After the first “Iron Man” movie kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe, (MCU for short) alongside “The Incredible Hulk,” Marvel Studios began development on movies starting with “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” & “The Avengers” all connected to “Phase One.” The first act in the MCU.
Iron Man 2 was released in 2010. It received positive reviews from critics, fans & movie goers alike. Plus, it made enough money at the box office.
In response to “Avengers: Endgame” slated to come out on April 26th & Jon Favreau’s upcoming live action remake of The Lion King, I want to spread word of mouth for both movies. I’m very excited to see Endgame and I want remind everybody to refresh their memory until Tony Stark goes on his next epic journey with his fellow Avengers to battle Thanos.
Today’s review does not contain any SPOILERS whatsoever. If you have not seen Iron Man 2, feel free to read my non-spoiler article.
Shiny & Rusty Aspects
Shiny: Robert Downey Jr. did a fantastic job for his performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Bettany, Clark Gregg & Jon Favreau reprise their roles from the first Iron Man film.
Newcomers to the MCU such as Don Cheadle, (replacing Terrence Howard) Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke & the late Gary Shandling all did a great job for their respective performances.
Action Sequences are filled with high octane moments including the opening scene with Tony flying in his suit, indicates it is gonna be one heck of a fun ride. I also enjoyed the fight scenes.
Humor from the first movie is retained. Every time I hear Tony’s sarcastic one liners, he continues to make me laugh my butt off.
Besides his role as Happy Hogan, Jon also did a great job directing the film.
Actor/Screenwriter Justin Theroux (Mulholland Drive, Tropic Thunder) wrote the screenplay & he did a decent job.
Like the first movie, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello contributed to music score with the help of composer John Debney.
Chemistry between Tony & Pepper continues to grow.
Mickey Rourke’s character, Ivan Vanko is also known as Crimson Dynamo in the comics.
The sequel explores Tony acting reckless, due to a chemical element inside his arc reactor slowly poisoning him.
The sequel adapts elements from an Iron Man storyline titled, “Demon In A Bottle,” which centers around Tony’s alcohol abuse.
AC/DC’s songs “Shoot To Thrill & “Highway To Hell” are used in pivotal scenes. The latter song was also used in “Megamind.” Coincidentally, it came out the same year as Iron Man 2. AC/DC’s collaborated by releasing an album featuring their songs to promote the film.
If you’re a fan of “Stranger Things” like me? Will’s favorite song by The Clash, “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” is played in one scene.
Remember that scene with Nick Fury having a conversation with Tony at a donut shop? Sam Jackson’s character, Frank Tenpenny from “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” instructed Carl “CJ” Johnson an assignment when he stops by at a donut shop. Looks like somebody’s been playing GTA. San Andreas is my favorite GTA game of all time.
My favorite part has something to do with a house party.
Remember that kid wearing an Iron Man mask Tony rescued? It turns out he’s actually Marvel’s beloved mascot since 1962.
Stan Lee makes a blink & you’ll miss quick cameo appearance.
Besides Stan, late DJ Adam Goldstein also makes a cameo appearance as himself.
A Post-Credits Scene is shown.
Rusty: Justin Hammer shows off his dance skills as he moves his way towards a podium. Pepper & Natasha were reacting to his moves like, “What?” EGADS! This is “Spider-Man 3” & “Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer’s” cringeworthy dance scene outta nowhere all over again! In “Guardians Of The Galaxy,” we understand why Star-Lord dances to music, because he has a walkman given to his mother. It felt suitable as a memento.
During a chase sequence, the drones missed their target by shooting the glass, but the people didn’t get shot like a dart game at a State Fair.
An optional con for those who are into Scarlett Johansson like me, it can be pretty tough to lose focus on the movie. Let’s face it, Scarjo is one of the most beautiful human beings on the planet. In my opinion, she’s my kryptonite. Now I understand why Yakko & Wakko (from Animaniacs) are attracted to the nurse.
The Final Verdict: B, FOR BIRDIE! (Golf term)
In my opinion, Iron Man 2 is a good entry to the MCU. Although not on the class A rank as the first Iron Man movie, the second film has decent moments I’ve listed in the positive section. If you want to refresh your memory, I highly recommend Iron Man 2 alongside the rest of the MCU films to help you remember.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 