‘Iron Man 2’ review: Turan calls it ‘acceptable, nothing more, nothing less’
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“IRON MAN 2” COUNTDOWN: 2 DAYS
Tony Stark breaks all the rules (even the one that says superheroes must keep a secret identity), and he always seems to come out on top — that’s why we love him. But now comes “Iron Man 2,” a film about secret dangers, the sins of the father and the nasty price of modern celebrity. The movie lands this week in the U.S., and until then, we’ll have behind-the-scenes scoops every day on the summer’s most anticipated film.
Contrasting TV news personalities Bill O’Reilly and Christiane Amanpour don’t see eye to eye on much, but they stand united in agreeing it was worth their time to make cameo appearances in the sequel to the mega-successful “Iron Man.” Such is the persuasive power of a film that took in more than half a billion dollars at box offices worldwide.
Once a film makes that much money, it is only a matter of time until the sequel, prudently titled “Iron Man 2,” arrives, and that time is now. As sequels go, this one is acceptable, nothing more, nothing less. With star Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau back in the fold, this is a haphazard film thrown together by talented people, with all the pluses and minuses that implies.
Given the non-organic way “Iron Man 2’s” plot came into the world — hatched by the producers in a series of meetings before a screenwriter was brought on — it’s surprising that the film has any pluses at all. What makes the difference, at least for a while, is the sense of humor of screenwriter Justin Theroux, who also wrote for Downey in the manic “Tropic Thunder.”
A film that just wants to have fun, “Iron Man 2” brings back Downey’s affable billionaire Tony Stark, former weapons manufacturer and self-described textbook narcissist, whose exploits inside the all-powerful Iron Man suit have brought a welcome calm to the world. The man himself, however, has to face the challenge of the erratic battery in his chest that makes him a superhero with an expiration date.
Not one to hide his light under a bushel, or anything else for that matter, Stark likes to say things like “I have successfully privatized world peace.” Clearly, this is one ego that’s cruising for a bruising, and no one plays over-the-top self-satisfaction with more élan than Downey.
“Iron Man 2” is at its best when it surrounds him with practiced farceurs who are adept at keeping things funny. Sam Rockwell is appropriately icky as rival weapons tycoon and smirking slimeball Justin Hammer (of Hammer Industries, of course) and Garry Shandling matches him as an oily and obnoxious U.S. senator who can’t wait to get the government’s greedy hands on Stark’s design ...
THERE’S MORE, READ THE REST
-- Kenneth Turan
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