Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson
Director: Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf)
Running Time: 2 hrs 4 min
Release Date: May 7, 2010
Budget: $200 million
Critics’ Thumbs Up: 66%
“…sets gold standard for sequels…” Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
“…depressingly bland sequel…” Joshua Rothkop, Time Out New York
Noisier than it is fun and more confusing than it is smart, Iron Man 2 delivers a somewhat amusing but fast-paced popcorn-ready sequel. Picking up after billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Downey) reveals he’s Iron Man at the conclusion of 2008’s original, Iron Man 2 now finds Tony even more narcissistic. While pressured to give up his technological secrets to the government, Tony also must deal with a vengeful Russian villain named Whiplash (Rourke). This superhero comic book adaptation soars like Iron Man himself when the always entertaining Downey is spouting off wiseacre and witty dialogue, but the overabundance of muddled plot lines and the blase fight sequences are a big chink in Iron Man’s armor. Rourke is quietly powerful and Sam Rockwell as Tony’s rival inventor is pitch-perfect, but Johansson’s role as the mysterious spy, Black Widow, and Samuel Jackson’s role as a superhero ringleader are so underused they’re pointless.
