finding a replica Captain America shield, and being reassigned from Stark to an unknown case in New Mexico. You watch this with a sense, even now, of what Marvel was trying to start.
This film turns out to be a very good sequel to an exceptional first film. We all know over the years how bad sequels can be compared to they parent films. Taking maybe The Dark Knight out the equation, there is only possibly a hat full more where you can say the ‘difficult second album’ wins. Iron Man 2, wins. Yes, the film has got a lot of main characters, a lot of story lines. A few supporting actors, a bunch of antagonists and still, despite all of this Jon Favreau manages to make this a film about Tony Stark, and pretty much stick to that all the way through. It may get side tracked with a Russian mad man demanding his ‘burd’ or a crazy scene where Stark just walks onto a track into a full racing car and just decides to drive around Monaco. But you know what? It’s Tony Stark, and you can believe he would do that because Robert Downey Jr makes it believable with his brilliant portrayal of the character. One he has kept successful for almost 10 years.
As the film plays out and we enter Act 3, I think this film gets the better of its predecessor. One thing that can be argued in this huge comic book world we now live in, that no matter how good the films are, the third act is often a speed bump that can’t be avoided. Iron Man 2 avoids that with what it throws up. Instead of mass devastation and a city being destroyed, we get more of a one-man vendetta against Stark. Where Hammer does want this technology weaponised (Which we see all too much of at times in films), that gets taken away by Vanko and his revenge mission. And because of the way Favreau uses the entire cast available to him, we get to see Pepper Potts have an important part to play. James Rhodes as Stark’s right hand man. Even Johansson and Favreau himself with that brilliant scene at Hammer Industries.
On screen we see a brilliant ensemble cast that breaks through the walls of the MCU for the first time in this film. Scarlet Johansson appears as Natalie Rushman, a new assistant from ‘finance’ who turns out to be undercover spy Natasha Romonoff from S.H.I.E.L.D who has been sent by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) who we get to see for the first time following from his post credits cameo at the end of the first Iron Man . Both him an Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) really bring the S.H.I.E.L.D factor into the movie and really help opening the world up as I mentioned before.
Sam Rockwell and Micky Rourke help play some good antagonists as Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko respectively, they have some good screen time together and with Rockwell’s delivery does help the humour side of their relationship.
Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow help back up team Stark in this film and help RDJ really play the Stark as he wants him. There is the scene with his brash trial with the US Senate where he throws the peace signs around and claims he has single handily brought on the most prosperous peace in history everything to his own birthday party, hosted in his MK2 suit. Its hilarious, full of charm and something you could see coming straight out of a comic book and that’s really the point of all of this.
8/10 – The film doesn’t quite hit the heights of its predecessor, and although much better than The Incredible Hulk, it really sets the MCU off in a much bigger way. And probably a way that could not be achieved with just the 2 films before it and a couple of post credit scenes
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