With superhero movies, it’s almost axiomatic to state that the second film is the best of the series. The reason isn’t difficult to divine: having dispensed with the obligatory origin tale, the movie-makers can weave a more compelling yarn. So why does Iron Man 2 provide a compelling counter-example? That’s not to say the second installment of the Marvel comic-turned-movie hero’s adventures isn’t worth seeing, because it provides a couple hours of the kind of entertainment one expects from a summer blockbuster. But it isn’t up to the level of Iron Man. Perhaps the reason is that, in the case of this particular superhero, the origin is the most interesting story. Maybe the first movie did such a good job of fleshing out the character that additional forays into the life and mind of Tony Stark were doomed to, if not disappoint, then at least not overwhelm.
Curiously, this American-made motion picture debuted a week earlier in most foreign markets than in its own backyard, which makes for an unusual distribution pattern. Presumably, the promotional wizards at Paramount Pictures feared that opening the movie in the United States before the calendar officially read “May” might in some way invalidate Iron Man’s claim to raise the curtain on the “summer season.” I guess the producers aren’t overly worried about screen-cap torrents from overseas, nor should they be. Anyone who would substitute a crappy image viewed on a computer screen for the real thing is missing out on one of the chief pleasures associated with watching this bigger-than-life tale. (And, thankfully, there’s not a 3D version to be found!)
Iron Man 2 picks up shortly after the completion of the first film. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), having revealed himself to be the man in the metal suit, has been a one-person force for world peace, settling conflicts large and small across the globe. In secret, however, he is suffering from palladium poisoning, with the device that keeps his heart beating gradually releasing toxins into his blood. Recognizing the death sentence, he does what any man in his situation might do: positions the world for life after him while partying. He hands over control of his company to his faithful assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and allows his best friend, Lt. Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), access to one of his “spare” suits. Meanwhile, he refuses to cede control of his Iron Man intelligence to the U.S. government.
The film provides Iron Man with new foes: a would-be Tony Stark entrepreneur named Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), whose approach recalls the fatuousness of Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor, and Russian physicist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who has developed his own Iron Man suit, with a few nasty enhancements. Iron Man 2 also ramps up the involvement of S.H.I.E.L.D. With a Mace Windu-like extended cameo, Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury (his appearance in the first film was limited to a post-credits “Easter Egg”). Another familiar face from Iron Man is Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg). He is joined by the double-jointed and combat-ready Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson), who goes undercover as Stark’s new assistant.