The wait for Iron Man’s sequel begun the day I watched the first movie, because I liked the movie and the sequel will be bigger and louder if not better. Although the sequel is neither louder nor bigger, am not sure about the better part, but it certainly is entertaining.
Fast forwarding the story, the US government wants the Iron Man technology, which our playboy, charming hero Tony Stark aka Iron Man doesn’t give them. He is dying because of the device which is keeping him alive, due to some blood toxicity it is causing, there is a Russian villain Ivan Vanko [Mickey Rourke] who wants vengeance from Stark because of something his father did to his father and Vanko also happens to posses the same technology which Stark has to power his suit. Then there is opportunistic corporate rival Justin Hammer [Sam Rockwell], another arms manufacturer who joins hands with Ivan Vanko to destroy Stark. Also there is Pepper Potts [Gwyneth Paltrow] who is now the new CEO of Stark Industries; there is Natalie Rushman [Scarlett Johansson] aka Black Widow, of course James Rhodey Rhodes [Don Cheadle], Nick Fury [Samuel L. Jackson] of S.H.I.E.L.D [now don’t ask what it stands for, watch the first movie] and the director Jon Favreau as Stark’s personal bodyguard/trainer/driver Happy Hogan.
The performance of everyone is good, and you can’t say that this was the weak link. Robert Downey Jr. has obviously put in a tremendous performance as a dying Stark with stupid and erratic behaviour, as a sensible man trying to figure out the solution to his problem and as a charming playboy with punchy one liners. Paltrow is nice, so Mickey Rourke, but the pick of the lot is Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in a tight black suit with her curves and moves.
With a runtime of slightly over 2 hours you expect lot of firepower, but unfortunately all the action is there in the last 20 or so minutes of climax and in one scene of Monaco Grand Prix, where Vanko and Strak comes face to face on the race track in the middle of the race. Other then that, it is a jigsaw puzzle of too many characters appearing, disappearing and reappearing. A lot of things are happening and they all seem a little premature but I don’t how, the director does manage keep you interested and with the charming one liners of Stark, you keep giggling as well. It is not the best of the sequels of recent times, but it certainly is not the worst as well and it is entertaining and fun to watch. So you can check it out.
