Review: Iron Man 2

*Note: Thanks to all the midnight screenings, we're able to post this early. Yay!*

It would've been so easy to just give us more of the same. Director Jon Favreau and Marvel Studios struck gold with 2008's Iron Man, an explosive popcorn flick with a flawed and exciting hero at it's core. It was the perfect role for Robert Downey, Jr., giving him free reign to cut loose and be as flamboyant and arrogant as he darn well pleased. Iron Man, a hero with name recognition but by no means an A-lister(he's no Wolverine or Captain America), has become not just a household name but the center of the Marvel film universe based almost exclusively on Downey's charismatic performance. Its success has only increased expectations and proposed new challenges, which Iron Man 2 gladly meets then blows out of the sky like a blast from a photon cannon.

Not content to merely give us another random armored nemesis for playboy industrialist Tony Stark to battle, this time the war truly wages from within. At the end of the last film, Stark revealed himself to the world to be Iron Man, an act which has caused no end of problems. The Senate is on his butt, wanting the Iron Man armor for themselves as a means of national security. As is always the case in movies, one particular senator(Gary Shandling looking like he's made of plastic) is more of a pain than the rest. With his popularity soaring, Tony thinks it's time to push for his father's goal of worldwide peace.

Time may be running short, though. Tony's discovered that his energy source, the batteries keeping the suit powered up and him alive, are burning out at an accelerated rate. If he doesn't find a new element or renewable source soon, he'll die. In this case, his carefree attitude is a perfect cover, leaving his trusted assistant Pepper Potts(Gwyneth Paltrow), clueless as to his condition. His best buddy, James Rhodes(Don Cheadle), is already in a tight spot. Being a military man, he has a duty to follow the orders of the government who so badly want the armor for themselves. Obviously, this causes a bit of friction.

As if the vultures weren't already circling, a shark emerges from the depths to make matters worse in the form of Ivan Vanko(Mickey Rourke). Vanko, a hulking Russian brute with a physicist's eye and a frayed link to the Stark legacy is seeking murderous revenge for past wrongs pepetrated by Tony's father. Designing his own suit powered by Stark-tech, he makes a stinging entrance during the film's most powerful action sequence, slashing Tony's race car into smithereens during the Grand Prix. Barely escaping with his life and armor intact, Tony takes a leave of absence to deal with the multitude of problems weighing him down.

The thing that has made Iron Man click so well is the fallibility of Tony Stark. He's more than just an altruistic hero. He's not Superman. He's not grim 'n gritty like Batman. But he's not quite a regular guy, either. We are talking about a multi-billionaire here, who can have any woman he wants(or so he thinks) and any toy he doesn't already have he can invent in a day or two. He's also a drunk, a facet of his personality which has only been hinted at up to this point. It's his arrogance and ego that is his fatal flaw. We can all see that, but what makes it interesting is that up to this point it wasn't so clear whether or not Tony knew that about himself. For all the showy stuff we get from Downey, it's a far more subtle act than I think people give it credit for being. He's so good here, such a powerful presence, that the film never suffers when Iron Man isn't a part of the story. Can you say the same about The Dark Knight? I bet you can't.

Any good superhero story is only as good as it's villain. My biggest beef with the original was that I never bought into Obadiah Stane as a credible threat. His motivations weren't clear until the film's finale, and even then the outcome was never in doubt. The sequel takes a huge gamble by doubling up the adversary count with Vanko and the jealous weaponeer, Justin Hammer(Sam Rockwell). Rourke is as intimidating as ever, adding a physicality to the role that is sorely needed to make him a credible threat. Vanko is the perfect foil for Tony, and his scenes, while far too few for my taste, completely work. It's Rockwell that I found myself disappointed in, as he seemed to be trying too hard to channel his role from Charlie's Angels.

Never once does the film succumb to what I call "Batman Returns Syndrome", where the sequel is so overloaded with characters that nobody does anything meaninful. Favreau has found a way to juggle a rapidly expanding cast by giving each of them their moment in the spotlight. Scarlett Johannson could've been a disaster as Tony's sultry legal assistant, who we all know has a more exciting alter ego as the Black Widow. Sure, she's eye candy here, but it's not overdone. She was the eye candy in The Spirit, also, and that was flat out awful. Don Cheadle is a welcome upgrade from the squeaky voiced Terrence Howard. He simply has a more commanding presence, one that was completely necessary for Rhodey's increased role. Dare I say that War Machine is even cooler than Iron Man? I dare.

The announcement that Marvel was creating an interlocking world through their big screen endeavors made fanboys like me wet our pants with anticipation, but I'd be lying if I didn't think there could be major problems. One of those rears it's ugly head about halfway through with the arrival of superspy, Nick Fury(Samuel L. Jackson). Fury has been seen in other Marvel films, hinting at the larger hero 'verse  and basically being a know-it-all with a cool eyepatch. It's a perfect part for Jackson, the only guy who can make corny dialogue sound smooth as butter. If you can get past the idea of this trench coated, one-eyed soldier sitting in a diner chatting over doughnuts with a guy in a metal suit, the scene is hella cool and works in a weird Tarantino sort of way. The problem is that it also grinds the story's momentum to a stop in favor of pushing the rest of the Marvel films to come. It takes awhile for the pace to pick back up after this.

And pick up it does! The action sequences in Iron Man 2 are larger,  the explosions bigger, and the stakes are higher because they are so much more personal. Not just for Tony, but for Vanko and Rhodey as well. All of these men have a lot to lose, unlike the first film which was basically about jealousy, which isn't all that compelling as it turns out. There aren't as many action set pieces as in the original, but I would argue that they are infinitely better in the way they are staged.  The Grand Prix scene alone is adrenaline charged, and the massive war across New York between the two Iron Men and Vanko's armored battallion had me at the edge of my seat.

Iron Man 2 puts to bed any and all doubts I might've had by staying true to what it knows worked and fixing a  few nagging issues. The best part about Iron Man is that it works on multiple levels. If you just want your testosterone fix, then you'll be more than satisfied. If you want a tiered, fleshy character study of a flawed hero, then Robert Downey Jr. gives you that in spades. Let's be honest, this is a franchise film. It doesn't need to try hard at this point. The fact that it strives to and exceeds the original only solidifies that this is the best superhero franchise bar none. Sorry, Bruce Wayne fans.