Iron Man 2

How the creators of the “Iron Man” series could have let something so good slip from their fingers like this is beyond my comprehension. But still, it happened. “Iron Man 2” was vastly inferior to its precursor, and it was the biggest disappointment of the summer movie season. It would have been as great as the first film if it had just repeated the techniques that worked so well for it before, instead of trying to cram tons of material into it and leaving quality as an afterthought. What the first film was so careful not to do was blatantly did in the sequel: too many new characters and subplots were added, and so for the entire running length things progressed sluggishly and slowly. “Iron Man 2” was a complete dissatisfaction.

In the last movie there were only four main characters, which made for quality character development and upped their likeability factor. These characters are back with an added six main characters, all without that likeability, and fighting for attention throughout the film. And if you count the Don Cheadle actor change, there are actually seven new characters. Half of these characters are not even necessary, and it slows down the whole film with their nonstop recurrences. And it makes it feel as though this movie only exists to bridge the gap between the first film and the upcoming “Avengers” film, especially after the “Thor” teaser after the end credits.

The story in “Iron Man 2” was also overloaded and confusing. The main plot involved Iron Man struggling to deal with Whiplash, a Russian man with weaponry similar to Tony’s. The many subplots included Tony’s armor slowly killing him, his flawed relationship with his father, his involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D., Black Widow, his difficulties with his rival Justin Hammer, his difficulties with Senator Stern, his alcoholism, his faulty friendship with Rhodey, his position on the Avengers team, and the introduction of Thor. I probably missed a few, as well. This is just overwhelming, and the film is too full of all this garbage to really advance the main “Iron Man” storyline. Therefore, it also increases the feeling that the film only exists to get tons of characters and subplots introduced so that we know who and what they are when they return in future films.

It is impossible to review “Iron Man 2” without mercilessly comparing it to its predecessor, and this is why it receives such criticisms. It overworked new characters and plotlines too much, and made the whole movie seem slow and low-quality. This kept the main storyline from progressing much at all, which was what engendered a dissatisfied feeling when the film finally ended. This film is still worth seeing, but maybe not in theaters. It gets 5 out of 10 stars.

Iron Man

Where do I even begin? “Iron Man” was, bar none, the best movie of ‘08, and it was a heck of a way to kick off the summer of that year. There has never before been a more believable superhero than the one portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man was never a very famous Marvel comics character, but this film made him one. The storyline in the film was also top-notch. And of course, the special effects were fabulous. “Iron Man” is undeniably the best superhero movie ever made, and it set a new standard for all others.

Most superheroes are nice, honorable people with humble beginnings who never sway from being heroic. Therefore, they are boringly predictable. They always come to stop a crime, and always do the right thing. But Robert’s character is not at all this conventional. Not only is he a multi-billionaire, but he is also a flawed and narcissistic man who only takes part in hero work when he feels like it. Furthermore, he has no superpowers, and only becomes amazing when in his suit. He is also the only superhero ever to not have a secret identity. This all makes him a very atypical and interesting character, and is quite refreshing when considering the many other disastrous comic book films that have come out in recent years.

What I think I like the most about the story in “Iron Man” is that it takes things easy. It spends ample time developing his origin story so that it makes sense, while injecting great Downey-style humor into it all. It doesn’t try to introduce every single character from the whole comic book series, but instead focuses on the few it did introduce with great character development. Jeff Bridges made a superb villain, and Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard were exceptional supporting characters. With so many things going right in this film, it seems impossible that any film could ever compete with it.

It would be a real shame if all this movie’s greatness was held back by unrealistic special effects. Thankfully, it’s not a problem. These state-of-the-art CG effects are completely believable, and the flying scenes are out of this world, even without the much-desired 3D involved. The best part, though, is that it isn’t just tons of special effects all movie long. They focus much more on story and character development, which in the end is what makes “Iron Man” so great as a superhero film. “Iron Man” is an instant classic, no doubt about it.

There has never been a superhero flick as perfect as “Iron Man.” It benefits from a great cast and a very unique kind of superhero, as well as a totally comprehensible and interesting plot. The special effects are top-notch, and the film great. It is worth seeing and even worth owning, and it earns 10 out of 10 stars.