Iron Man 2 Movie Review

Iron Man 2 (2010)

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Written by: Justin Theroux (screenplay), Stan Lee and Don Heck and Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby (Marvel comic book)
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, John Slattery, Gary Shandling, Kate Mara, Leslie Bibb, Jon Favreau
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy. 

Verdict
It certainly is bigger than the first in every way, but this packs so much into the story that the whole is weaker than the parts. Nothing is developed as much as it could have been. This had the chance to explore nuance with Tony, with the villain, but it doesn't. The basis of the story is rehashing the first movie's plot. This had a real opportunity to make Vanko a compelling villain, but the crowded plot doesn't provide him enough development.
It depends.

Review
This falls into the sequel trope of escalation. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) deals with his mortality as the arc reactor slowly kills him and a new villain emerges, while a rival defense contractor and the U.S. government want Tony's tech. Nick Fury even shows up. There's a lot going on, and because of that everything feels shallow. Each sub-plot seems to cover for the other without providing sufficient detail.

I'd put the first Iron Man ahead of this one. The sequel feels like they decided to just throw everything in.

Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark / Iron Man.

The arc reactor is slowly killing Tony because... I guess the plot needs it. Tony gives away his belongings and is generally morose, culminating in drunk Tony wearing the suit and endangering party goers at his own party. Rhodes (Don Cheadle) ends up donning an old suit and becomes War Machine later in the movie.
I wish this explored Tony's despair better. We get just enough scenes to indicate his state of mind, but that's it.

Cheadle took over the role from Terrence Howard. Howard was paid more than Downey Jr. in the first movie, that likely led to an ego battle when Downey Jr.'s salary was larger in the sequel. Howard claims that Downey Jr. took Howard's share and pushed him out. 

Whiplash/Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is the villain this time around, but I had to look up his villain name. Tony and Vanko's fathers worked on the arc reactor. That's all we know. I infer that Tony's dad may have been trying to steal credit, but we just don't know much about Vanko. He could have been a sympathetic villain given the chance. He cares for his pet cockatoo, which was a trait Rourke paid for personally. Whiplash emerges at the Monaco Grand Prix to take Tony down, but Tony is one of the racers which stretches believably. This does play up Tony's father and the past which is something I thought the first Iron Man would have done.

For some reason Whiplash isn't enough of a villain and this includes a rival defense contractor Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). This is a rehash of the villain from the first movie but this one adds comic relief.

Iron Man and War Machine.

Whiplash and Iron Man are a much more interesting duo. Their fathers were both scientists and this could look at how the benefits Tony had allowed him the freedom to be irresponsible. Tony only just became responsible as he became Iron Man. Vanko had a rough time. He and his father are potentially the collateral damage from Tony's father's desire to succeed. Unfortunately the movie just isn't that deep. It states Vanko's father tried to sell the design. I really wish it was more nuanced.

The government does question whether Tony should be the defender of the world. The government wants oversight and their own Iron Man suit. This is a question that plays out in Captain America: Civil War. Where Tony is in favor of government oversight despite blowing the government off in this movie.