After his career as a pro-wrestler fell through, Mickey Rourke decided to become an explosives expert for Michael Bay.

Iron Man 2, as the name so bluntly applies, is the sequel to 2008’s Iron Man. The original Iron Man became a huge favorite amongst moviegoers and critics. But does Iron Man 2 live up to its predecessor?

The story of the film involves Tony Stark (or Iron Man), who’s identity as Iron Man is now public knowledge after the events of the first film, trying to prevent the government from taking the Iron Man technology, while at the same time is trying to find a cure for an ailment (brought on by the suit) that threatens his life. Meanwhile, a Russian scientist, Ivan Vanko, has replicated the technology of his own, and poses a new threat to Iron Man.

Iron Man 2 stars Robert Downey Jr., who reprises his role as Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect for the role, and it’s hard to think of another actor who so flawlessly fits the role of his respective super hero. And I don’t just mean in appearance, but personality-wise I can not imagine anyone else portraying Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr. plays the part with charisma, wit and finesse. He plays Tony Stark in a way that, even in his worst moments, he still somehow manages to be likable.

Robert Downey Jr. is joined by returning cast members Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury (who only cameoed in an end-credits sequence in the first film) and Jon Favreau (who is also the director of the film). Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Lt. Colonel James Rhodes. They are joined this time around by Scarlett Johanssen as an undercover agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Tony Starks business rival and Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko, AKA Whiplash, the primary antagonist of the film.

All the actors play their parts well, with particular mention going to the villains of the film in Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke. Rockwell makes Justin Hammer a character so obnoxious and snidely, that you can’t help but love to hate him. And Mickey Rourke makes Whiplash a memorable villain.

But of course, it’s Robert Downey Jr. who is the main highlight of the film. He makes Tony Stark one of the most entertaining and endearing super hero personalities out there.

Story-wise Iron Man 2 hits a few high and low notes. It has some strong moments of dialog and has a good sense of humor, and there are a few good story moments. But some moments seem to go by a little too fast, and the action sequences, surprisingly, don’t really deliver.

I might sound hypocritical, as I’ve said on a few different occasions that I think too many movies sacrifice story and originality for the sake of action, and here I am complaining just the opposite. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Iron Man’s higher focus on characters than action, but for a superhero film, you kind of want the action to deliver. And I’m afraid most of the action in Iron Man 2, while not bad by any means, is a bit passable. And it suffers from that weak point so many super hero movies suffer from, the lackluster final battle against an otherwise well hyped villain. Ivan Vanko, or Whiplash, has a strong presence in the movie and is definitely one of the better “super villains” of recent movie history. But after a strong build-up, the climactic battle at the end feels too short and too flat. This is one super hero movie stereotype that even Iron Man suffers.

But the movie has a smart focus on characters over action sequences, and while the super-powered action may suffer, the characters become more enjoyable than in the average super hero fair. And they are complimented by smart, witty dialog.

Often times, when super hero sequels develop a stronger sense of comedy than the originals, they end up being a little….dumbed down (see the unnecessarily long emo dance sequence of Spiderman 3). Thankfully, Iron Man 2 has a good sense of humor, and I actually enjoyed its comedic moments. The best thing about the humor of Iron Man 2 is that it is mostly constructed of witty dialog above anything else. It prefers to have Tony Stark make a snide remark about a situation over something a bit more ridiculous like most super hero movies. It isn’t without those “ridiculous” moments, but even when it enters a bit of super hero ridiculousness, it still provides the laughs.

But I have to admit, the first half of the movie is more enjoyable than the latter. Not that the movie is bad later on, rather, the earlier parts focus more on the characters, dialog and story, and once we get to the third act we get more action sequences (which, as I’ve said, aren’t quite as good as I thought they could have been).

You could say the movie has a strong liftoff, but burns out a little by the end of it. Get it? Because Iron Man flies with all his rockets and stuff. Never mind.

Though with all that said, even the action scenes have their highlights, including a couple of those “audiences clapping at how cool that just was” moments. But still, I felt there was some missed potential in the action sequences.

As a whole, I can’t say I think Iron Man 2 tops its predecessor, but I think it equals it. It’s not the greatest super hero movie out there (we do live in a post-Dark Knight world after all), but it is a very entertaining and highly enjoyable film that provides some of the most enduring characters of recent super hero cinema. And they are made all the better by the strong performances, lead by the irreplaceable Robert Downey Jr. And Iron Man 2 has more style and charm than its competition to boot.

Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to exit the donut.

(1 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10, rated)

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