Article by Cameron Spink

Tony Stark: "I have successfully privatized world peace"

With the acclaimed success of the first Iron Man movie starring Robert Downey Jnr it was a given that a sequel was to be created sooner rather than later. Well, the sequel is upon us and it leaves off where the original finished.

While the Iron Man movie franchise is predominantly action-based with Downey Jnr as the lead Iron Man II packs just as much punch with fresh gags and humour as it does in regards to its action sequences and storyline. Downey Jnr, as Tony Stark, has not had any sort of comedic hangover and the one liners provide relief in a movie that is sufficiently more melodramatic than its predecessor.

Iron Man II begins with Tony Stark still living the life befitting of a billionaire. Instead of taking responsibility for the weapon he has created he uses it to increase his fame rather than hand it over to the United States armed forces for use in the country's defence. This backfires as Stark is targeted by Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) a problem not to be had by any other superhero who remains anonymous.

After failing to kill Stark Whiplash teams up with Stark's commercial arch-nemesis Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell – perhaps best know for his performance in Moon and Charlie's Angels Eric Knox). While Whiplash provides the muscle and brain Hammer provides the resources and the gags in an evil combination that is perhaps not fully utilized.

Meanwhile Stark, remaining blatantly oblivious to his deadly foe's schemes, is suffering from  toxicity in his blood that is created by using his metal suit in conjunction with the Arc Reactor that is keeping him alive. This provides the viewer with a look at the more human side of Stark. He may be brash and egotistical but Stark's fear of dying and his attempts to distance himself from Pepper Potts show a more emotional hero. This is both captivating and disappointing. While it is good to see that Stark's excessive life does not shield him from having natural dispositions towards troubling life challenges it is bizarre that a movie series that so blantalntly tries not to be compared to The Dark Knight takes a page out of its book. One can't help but think Iron Man should stick to the style it does best.

The cast assembled is A-class. Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson add to the already numerous names in this movie. Although it must be stated that Johannsson's Black Widow was unnecessary and Jackson's Nick Fury merely an attempt to incorporate characters from a future Avengers movie. And while Don Cheadle is certainly a better Lt. Col. James Rhodes (and sidekick) than Terrance Howard this change in casting sufficiently alters Rhodes character into something indistinguishable from the first movie.

Despite these flaws, as sequels go, Iron Man II is an enjoyable and consistent effort to revitalize  the comic-based series. Director Jon Favrea, who also plays Stark's bodyguard Happy Hogan in the movie, does not have a long list of movies credited to his directing abilities but the two Iron Man movies will surely be the pinnacle of his career. Iron Man II eclipses its predecessor in many ways. This includes the last fight scene between Whiplash (wielding twin energy whips) Stark (in his Iron Man suit) and Rhodes (in the new War Machine suit). This climax is much more satisfying than the original and the only criticism can be that it seems to finish in a mere moment. Iron Man II's filming is also a highlight. Every scene is sharp and crisp, even in the action scenes. Then there is the inevitable conclusion to the dynamics between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts.

Iron Man II does not really have any profound message attached to it. While Stark's humanity is more existent he does not have any sort of emotional epiphany and instead relies on his own intelligence to fix his problems. Nor does this movie seem to condemn the misuse of power. Instead it seems to reveal in Stark's rebelliousness with the message being “as long as you look cool doing it...”. One off-hand boast by Whiplash reveals an interesting perception. Whiplash remarks “If you could make God bleed, people will cease to believe in Him. There will be blood in the water, and the sharks will come”. From a Christian perspective this is profoundly what happened to Jesus. As the manifestation of God he came to earth and bled and indeed the sharks did circle. The difference between Tony Stark and Jesus is that Stark used his abundant resources to make himself a god in the minds of the public whereas Jesus inherited this role by His very nature. Anyway, that's a bit of food for thought.

Ultimately Iron Man II is not as satisfying nor as fun as the original. However, it is not the disappointment that sequels have been in other franchises and will not derail the series altogether (Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matrix come to mind). This movie ticks most of the boxes to be an enjoyable movie and will spawn more in the series to come. One can't help comparing the Iron Man to the new Batman series and it is hard to weigh this movie against the raging and critically successful Dark Knight. In this regard and in so many others Stark's super-human suit remains in the Bat's shadow.

3.5 stars