Who is Tony Stark? Will that be the chant ringing in the streets?
Jon Favereau’s treatment of everyone’s favorite billionaire super-hero has all the touches of an Ayn Rand novel, all right, but it’s the Robert Downey Jr. connection to Tony Stark that is the most intriguing in the extremely fun, sharp and smart follow-up to Iron Man, the 2008 blockbuster that turned Downey from a drugged-out pariah to Hollywood’s leading leading man.
Stark has ended international conflict with his invention, the Iron Man suit. As Stark said, “He privatized world peace.” And predictably, no way will any private citizen have a hand in world peace or anything constructive without some Washington politico getting up in arms about it. Enter Garry Shandling’s Sen. Stern, who could have walked straight out of a conference committee to harangue Stark to turn his armor over to the U.S. Government.
Stern does the usual control-the-context treatment that one can expect, but Stark embarrasses him time after time, be it laying on facts, funny ripostes or hacking the computer monitors in the committee room. The vicarious thrill of Downey dressing down the Senate is enough to earn this film an extra $100 million from those whose health premiums have jumped in the last month.
But the problems Stark faces by an intrusive government are small next to the one in his chest. The device that keeps him alive is killing him, an intriguing bit of story that makes Downey’s connection to the character all that more apparent. Stark, the world’s richest and most powerful man, is frail and on the verge of death. Downey, while taking back his career and fulfilling his promise, always has his demons one step behind him. Downey’s face on Stark’s character, just like Guy Ritchie’s eccentric Sherlock Holmes, gives depth and is the perfect incarnation of Stan Lee’s creation.
And it’s here where the fears over star-overloaded subside. Despite the huge cast, this is still Tony Stark’s movie. This isn’t Pirates 2 where Johnny Depp plays second-fiddle in his own franchise. But that doesn’t mean the cast doesn’t work wonderfully in most instances.
Sam Rockwell’s epic performance as Justin Hammer is nearly as memorable as Downey’s Stark. Under-talented, hyper-connected with lobbyists and the other bull-shitteries of the Washington life, it still isn’t enough to make up for the fact he doesn’t have the genius – so he goes through the normal governmental means of procuring it. Rockwell’s scene selling Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes on the wonders of his hardware is the best in the film. Wickedly comedic, but the lowest of scum, Rockwell gives definition to a new type of old villain.
Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash is just as memorable. Just like Hammer, Whiplash’s motivations are simple – and lethal. Rourke’s own physical appearance is intimidating enough, but Rourke carried an understated quality in Iron Man 2 that was simple – and those are the best villains.
Slightly behind Rockwell is Samuel Jackson, who for the first time in ages, doesn’t sleepwalk through a movie. His interaction and bantering with Downey is memorable and is reason enough to pine for the upcoming Avengers movie.
Cheadle is barely given a chance at chewing any scenery. His moments were brief. Gwyneth Paltrow, who shined with her under-stated girl-next-door vibe in the first Iron Man, goes over-board on the technique. Scarlett Johannson fills out the spandex, and brings a physicality that most of her waifish contemporaries could never touch, but nothing too memorable. The buxom readhead till hasn’t fulfilled the potential from The Horse Whsiperer.
The story is the key. A couple moments could wheel the story into cliche, but it steers out of the way just in time and in doing so, is sometimes inspirational. Justin Theroux’s script lacks the rah-rah moments of the first, but it’s heavy in what the audiences want – Tony Stark, who at one point utters “I’m sick of the same-ol’ liberal agenda.” Favereau and Downey are clearly sick of the same-ol’ superhero movies.
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I love John Favreau and I love Robert Downey Jr. and I am not ashamed to admit it!
Rourke’s demonic chuckle spoke so much. God, I loved this movie.
Stay through the end credits…and I mean to the bitter end.
Agreed, but without giving anything away, were you as underwhelmed as I was?
Yes but only because so little has been offered thus far.
I was like “THAT”S IT!?!…that’s what I stayed for?” But if you’re a fan-boy I’m sure it would have made your day.
Yeah, but one of the few times I’d say the original had 2 beat.
I enjoyed both equally. Superb movies.
This post only got 8 comments? I don’t get this site…
No kidding, folks. JohnFN wrote this review, not I.
Nor I.
When Kyle Smith, Christian Toto, Big Hollywood and everyone else have a review posted the day of or the day before said movie, makes maintaining interest a bit difficult.
Didn’t respond because I didn’t see the movie until last night. Loved it. Agree with most of the above. Of the rumors I heard, the plot was confusing or stuffed with too much ala Spiderman3, I believe they were unsubstantiated. Plot was simple and good and despite the several characters the movie doesn’t lose focus on who was important and the supporting cast fit their parts. Although he didn’t get a lot of screen time, I think the chemistry between Cheadle and Downey was far better than Howard.
As a comic fanboy, loved the extra scene at the end. I do worry about about the future of the franchise and the Avenger movie. Many of Ironman’s villians fall into what you might all the mythical… and so certainly is the character teased at the end. I don’t see any way around it, I mean if you want to expand on the Marvel comic world and its characters there is just no avoiding the mythical. However, I’m not sure how the non-comic fan will take to it. Favreau already said that they teased Ironman’s primary nemesis enough and want him as the villian in the third entry. The Mandarin, who uses ten magical rings.
Geek alert! They’ve retconned the background in the comics so that these 10 rings are technology from dragon-like aliens and not magical… well I think you get my point, this is delving deeper into the fantastic. For myself, I’ll probably enjoy it but I’m afraid they’ll lose the general audience who is going to have a hard time with suspension of disbelief.
I wasn’t a huge superhero fan as a kid, but I always liked Iron Man. Tony Stark was the only alias I could relate to. If any red-blooded American male truly had superpowers he’d be Tony Stark, not Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker or Clark Kent. Glad to see Stark’s attitude finally get its due.
I have not seen the first. I am doing a major basement remodel, and have promised my sons a big screen TV. We have a pact to watch Iron Man I on it, then go out and see the new one. We’re less than 10 days from realizing the dream! I know, I know, we are the last family in America to not own a big screen TV!
Do you still have a rotary dial telephone, or do you just ring up Pearl, and have her connect you to whomever you want to talk to next.
I literally do have a rotary dial telephone. 2 as a matter of fact! I do have some of those new fangled push button contraptions too.