Iron Man 2

When I decided to re-watch all the Marvel movies before the release of the Avengers, I discovered that I only owned the original Iron Man.  Usually, when there's a sequel, I'll at least pick that up.  I saw Iron Man 2 when it was in theaters, but it disappointed me so much that I didn't buy it.  I had actually only seen it that one time.  Luckily for me, I decided to re-visit the movie* and was pleasantly surprised.

In my Iron Man review, I praised the casting.  Iron Man 2 tries to carry on the streak by adding some solid actors to the cast in the form of Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, and Scarlett Johansson.  I'm not saying their characters were great; I'm merely acknowledging their abilities.  Also, let's not forget that we get a bit more Samuel L. Jackson in Iron Man 2.

Of course, part of the problems for Iron Man 2 may have been linked to the addition of Black Widow and further inclusion of Nick Fury.  While I will watch Sam Jackson do pretty much anything, that doesn't mean the script properly explained and used those two characters.  Black Widow seemed shoe-horned in and wasn't really given appropriate treatment.  It's possible that feeling was only elicited because they had such a talented actress playing her.  The same goes for Nick Fury.  If an Avengers movie wasn't planned, neither character is likely to have been featured.  Of course, the film is in no way ruined because of this.  It's merely an observation.

There are additional problems with the movie.  While Mickey Rourke can act, he isn't really given the opportunity in Iron Man 2.  He mainly looks scary and yells**.  Now, Obadiah Stone, the villain in the first go round, wasn't particularly fleshed out, you at least had a feel for the character.  You don't really get that with Vanko.  You get a few throwaway lines to explain the animosity, but that's it.  You have a better grasp on Rockwell's character than Rourke's.  I'm sure part of that is due to the play between the characters.  It's fun to watch Tony beat up on Justin Hammer***.

I've mentioned in my Incredible Hulk review that I just don't buy CG Hulk.  What's amazing is that I can buy Iron Man.  The sound effects, as well as the weight that is conveyed, make the character seem real.  Watching Iron Man run amok seems real to me in a way that CG Hulk does not.  It's not always perfect, but the special effects are quite good.  Making a metal suit seem real is, of course, much easier than making something that is flesh and blood appear real via CG.

Re-watching Iron Man 2 allowed me to find scenes I forgot about.  I kept being pleasantly surprised with the movie.  Even scenes that I remembered disliking in my initial viewing seemed okay or fitting.  By the way, this is your spoiler warning.  I've got some stuff to say that is directly tied to the plot, so this is the time to get out.  Now that only the experienced are left, let's talk about Tony's sickness.  I absolutely despised the scene where Tony is drunk in the Iron Man suit.  I know Tony Stark dealt with addiction in the comics, but I just hated that scene.  I didn't like how it made him appear, but when re-watching it, I recognize how important that scene is.  Yeah, it makes me not like Stark, but that's kind of the point.  He's being an ass.  At the same time, it's because he thinks he is dying.  That's a pretty big burden to carry, especially when you're the only one that knows.  That scene shows a desperate and lonely man.  While the script may have weaknesses, that scene is not one of them.

If you haven't seen Iron Man 2, you need to.  If you have seen it but hated it, give it another shot.  I did, and I was pleasantly surprised.  I remembered Iron Man 2 as being incredible disappointed, but once you stop comparing it to the awesome that was the original Iron Man and just enjoy it for the film it is, it becomes a fun ride.

*After a quick trip to Best Buy, that is.

**Also, he asks for his boid.

***Shouldn't that be a porn star's name?