The Incredible Hulk didn’t exactly set the world on fire when it came out, but there was still plenty of excitement and good will established with Iron Man that made fans eager to see the next entry in Marvel’s growing cinematic universe. Before we would get to any movies specifically about the other Avengers who would eventually join the team, however, we would have to join Tony Stark again on his own journey, as new threats and new allies come into his life to complicate it. This is the first movie where it’s clear that the movies are building towards something.

Pros

Good acting from most of the cast; Robert Downey Jr.’s charisma does a lot of heavy lifting
Action scenes are shot well and exciting
Various personal conflicts and decisions Tony makes bring out more about his character in a meaningful way
Most effects still look good

Cons

Villains are not very complex and are jokes in some ways
Some of the effects during the climax are not easy to follow (at night again)
Plot is a little too busy
Long runtime

Plot & Thoughts

After revealing his identity as Iron Man to the world, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has continued his bachelor lifestyle with a lot more attention on him, including from people he didn’t realize were his enemies. His focus on his Iron Man program has taken his attention away from managing his company to the point that he opts to make his assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), the new CEO. In need of a new assistant for both Pepper and Tony, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) joins the staff. While participating in a Formula 1 race in Europe, he’s attacked by a Russian man wielding electric whips, aka Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), claiming that Stark and his father stole technology from his father. Seeking an opportunity to beat Stark in the weapons market, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) enlists the Russian genius to help him design new supersuits that could rival Iron Man.

This was the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that I recall being somewhat disappointed by, but that isn’t because this movie is bad; it’s mainly because the first Iron Man was so good. The plot, as you can likely tell from the synopsis, is a little more all over the place, while the first film was very tight in its execution. This is most likely because it’s the first movie to really start setting up the Avengers. There were character cameos in the previous two movies, but Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and S.H.I.E.L.D. are much more present in this movie, and Fury’s intentions are just one arc of several that make up the plot of Iron Man 2.

It’s not just Fury who is complicating Tony Stark’s life as his character starts on a new arc on the path to being a hero. There’s an overarching narrative about how the U.S. government and other nations view a figure like Iron Man. There’s the growing tension between Tony and Rhody, who have different opinions about how the suit should be used and who has a right to use it. There’s the budding romance between Tony and Pepper, with the drama that comes from taking over the company from him. There is also the appearance of Whiplash, who demonstrates that the technology Tony Stark created to power the Iron Man suit is no longer exclusive to just him, which then makes him a potential ally to Justin Hammer.

There’s a lot going on, but it’s not a mess. Plenty of good things make up for the bloated plot. Of course, the acting is great from most of the cast, as Robert Downey Jr. carries the film with his charisma, making the somewhat uneventful scenes more entertaining as Tony Stark. Sam Rockwell is always good at playing the schmoozy sleazeball character, so he was a great choice for Hammer as the arms dealer who is the opposite of Stark, being morally bankrupt and incompetent. Don Cheadle is not quite as good as Terrence Howard was in Iron Man as the character Rhody, but he still does a good job with the character, which makes the scene in which their disagreements come to a head satisfying to see. Micky Rourke as Whiplash…well, he feels more like a caricature than a character, but he does the job.

The action is also satisfying. The Formula 1 race and first interaction with Whiplash looks great and is exciting. The climax, while a little jumbled with CGI Iron Man suits flying all over the place, is also satisfying with the first instance of Black Widow showing off her capabilities as Tony and Rhody fight off their enemies. As the film wraps up and the post-credits scene reveals who the next hero is to get their own movie, the plan for the Avengers becomes clearer. So, while it’s a somewhat disappointing sequel to a tight and entertaining film, it’s still a decent entry that starts setting up the big plan.

TL;DR

Iron Man 2 tries to do a lot with its plot. It’s introducing War Machine and Black Widow. It’s dealing with Tony’s insecurities and alcoholism. It’s trying to set up the Avengers, as Nick Fury gets much more screentime in this film than the brief cameo he has had so far. There are some good, fun moments in Iron Man 2, as well as meaningful scenes for Tony as a character. It just never quite reaches the quality and depth of its predecessor. The plot with the villains isn’t that interesting, even though I like Sam Rockwell’s performance. I like Iron Man 2, just not enough that I’d be anxious to watch it again.

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