Sunday, September 05, 2010

Iron Man 2


Sequels are not always as good as the first impression you get in the first installment and that's exactly what happened to me with this film. After the so good impression of the first, I was really looking forward to the second and started to watch having so much fun recalling my experience and the stupendous Robert Downey Jr. performance when the character is arrogant, narcissist and extremely fun-to-watch. But suddenly everything changed and film started to be plain -boring- for a very long while until maybe in the last 20 minutes picks-up the pace to have a great finale. Before I tell more have to share that yes, will watch the next installment! Lol!

The film was uneven and today that I'm reading viewers comments and critics reviews notice that it wasn't only me finding the huge boring loop in the middle. What I believe went wrong in this installment is what I particularly liked in the first one, a good developed drama and some sharp/darkish comical moments, as the action is there, not-so-long fights are there, good special effects are there, and well, not much else.

Film tells about Tony slowly and painfully dying while the US government wanting to get hold of his suits, which he definitively doesn't want to give away as -loved the line and how was delivered- Tony privatized world peace; besides only him has the working technology to do the suits. That's it until a Russian -crazy- physicist proves him wrong. By the way, shortly after the first Russian-Tony fight is when the film becomes slow, plain and boring.

I really don't understand why Scarlett Johansson had such an obscure role and only in the too-short action scene her character does something interesting. Mickey Rourke was an excellent choice to play Ivan Vanko, but his character became so plain too soon. Absolutely disliked Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, terrible casting and didn't even remembered that Lt. Col. James Rhodes was played by another actor in the previous film, as Don Cheadle was a natural for the part.

But what saves the film are Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow performances that even when the loop is at its most boring moment, shine with their screen presence and interpretation.

I'm sorry that the drama had such a lousy treatment and hope that in the next installment (is it called Torch?) producers get better screenplay writer(s), all I can suggest is to go back to the original four screenplay writers that did a terrific work, as Justin Theroux can't do drama (in this kind of film) well.

Don't expect the film to get as many nominations as the previous installment and doubt will get even one; but on a personal level I'm still enjoying the Iron Man story and absolutely want more if only to be better told than this one.

Do I recommend the film? Yes I do. Only to watch another great performance by Robert Downey Jr. and if you're 'hooked' in the Iron Man stories like me. Still, the film was another summer entertaining movie like others that were premiered during the 2010 summer movie season.

Enjoy!

Watch trailer @Movie On Companion

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