Or
he would be, if its power source wasn't killing him - and his erratic
behaviour wasn't starting to worry his friends... And a business rival
(Sam Rockwell) wasn't nipping at his heels. Oh, and the US government
wasn't pressuring him to hand over the Iron Man suit... And a mysterious
Russian physicist / thug (Mickey Rourke) wasn't building a weapon to
take down Iron Man in front of the world.
And... well, you get the idea.
The
first third of Iron Man 2 powers along, quickly re‑introducing us to the
cast - and to the idea that it's possible to make hi‑tech battle suits
by dressing up like a blacksmith and pounding hot steel on an anvil.
The
middle gets a little messy as about seven different plots are juggled (mostly teasers for the upcoming comic book epic The Avengers),
but thankfully director Jon Favreau (who also plays Stark's driver
Happy Hammond) keeps the tone light and the drama just the right side
of silly. While, addmittedly, a little too lengthy for it's own good - Iron Man 2 ends up getting everything right, from Scarlett
Johansson as a sexy super‑spy to Rockwell's cheesy antics (why does the
US military buy all its gear from nutcases?) to a final battle that
delivers a real punch without outstaying its welcome.
The
slightly muddled story does mean that a few character notes you would
expect to be hit hard are largely glossed over; Stark's arrogance at
the start of the film drives the story, but most of the character
development that follows takes place in moments where your attention is
elsewhere.
But it's there if you're watching for it.
If you're not... well, there's a lot to enjoy here whatever you're looking at. DVD Special Features
Plenty of extras floating around - but if you can, be sure to grab
this on Blu Ray. The picture image is outstanding, as is the superb
sound.
Extras include Feature film with optional commentary by
Jon Favreau, Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by Jon Favreau
(including Alternate Opening), and featurette "Creating Stark Expo"
which looks at how the sets and computer-generated elements combine to
create the massive set piece.
There's also a few extras on
"Practical Meets Digital" (how the practical props inform the
digital work that ultimately brings our hero to life on screen) as well
as a bunch of Music Videos from AC/DC.
Conclusion: 80% Extras: 75%
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