Thoughts on Iron Man 2

And I really liked the first one.

The Iron Man movie series is about character more than plot. It lacks the set pieces found in such classics as Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark. But it matches them in character.

Robert Downey, Jr. portrays a completely realized Tony Stark. As a comic book reader, I have never found Tony Stark particularly engaging, but Downey finds the character. He holds this movie together as its center. No one outshines him, and he is engaging to watch in every scene.

Mickey Rourke as Whiplash, not so much. I mean, Rourke brings what is needed to each scene. And we are confident that he's going to bring Tony Stark down a few notches. But once he attacks Stark in Monte Carlo with only fragments of a plan, its obvious that this is not the man who is going to kill Iron Man. There's vengeance there, but no overarching plan. Rourke's character is a thug and an engineer and that's possibly all he was supposed to be - but I wasn't caught up in the performance. I was much more impressed by

Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. He and Tony Stark could have been separated at birth. Tony's path has been more affirming than Hammer's and Justin is suffering from extreme issues. His quest is for respect. Rockwell gives the character so many interesting quirks that I couldn't help but like him, and enjoyed watching him onscreen just as much as Downey.

Gwyneth Paltrow. I've never been an admirer of her work until the first Iron Man movie. It is her back and forth with Downey, Jr. is really the heart of this film. They do it so well that I could watch an entire film with just those two in the room. Her attraction to Tony Stark is so apparent in their dialogue that it doesn't ever need to get physical, though it does.

Don Cheadle is the straight man here. Though he's proven in previous roles that he is more than equipped at comedy and can also play leading man, he is support here, and does it well. He's a better fit to the cast than Terrence Howard, and more intimidating as the character's function in Stark's life changes.

Scarlett Johansson falls just into the small pocket within this cast where she can prove useful. She plays the Black Widow, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent assigned to help Tony Stark, though its unknown to him for half the movie. The Black Widow is personal assistant and silent pit-bull. We know little about her and that's all we should know. She hasn't the acting chops to go toe-to-toe with Downey, Jr. and doesn't need to - she is also there for support and maybe a touch of guidance. My favorites scenes of hers were where she interacted with Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan.

Jon Favreau has directed another great film. I particularly love the way he lets his character scenes breathe. He lets the actors really converse with one another. Their dialogue speaks over one another, just like it would in real life. He seems to trust them implicitly and that trust is well held. These are the scenes that stand out and place Iron Man over the usual blockbuster fare.

There are a few weak spots. Certain action clips seem to cut out to early, and the Black Widow's fight in the Hammer installation is shot in a speed that distracts from the action. Tony Stark's drunken repulsor target blasting at the party seems a touch too much. One slight misfire and the party-goers would have been fried, which was probably the point, I just didn't think Tony would ever let himself risk something like that.

The real good stuff - Downey, Jr. The drone battle, especially where Iron Man levels them with those two red lasers. John Slattery as Howard Stark and all that vintage footage.

I do realize that the villains in this movie were playing second fiddle to Stark himself. Tony is really the big bad guy in this one, and that foe is defeated at the beginning of the third act. Perhaps that's where many of the so-so reviews are coming from. Many may feel that Whiplash and Hammer were never a match for Tony and the outcome was inevitable from the beginning. I think that it's a logical step that Tony must come to grips with his responsibilities so that he can now focus on what's to come. And I hope that what's to come is a much more threatening antagonist for the next film. A mastermind, if you will. Perhaps the Mandarin. Perhaps M.O.D.O.K. and A.I.M. Perhaps someone I'm not thinking of.

One cause for alarm, though. Nick Fury says that he's sold on Iron Man as a member of The Avengers, but only wants Tony Stark as an advisor. Does that mean someone else would be calling themselves Iron Man, wearing the suit and it not be Tony Stark? Tony Stark is Iron Man. Just like Peter Parker is Spider-Man and Bruce Wayne is Batman. Not having Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit is a mistake. My two cents.

Anyway, Iron Man 2 - Great!