Iron Man 2 (2010) Movie Review

Synopsis:

Upon announcing his superhero identity of Iron Man, the US military pressures Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to share the technology. Fearing it could fall into the wrong hands, he refuses. This soon leads to the rise of new threats, forcing Tony to recruit more allies.

Review:

As a whole, Iron Man (2008) was a global success. As a result, Marvel Studios once again assigned Jon Favreau to direct its sequel.

As with the first film, Robert Downey Jr. brings the usual wittiness and charm to Tony Stark. This makes him the ideal choice to portray the character.

While Iron Man 2 still has some good action scenes and CGI, it lacks the first film’s consistent pacing and story.

Although Iron Man 2's visual effects still look good, they lack some of the intricacies of the first entry.

This makes them look somewhat plastic, which is evident from the Iron Man armor.

Despite inconsistent CGI, Iron Man 2’s sound design is still very creative. This adds some much-needed weight to the action sequences.

This film's antagonists are another of the film's problems.

Iron Man 2’s main antagonist, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), has some motivation related to Stark. Despite that, it isn’t focused on enough.

This film also introduces a secondary antagonist, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). His character’s purpose is to provide not-so-subtle humor.

While this does add some levity to the script, it often comes across as forced.

A major change in this sequel is the recasting of Tony’s friend, Rhodey, now portrayed by Don Cheadle.

Despite the sudden change in actors, Cheadle fits the role well. As a result, the film provides some good interactions with Downey Jr.

Iron Man 2 also introduces the character of Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson.

Scarlett’s character exhibits an obvious sense of physical appeal with her Black Widow character.

She also has a decent action scene, though that is the extent of her development.

It’s not until the later MCU movies that she receives further background development.

Conclusion:

As a whole, Iron Man 2 isn't as refreshing as the previous film.

Still, it provides some serviceable entertainment and is worth watching for fans of the character.

Sam’s Action Reaction score:

Characters - 6.5/10

Story - 6/10

Action - 7/10

CGI and visuals - 7.5/10

Soundtrack - 6/10

Overall score: 6.6 out of 10

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Iron Man 3 (2013) Movie Review

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Iron Man (2008) Movie Review