Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle, not yet getting too old for this shit.
Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language
Typically, in a superhero’s second movie, he is given multiple villains to combat, generally amping up whatever worked in the first one. Writer Justin Theroux and director Jon Favreau favor a slightly more subtle approach to their villain-piling. The multiple opposing forces come in many forms. Ivan Vanko’s Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) and his revenge-minded scheme to copy Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) Iron Man technology for his own super exoskeleton serve as the traditional comic book villain, but the U.S. government, a rival weapons inventor and his own failing heart all team up to take pot shots at the endearingly narcissistic Stark.
It’s easy for superhero movies get mudded by piling on antagonists, but Favreau, et al. have managed to keep all the elements true to the comic book (for the most part) and more importantly, true to the rules and precedent set by the first film. They maintain the free-flowing, improvisational style without drawing attention to it, and without trying too hard to nail those zinging one-liners. For all the explosions and chases and cars, it is still essentially about characters with flaws and virtues and depth. Oh, and it’s a ton of fun too. The characters are deep without brooding or taking themselves too seriously. Downey effortlessly shines again, proving again how perfectly he can command an entire film, even one as vast this.
The copycat super-villain storyline has already become tiresome, and even this film seemed tired of it by the end, with the final fight wrapping up startlingly quickly. Nonetheless, the promise of future Iron Man movies leaves me hopeful, since the prospect of getting to know the characters better (especially Downey’s and Cheadle’s) is exciting enough.
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Ryan Ebling has an as-yet meaningless degree in English and Communications. He currently works in a high school special education classroom.
I saw “Date Night” on Sunday and I thought Mark Wahlberg’s spy computer setup was very similar to Tony Stark’s. I guess nobody uses keyboards anymore. They just poke at the air now.