Fans of Iron Man have been waiting for the second movie to hit theaters since box office reports came in certifying the original as a wise financial investment in 2008. Initially, Director Jon Favreau balked at Marvel Entertainment's somewhat premature announcement that the sequel would be in theaters for early summer of 2010 release. Initial skepticism gave way to a great storyline with characters near and dear to the hearts of Iron Man fans.
Specifically, the inclusion of Stark Enterprises competitor Justin Hammer and Tony Stark confidant James Rhodes as War Machine are additions appreciated by the fan base. But you don't need to be a dyed in the wool Iron Man, or even comic book fan, to appreciate this movie. Special effects, from practical to computer generated, are well done and the seams where practical shots give way to CGI are only barely noticeable on the IMAX screen and imperceptible on smaller screens.
An engaging story and state of the art special effects combine with exceptional acting performances to make for an enjoyable theatrical experience and a great way to kick off the summer movie season. All the relationships from the first movie are expanded upon due to the origin story being told previously. This gives the audience a chance to enjoy Robert Downey Jr's interpretation of Tony Stark.
Iron Man 2 tells the story of a world where stolen or bootleg Stark technology begins to turn up in the hands of unsavory characters. The main unsavory character in this movie is Whiplash, who is played by Mickey Rourke. Old family rivalries begin to rear their heads between the respective families of Stark, Hammer and Whiplash's surname Vanko.
Add in the talents of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and the back story of the fictional SHIELD agency for even bigger nods to the comic book fan base (fans will want to stay after the credits for a n extra scene). Scarlett O'Hara's performance as Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, helps set up other movies involving Marvel properties. Thankfully, the inclusion of the Black Widow is well written and acted and not the simple eye candy that is so common with female roles.
Introducing new armors for Iron Man allows Tony Stark to equip his latest models with state of the art technology help to make this movie enjoyable and fascinating. A special suitcase armor, dubbed the "Mark V", allows Stark to show off a really unique take on a classic comic book element. In the comic books, the armor fits into a suitcase for quickly suiting up.
Something like the Mark V has the potential to translate poorly to film. Thanks to modern CGI, the suitcase armor recalls the movie Transformers as the suitcase itself unfolds to envelop Tony Stark in a way that is at least feasible. But movies like this, commonly referred to as popcorn movies, are to be taken in as entertainment. So suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours and you will enjoy Iron Man 2 thoroughly.
For more information on the sequel, please see my Iron Man 2 blog. For more information, my Squidoo Lenses will prove helpful. My name is Jim McClinsey and writing helpful articles is my passion.
