REVIEW: ‘Iron Man 2′

“Iron Man 2″ gives moviegoers another fun thrill ride, sticking with most of the elements that made the first film a smash hit. It’s the perfect kickoff to the summer movie season, and another solid building block for Marvel’s Avengers series.

When Jon Favreau helmed the first “Iron Man” film in 2008, Robert Downey, Jr. was still rebuilding his image from rehab, and the Marvel slate of the Avengers was an untested commodity. The movie was an unqualified smash, earning over a half-billion dollars globally and laying out the framework for Marvel to dominate the movie hero landscape for years to come.

The second “Iron Man” film picks up precisely where we left Tony Stark at the end of the first film, where he tells the world “I am Iron Man.” Stark then makes good on his pledge to be a one-man peace force, knocking out armed regimes around the world and becoming a superhero savior in a year’s time – much to the chagrin of a power-hungry Senator (Garry Shandling), who wants Stark to give the Iron Man suit over to the military.

What Stark can’t tell the world is the element that powers the life-saving device implanted in his chest (as well as the Iron Man suit) is slowly poisoning him. As he races to find an alternative power source to keep his heart going, he’s attacked by a menacing, whip-wielding Ivan Vanko who has constructed a super-suit of his own.

Downey is just as charming and filled with attitude as ever, and keeps Stark from being a loathsome boor. While it would be easy for other actors to play Tony Stark as a highly annoying lothario, Downey plays up Stark’s intelligence even when his better angels have fled for the hills.

With Sam Rockwell and Mickey Roarke, Favreau has cast two of the greatest scenery-chewing actors working today as the movie’s villains. Rockwell’s an acquired taste for some, and he has the smarm turned up to 11 as Justin Hammer, the arms dealer who wants so badly to be Tony Stark yet isn’t smart enough, or half as charismatic. It’s another over-the-top turn for Rockwell, and one I liked a lot.

Meanwhile, Mickey Roarke is nasty and menacing as Ivan Vanko, a dark universe nemesis of Stark. He’s every bit as brilliant and resourceful as Stark, but his quiet seething turns him into a menacing behemoth. Roarke leers and glowers his way through the movie, bringing a needed element of danger to the party.

While I expected the much-publicized switch from Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle for Stark’s best friend, Lt. Col. James Rhodes, to be a non-factor… it’s not. Howard had great on-screen chemistry with Downey, that Cheadle doesn’t seem to match.

The weak link in “Iron Man 2″ might be the women in Stark’s inner circle. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts, who was a necessary stabilizing force for Stark’s whirlwind life and ascent to Iron Man stardom is elevated to be the new CEO of Stark Industries, yet her interaction with Stark diminishes. The interplay between Downey and Paltrow was a highlight of the first film, and that spark seems to be missing from the sequel. That spark might have been saved for Potts’ assistant, Natalie (Scarlett Johansson), who seems like an interesting character… had she been given better treatment. We know something’s “up” with Natalie, but the film could have used a lot more of her.

Favreau has done a bang-up job of ratcheting up everything that made “Iron Man” a hit – the action sequences are taut, the on-screen interplay between the characters is (mostly) on the money, and the effects are all top-notch. “Iron Man 2″ is a really enjoyable flick, with just as much to love as its predecessor.