Iron Man 2 (2010)

Introduction:

Having enjoyed the first Iron Man film, I was ready for more. But I kept hearing that this movie felt like a lot of set up with little payoff. Does the franchise lose its footing in its first sequel, or is there more going on than meets the eye?

Summary:

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man and now the whole world knows it. Things makes things a little more difficult for Tony as all kinds of folks come out of the woodwork to challenge him. One is Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) a man with a serious grudge and some serious smarts. He combines forces with industrialist Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) to create weapons similar to the Iron Man suit. But things go horribly wrong and its up to Tony to save the day if only he can survive long enough. Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson round out the cast of “Iron Man 2”.

Good Points:

• Robert Downey Jr. maintains his excellent performance as Stark
• Some interesting plot developments keep things fresh
• Maintains its spirit of fun

Bad Points:

• Does suffer from middle episode syndrome
• Seems a bit overstuffed with characters
• The ending lacks a proper punch

Overall:

The creators decided to create a sequel that would act as more of a bridge, really piling on the plot and cramming in the characters. As such, this movie is on overdrive from the moment it starts. Still it manages to keep things fun and entertaining. You wish some of the characters (and actors) had more screen time, but it all balances in the end. You get a movie almost as entertaining as its predecessor.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 4

Acting: 4

Script: 3

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 3

Total: 3

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