The most fun summer movie

Film review: Iron Man 2

MANILA, Philippines - Russell Crowe’s Robin Hood complicated the legend. What were they thinking of? A gladiator in Sherwood Forest? The Freddy Kruger franchise is starting to show its age. Better get him into rejuvenation. And most horrifying to parents is the fact that Miley Cyrus, the beloved Hannah Montana of their kids is now doing hot love scenes. Why was she allowed to do this? So what is a moviegoer supposed to do? I say get back to the trusty commercial appeal of Iron Man 2. It looks like this is the most fun they will have this summer season.

The first Iron Man from two years ago was an enjoyable lark. Directed by Jon Farveau, whose Zathura I still enjoy watching, it had a wonderful combination of heart and brains that ably lifted it out of its Marvel comics origins. And it had Robert Downey Jr. He was an unlikely superhero but capable actor that he is, he gave his character James Bond elan and a credibility never seen before. Besides with those looks and a body buffed to action hero proportions, he was better looking than most comicbook portrayers we have seen in years. There was no question that he deserves a sequel.

We all know the story. Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy, arms dealer and industrialist who made himself into Iron Man by building a multi-powered suit that also protected his ailing heart. In the process he becomes this great weapon that brings about peace. He says that he privatized peace and he does look like he owns it. But others are also after peace and that suit that brought it about. And that is how the suit and the technology that went into it become the bone of contention among Stark’s friends and enemies in the sequel.

And so here it is, Iron Man 2, with Downey again in the title role with some returnees from the first one plus lots of new friends and foes. Gwyneth Paltrow as girl friday Pepper now turned COO of Stark Industries is here again. Romantically, she is still in a neither here nor there state with Stark. Terence Howard as best friend James Rhodes in 1, is not. A question of talent fee, perhaps. But the reliable Don Cheadle has taken on the role and plays straight man to Downey.

The newbies of the piece are a motley, exciting lot. Mickey Rourke as the menacing Russian Iron Man Ivan Vanko/Whiplash; Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer; Samuel L. Jackson as Sam Fury; and Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. Take note that Rhodey plus these new guys are all Marvel Comics characters.

This fact might be lost on the non-comics reader in the audience but the Marvel fans should have a grand time checking out these guys. What were their origins? Where have they previously appeared? Nick Fury was in Fantastic 4 and Black Widow was in Daredevil. And where are they headed? Obviously, to their own movie adventures and the beginning of their own franchise.

It was clever of Marvel to get them all together in Iron Man 2. They should admit though that having all these people together has resulted in one muddled plot. Stark is the middle age philanderer with parent issues. Do we go deeper into that like Batman did? No. How does this concern Whiplash? Why is Rhodey now also an iron man or a cyberman because we learn that he is actually made up of cybertronics? What is the Black Widow doing here? I don’t know but Johansson makes an interesting love interest for Stark.

Then there is the iron suit that Stark must protect from his enemies and even from the US government who wants the technology very badly. He looks like a kid hanging on to his beloved toy in some instances and you do not know whether to take his dilemma seriously or not. Does this relate back to his Daddy problem? And the plots go on and on etc., etc.

I say that some of the big guns in production got to read some comicbooks and got carried away. Serve up everything in there to the people. Bad move. But who cares. The kids lap everything up and they are now looking forward to Iron Man 3 and are now also primed for all those other spin-offs.

When that happens they will all have to serve up something bigger. Iron Man 2 is now the biggest in terms of explosions, high-tech gadgetry and mayhem. It’s like you want cars bursting into flames? OK but do it at the Grand Prix in Monaco. You want a battle at the huge Stark Expo. Fine. But do it down on the ground and up in the air at the same time. Want an awesome villain? Get Rourke.

Given how fast film technology is developing these days, I will not be surprised if Nick Fury comes up with more mayhem than all other superheroes around soon in his own movie or anybody else for that matter. But there is one thing in Iron Man that I am sure nobody will be able to top. It is Downey, one of the finest actors of our time has given flesh and blood to Iron Man while also looking charming and sexy and most of all, intelligent.