If “Iron Man” was a jack-in-the-box — a mechanical contraption that turned out to contain a fun, summer-movie surprise — “Iron Man 2” is a jack-in-the-box with a bunch more jacks stuffed in (and a few jills for good measure).
Like so many superhero sequels, “Iron Man 2” is overloaded: too many new characters, too much antic action, too many subplots. Thankfully (and unlike many superhero sequels), it still has the personality to make up for it. The movie is just fun enough.
Having revealed his Iron Man identity at the end of the first film, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is enjoying the fruits of even greater celebrity. Something of a peace-monger, he makes rock-star appearances in his Iron Man getup touting the fact that he alone has guaranteed the end of warfare on planet Earth.
This doesn’t sit well with a few people, including government officials who want the Iron Man technology for themselves (Garry Shandling is on hand as a sweaty senator). There is also Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a Russian physicist with family ties to the Stark company. When he gets his hands on some Iron Man blueprints, Vanko makes a few adaptations and sets out for revenge.
As I mentioned, there is more, much more. Stark’s Iron Man suit is slowly poisoning his body; a mysterious, kick-boxing corporate assistant (Scarlett Johansson) has wormed her way into Stark’s inner circle; rival industrialist Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) is building Iron Men of his own; the shadowy espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D (lead by Samuel L. Jackson) wants to recruit Stark.
Only about half of this is necessary, but most of it is fun. Downey still has charm to spare, while Rockwell has a blast essentially spoofing Downey’s cocksure attitude. Jackson’s stoicism is also a nice tonic to Downey; their few scenes together have such an amusing yin and yang you wish there were more of them.
But what would you take out to make the room? Possibly Mickey Rourke. Having enjoyed a recent resurgence culminating in an Oscar nomination for 2008’s “The Wrestler,” “Iron Man 2” may mark the beginning of his re-descent. (Cooing to a cockatoo in a gurgling Russian accent will do that.)
“Iron Man 2” also overdoes the robotics a bit — this is far more of a gear-head exercise than the original. By the time of its extended, robot-on-robot climax, the movie even resembles “Transformers.”
That’s something of an irony considering my 2008 review lauded “Iron Man” for being the anti-“Transformers.” Even so, I’ll take these banging robots over Michael Bay’s any day of the summer.
Iron Man 2’
Running time: 124 minutes
Rated: PG-13 (violence, innuendo)
NOTE: For a photo gallery of images from “Iron Man 2,” click here.
