Iron Man 2 - popcorn* for the eyes

Haven't seen a good popcorn movie since Alice in Wonderland (well I liked it, I'm sorry but I did) and after watching Iron Man on Sky I got quite excited about seeing the sequel.

So Monday afternoon I found myself in the slightly cheaper seats at the big screen Odeon in Leicester Square. So was it worth the excitement and £14?

Well there is nothing new. The super hero formula of first film establishing, second film wobbling but making good is not new (third film I confidently predict will be the bigger, badder, baddie and a slightly more learned Iron Man).

But it doesn't matter because it is done well with a cocky and uber-cool hero, witty script, big special effects, fights, clever gadgets, great baddies and a toe-tapping sound track. And the girls kick-ass too.

It's an entertaining pop corn movie.

Robert Downey Jnr as Iron Man doesn't give anything in his performance I haven't seen before but could quickly become an bankable blockbuster asset. Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) isn't stretched but is obviously having fun as is Scarlett Johansson (Natalie Rushman) although she just doesn't look right with red hair.

Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer) gives the performance of the film as the ultra-jealous corporate rival and big baddie Ivan Vanko aka Mickey Rourke? Well Mickey Rourke should only ever do comic book movies where he plays slightly freakish looking baddies. He's got the face for it and the talent. And no I still don't understand why the Academy wet it's pants over his performance in The Wrestler (has-been wrestler playing a has-been wrestler, not a stretch that one).

Anyway I digress, to sum up, Iron Man 2 is silly entertainment done very well.

(Oh and if you know about the extra bit at the end of the credits of Iron Man, yes there is an extra bit at the end of Iron Man 2 but hardly worth sitting though two miles of scrolling names for. If you didn't know, now you do.)

* I like popcorn - mixed with a layer of salty in the middle

Other views:

Metacritic score: 60/100

Empire online gives three stars out of five: Rourke and Rockwell make satisfying, complementary villains, while Downey Jr. delivers again. Shame this sequel feels inessential, over-busy and a little, well, mechanical.

Time Out London another three star review: ‘Iron Man 2’ is a lot of fun: it’s shiny, likeable and never boring. But it’s also wildly uneven and unnecessarily convoluted, leaving the viewer unsatisfied and hungry for something more substantial.

Comments

[Rev Stan]

I'm not geek enough to have seen the Hulk movie or know anything about Thor but I am shallow enough to say that if it has Robert Downey Jnr in it then I'll probably go and see it ;0)

[Adam]

Beware: geekery ahead.

I believe they're actually building towards an Avengers movie, which will have Iron Man, Hulk, Thor (in production, directed by Kenneth Branagh) et al in one movie…

[Rev Stan]

Solo trips to the cinema are a breeze - you don't have to worry about whether the people you are with are enjoying it and you can eat all the popcorn.
Still if they make a third you don't have to go solo because I'll go and see it.

[Adam]

I'm looking forward to this one, as I really enjoyed the first. Indeed, I blogged about it ages ago: http://adam.tinworth.org/2009/07/from-comics-to-screen.html

Alas, Dr T is uninterested in seeing it, and my normal superhero movie buddy now lives in Malta...

Might have to gather my courage for a Rev Stan-style solo visit to the cinema.