Iron Man 2, the latest production of a Marvel comic book, is the sequel to Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr as irrepressible genius and narcissist billionaire-turned-superhero Tony Stark.
In the first film, Tony revealed himself to be the secret identity of mysterious, metal-suited hero Iron Man, and must now deal with the consequences of this action - namely the American government trying to seize the Iron Man suit for their own ends, the jealousy of his long-time business rival Justin Hammer, and the sudden appearance of a new and very dangerous adversary: Whiplash.
As in the first film, Tony struggles to be a hero. He knows that he's irresponsible and unreliable, but being a good hero seems pointless in view of the fact that he is rather rapidly dying of palladium poisoning – from the device in his chest keeping him alive. In the face of certain death, Tony must now decide what kind of a legacy he wants to leave behind.
Iron Man is refreshing as a superhero, as he has a distinctive personality, and is defined more by his character faults, vices and misdeeds than by any tendencies towards heroism. His secret identity is public knowledge, and he is Iron Man for his own benefit more than anyone else's. Tony is a rarity among the ranks of Marvel superheroes - he's selfish, seeking fame, not redemption, and having no real cause.
The visual effects were above par, fitting seamlessly into the live action material - it was really very hard to tell which was which. As far as entertainment goes, Iron Man 2 doesn't disappoint – part action film, part romance, part drama, part comedy. It isn't being released in the United States for another four days, but has already grossed $100.2 million, making more than the original.
Robert Downey Jr is as usual effortlessly screen-stealing, and so believable that he could in fact be Tony Stark playing Robert Downey Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow as the female lead is nowhere near a damsel in distress, and nor is Scarlett Johansson as femme fatale Black Widow. Mickey Rourke is very good as Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash, a man whose brutish exterior belies a massive intelligence - he's almost as clever as Tony.
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