So, naturally, this film leads to a sequel. I have to say, I would have been okay if they had just waited to have the follow up to the first be the Avengers movie, but logically, they are going to cash in on the first movie's tremendous success and make a second.
Though the sequel is not as good as the first movie, it was still a heck of a lot of fun to watch. The story starts pretty much right where the first one left off. The biggest issue with the movie as a whole is that there were entirely too many references to the Avengers film coming up. The movie was chock full of references to Captain America and Thor, with noticeable cameos for both.
The storyline wasn't as impressive, and it was a little darker. It lacked some of the fun elements of the first film. Also, some of the moments seemed hopelessly hokey.
The acting was very good in the movie. Robert Downey Jr. was almost born to play Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts was just as fitting the second time around. Don Cheadle was a great replacement for Terrence Howard as Lt. Col. James Rhodes, also known as Warmachine. I have respect for both Howard and Cheadle as actors, and I was glad to see that they didn't go with someone with less ability after losing Howard. It seemed like a decent transition, just like replacing Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhall in Dark Knight. The suspension of disbelief continued, and it was like if the comic book had been continued with a new artist and writer.
Samuel L. Jackson has probably the most interesting filmography ever, and he was great as Nick Fury. Samuel L. Jackson was the basis for the Ultimate Nick Fury and so why not get him for a movie version of the character? The new-to-the-franchise Mickey Rourke played an excellent villain paired with Sam Rockwell's hapless rival weapons developer. My one problem with Micky Rourke was that he should have been the Crimson Dynamo, but honestly that was not that big of a deal. Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow was probably the weakest of the additions. She had great action scenes, but I was missing the Russian accent that the character should logically have as a Russian Super Spy. It doesn't matter if she's working for S.H.I.E.L.D. or not, she should have the accent. Sorry, it is a small detail, but sometimes those can make a movie that much better.
Spoiler Alert!
The final fight in the movie seemed awfully familiar to the first film. I realize there aren't a lot of options for Iron Man to fight and have people really enjoy the film. Mandarin would not have been a good match up for the big screen. The Iron Man movies are all about technology and the contemporary world, and a sorcerer probably would seem far too ridiculous. However, there are options. They could have introduced Hank Pym (Ant Man, Yellow Jacket, The Wasp, Goliath, Giant Man) and have him build the infamous villain, Ultron. Doomsday Robot isn't far off against Iron Man, could have been an interesting move. I am just worried that with these suit vs. suit fights in Iron Man that the movie will be trapped within that structure. It is an awful lot like how Lex Luther is a chief villain in every Superman movie. You have to change it up.
The strangest part of the movie for me was that I saw it close to a month after its release and I was the only one to stay around for the after-credits scene featuring a reference to the next major Marvel project.
Iron Man 2 seems like its own mini technology expo at times, which is kind of funny after you see the movie. I completely recommend it for just a fun time. Its darker than the original, but with more hokey jokes somehow. It is still worth seeing so I will say it gets 3 out of 5 from me. It falls short of the first's amazingness, but not far enough short that it should be missed by fans of the original.
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