Iron Man 2 ~ review

Iron Man 2, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson, is the sequel to Iron Man which opened in cinemas in 2008 with great acclaim.


To be honest, I'm not really a fan of the 1st Iron Man movie. I like Spiderman trilogy, X-men trilogy and The Dark Knight more. But Iron Man 2 really is more entertaining that the 1st movie, in my opinion at least. Set 6 months after the end of the 1st film, this movie explores more on the struggles of Tony Stark after he announced that he was indeed Iron Man. The US Government wants him to turn over his suit, his image as the peacemaker of the world, and his blood toxicity from the palladium in his arc reactor that could cause his death; all of these pressures ultimately strained his relationship with his love-interest, Pepper Potts, and his friend, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes.


Plot-wise, it was good and entertaining but at times I felt a bit overwhelmed. There's too much going on and some things were not even properly explained or explored. I think Ivan Vanko's character is underdeveloped and his vengeance to destroy Iron Man was not strong enough. He would be an even more great villain if they just spend a little more time exploring his past. But the lines, especially from Tony Stark, in this movie are brilliant. I love watching confrontation between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, they are even more entertaining than the cool gadgets and action sequences.

Speaking of action sequences, there are quite a few in this movie which are entertaining and fun to watch, and some are more extravagant than the 1st film. Watching Scarlett Johansson kick some butts was entertaining too. But honestly, I think the action sequences were like distractions to the overwhelming plot. Not to say it was bad, it just that I wish the plot could have match the quality of the action sequences.


I have no complaint for the acting in this movie. Every actor plays their parts extremely well. Although Tony Stark was supposed to be the center of attention, but I think Pepper Potts was quite stood out too. I was doubtful when Don Cheadle made his first appearance in the movie as Lt. Colonel James Rhodes, the change of actors for the role made it felt like it was a totally different character altogether. But by the end of the movie, I think he did well.

To sum it up, Iron Man 2 was fun and entertaining with a few hiccups here and there. But don't worry, if you love the 1st film, you would love this one too. 3 stars out of 5 from me.