I. Am. Iron Man… 2

by Loc Da’Borg

One thing I can say about director Jon Favreau is that he really gets what comics are about. Two years ago when the first Iron Man was released, we all breathed a sigh of relief that the story was done justice and that the movie lived up to the trailer. Though the main villain, Obadiah Stane and the knock-off mech that he created, could have been done much better, the overall movie was done so well that we forgave it because there was so much action and character development. But what’s more, this sequel was a worthwhile wait.

Taking place some time after Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) announced to the world that he is Iron Man, we find our main hero silently accepting that he will die due to the Arc Reactor energy in his chest. To that end, he makes his long-time assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Stark Industries’ new CEO and President. He’s facing heat from all sides while keeping mum about his ailing condition, with Justin Hammer and the Senate Armed Forces Committee breathing down Tony’s neck about turning over the Iron Man technology to the government.Also, he’s turned far more heavily towards alcohol which is in turn causing strains and tensions in his relationships with Pepper and his best friend Rhodey (Don Cheadle taking over the part of James Rhodes from Terrence Howard).

And that’s just HALF the battle. Enter Ivan Vanko aka Whiplash, the Russian  son of Tony’s father’s former partner. Having felt that the Starks have benefited from his father’s hard work while he died broke and destitute, a scientist himself, Vanko takes it upon his mantle to avenge his father’s honor by any means necessary. Sometime down the line after the now infamous scene you’ve seen in

Nick Fury Attempts to Persuade Iron Man to Join the Cause

the trailers with Whiplash cutting Tony’s racecar in half, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) gives Vanko a deal he just cannot refuse!
This sequel has a lot to like in it. From the character development, to the dialog (especially between Pepper and Tony), to the action sequences that put Iron Man 1 to shame, to the sight of Rhodey as War Machine near the end of the film, Iron Man 2 is very much the sequel we’ve been waiting for. Action, adventure, a lil romance and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury are all sure to keep you glued to your seats!