*** ½ (three and a half stars)
As the Marvel comic book universe expands its reach into our Cineplexes with a new collection of features films slated to hit our screens over the next several years, I strongly feel that Director Jon Favreau should be given the keys to the Marvel kingdom…or at the very least a hefty raise and bonus. As he was the guiding force behind the fledgling studio’s flagship film “Iron Man” which set the box office on fire and firmly placed Marvel on the movie studio map two years ago, Favreau’s skill and craftsmanship should be greatly celebrated, by Marvel as much as audiences. My high praise continues because Favreau has done it again with “Iron Man 2,” his more emotionally complex, exquisitely wittier, more exciting and almost defiantly story driven sequel. He has not rested upon any creative laurels as he, along with his priceless leading man, Robert Downey Jr., have opened the 2010 summer movie season in grand, highly entertaining style.
Our story begins immediately six months after billionaire playboy/scientific genius Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) had revealed to the world, via press conference, his identity as the metal clad superhero. Stark’s ego in the meantime has not settled into a humble existence due to his newfound purpose by any means. On the contrary, there is not enough space in the world for his seemingly megalomaniacal peacock strut, which is only matched by his rapid-fire cocksure patter. As “Iron Man 2” opens, Stark is jointly involved with two events in the style of the MAJOR proportions that have become his trademark. First, there is the annual Stark Expo convention, presented with requisite fireballs, hot pants wearing dancing girls and Stark/Iron Man is the white hot main attraction. Stark is also the white hot main attraction during a contentious Senate hearing (led by a deliciously nasty Garry Shandling) where Stark models himself a “peace profiteer” who absolutely refuses to turn over his Iron Man suit(s) and all designs and technology pertaining to it to anyone, anywhere at any time.
Certainly, there are eyes watching everywhere including seriously unwanted ones. Rival scientific engineer Justin Hammer (a great Sam Rockwell), obviously channeling his deep jealous envy of Stark into a bizarre emulation of him, continuously attempts to ape Stark’s revolutionary technology for his own gain. More dangerously is the presence of Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a renegade physicist of bottomless patience and rage. Vanko, upon the death of his Father, plots his revenge against Tony Stark, due to scientific transgressions and possible theft committed toward his Father by Stark’s Father, by creating his own destructive hybrid “Iron Man” suit (known in the comic book series as “Whiplash”). Also, behind the scenes is secret agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) who continues his covert attention on Stark’s whereabouts and actions and who is Natalie (Scarlett Johansson) that new, curvaceous assistant in Stark’s company and what are her motives?
Tony Stark also has profound inner demons to confront as his own technology, which allows him to survive, is also inadvertently killing him. Fearing his demise, Stark’s already eccentric behavior becomes erratic thus yielding some positive results (the promotion of Gwyneth Paltrow’s assistant Pepper Potts to C.E.O. of Stark’s company) to negative (staging certain death wish scenarios including an escalating bout with alcoholism-inspired by the comic’s groundbreaking “Demon In A Bottle” storyline from the 1970s). As the inner and outer tensions continue to build, Stark begins to lose grounding with Potts, and his long-frustrated best friend Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle, taking over for Terrence Howard from the previous installment), leaving the fate of his relationships, company, the world at large and his soul hanging precariously over a potentially grim future.
For my money, Favreau (who also acts in the film as Stark's chauffeur and bodyguard Happy Hogan) has made a film that only improves upon the impressive original film. It not only takes the most successful elements and makes them bigger, sleeker and more polished, it is through his commitment to character and story that carries this film valiantly to the finish line. Maybe this achievement arrived partially through Favreau’s experience as a screenwriter himself (he wrote the 1996 indie film hit “Swingers”), because he understands how successful films are crafted and constructed from the conception stage through celluloid premiere. In many respects, I would say that “Iron Man 2” is a character driven sequel more than a plot driven sequel, although there is a hefty amount of plot to travel through. Unlike Director Sam Raimi’s dangerously bloated “Spider-Man 3” (2007) where even The Sandman, one of the film’s four villains, was superfluous to the point of being unnecessary and inconsequential to the overall plot, Favreau and his screenwriter Justin Theroux firmly tied every plot and character thread together. The omission of one element would have certainly unravelled the entire piece.
I particularly loved Favreau’s loose hand with his actors. Instead of too many summer movies that cram every moment and inch of the frame with visual and sonic details, Favreau allows his scenes to breathe, giving his actors proper space to be in character and play their verbal gymnastics. Again, I must make special note of Theroux’s strong, loquacious and consistently droll and clever screenplay (which I am certain worked in conjunction with some ad-libbing). For audiences accustomed to being pummeled and bludgeoned into a brain melting submission by their summer movies, “Iron Man 2” may feel more than a little chatty, especially during the mid-section. Yes, you will get a lot of bang for your buck with the CGI heavy climax. But when that climax arrives, we care about what happens and to whom because of those dialogue heavy sequences. It is that riveted attention to the characters and their motivations plus the knowledge that special effects should be used as a storytelling tool and not as the basis for the entire film itself, that makes these characters people to become and remain invested in once the explosions begin rocking the movie theater.
To think, Favreau almost lost this job because he wanted to take more time to weave an excellent film than Marvel Entertainment would allow. He remained on board through Marvel’s constraints due to his emotional connection to the source material and desire to ensure quality control for the sake of the audience who greatly embraced the first film. The feverish pace at which this film must have been made seemed to infuse the filmmaking with greater purpose and commitment to getting it right and the results have paid off handsomely as we are given not just a superhero movie, but a romantic comedy, corporate satire and excellent character study as well!
Robert Downey Jr.’s performance is again…ahem…marvelous! It is amazing to me that this man, who was once a person thought to be unimaginable in a role of this sort, has turned this character into something no one else can play. His unpredictable talent and skill plus his physical and verbal agility often makes me think of Downey Jr. as a real world “Bugs Bunny.” He knows all of the angles and he is always three to five steps ahead of everyone in the room, almost daring anyone playing a scene with him to keep up. This particular trait keeps the acting energy electric between all of the cast members and also shows that while he is the film’s star, he is a team player, as he elevates everyone’s game to achieve cinematic gold.
Downey Jr’s subtle ability to expose the various layers of Tony Stark’s emerging soul and conscience continues to impress. Of course, there is the juxtaposition of Stark’s remaining and rampant teenage rebellion (I loved the scenes of him working within his personal laboratory as he listens to The Clash, the kings of anti-establishment rock and roll—it was like viewing a petulant kid in his basement) against his supremely adult responsibilities of owning a massive corporate conglomerate. All of these exploits, plus his heroics, are extensions of his wild narcissism and Downey Jr. seems to be having a blast keeping you guessing in regards to the truth of his motives. Is Stark is truly this much in love with himself or is it simply an act for the entire world stage or a melding of the two? In the film’s emotionally darker sections, you think that he cares more humanely than he lets on and even moreso, he cares, quite possibly, more than he even understands himself. It is, again, a remarkable performance that continues to illustrate that Robert Downey Jr. is a gift to cinema and any filmmaker who is fortunate to utilize his immense and seemingly effortless talents.
Mickey Rourke, in a role that requires him to speak surprisingly little dialogue, is Downey Jr’s reticent equal. His Ivan Vanko is also a character who seems to be three to five steps ahead of everyone in the room as his endgame is crystal clear only to himself which makes him a deadly adversary of supreme intelligence. Always watch his eyes as other characters attempt to relate to him and a sinister world is visible to the audience. Rourke invests a sizable level of humanity through nice details (the love he has for his deceased father, a relationship he shares with a bird, for instance) in this character, extending Vanko far beyond the realm of burly super-villain.
Although Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson portray emerging characters whose fullness will be revealed over the course of several new films from Marvel as they continue to roll out subsequent characters to build into their “Avengers” film, they both make lasting impressions. Don Cheadle makes the transition from Terence Howard a seamless one with his eloquent performance that also allows him increased participation into the actions sequences as he dons a metal suit and becomes “War Machine.” And when did Gwyneth Paltrow become so foxy? She also remains Downey Jr’s equal as she continues her shrewd, alluring and crafty performance as Pepper Potts. She has the ability to volley all of Downey Jr.’s verbal asides even when it seems that he is running rings around her. But, when you view her “cat that ate the canary” grin, you realize how much influence she indeed holds over this metal clad ego-maniac.
As terrific as “Iron Man 2” is, is this a game changer like Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” (2008) or as superlative as Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2” (2004)? Not quite, but it is pretty close as it is a forward thinking film that also functions as a throwback to a time when films of this sort concentrated solely on delivering a strong story populated with a collective of equally strong actors as the mind blowing special effects serve as an enhancement of the experience as a whole. Jon Favreau and his terrific band of collaborators know how to sing this cinematic song and they have hit all of the right notes. I’m all set for number 3!!
As with the previous installment, STAY THROUGH THE ENTIRE ENDING CREDITS and view a bonus scene that will foreshadow the arrival of a new Marvel superhero!!
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