Iron Man 2, the 2010 sequel to the original Iron Man movie, saw Tony Stark return in a new adventure where he faced both physical and emotional challenges. One of the film’s most notable elements was the plethora of new suits that Stark used throughout the movie. These suit transformations added some visual flair and excitement to the film, while also allowing the writers to explore new concepts in terms of the technology and upgrades that the character had created.
From the sleek and ultra-powerful Mark VI suit to the bulky and industrial-looking War Machine, the individual designs of the suits were all well done and visually impressive. In particular, the scene where Stark and Rhodes battle off the drones together was a highlight of the film, showcasing the power and versatility of the suits in a thrilling aerial showdown.
But the suit up scene at the grand prix was INCREDIBLE. I remember seeing it when I was 4, and making a bunch of suitcases out of paper, and stepping on them like it was gonna turn me into Iron Man or something. But even to this day, that suit up scene is probably one of the best Marvel scenes EVER.
But then they robbed us of a suit up scene right before the final battle. He puts on the new arc reactor, and right when you think you’re gonna get another elaborate scene with incredible visuals- it just cuts right to the Expo to set up the fight scene. That was mildly disappointing, not gonna lie.
However, while the suit transformations were certainly entertaining, it is fair to say that they were somewhat overshadowed by the other elements of the film. One of these elements was Sam Rockwell’s performance as Justin Hammer, the rival entrepreneur trying to outdo Stark in terms of technological advancements. Rockwell’s quirky and arrogant portrayal of Hammer was a standout, and gave the film a nice dose of comic relief.
The only drawback to Rockwell’s performance was that Hammer ultimately felt like more of a comedy relief character than a fully realized character. His motivations and backstory were never fully explored, and his character arc ultimately felt underdeveloped. This could be seen as a missed opportunity to craft a more compelling villain for Stark to face, especially given the impressive performance by Rockwell.
While the film didn’t fully realize Justin Hammer’s character, it did delve deeper into the development of Tony Stark. Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Stark continued to be a highlight of the movie, as he took the character down a path of personal and emotional growth. The film dove into Stark’s struggles with his own inner demons, including his alcoholism, and even had him confront his own mortality in a powerful way.
Watching Stark grapple with these issues made for a nice departure from the superhero action and intrigue, and provided audiences with a more nuanced and human portrayal of the character. However, there were times when the film struggled with pacing, and it was clear that the writers were trying to cram a lot of different plot elements into a two hour film.
They try to remind us that tony is dying every now and then, but that should have been the main idea of the film, instead of being just another minor subplot. MANS IS DYING! That should be all this movie is about.
This uneven pacing robbed some of the scenes of their emotional impact and made it feel like the film was rushing to get to the next action set-piece rather than allowing the story to play out more organically.
But then they only gave us 2 fight scenes! So we spend about 1 hour and 30 minutes watching people talk, and only 30 minutes of actual IRON MAN ACTION!!!!
BRUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH….
Ok, but overall, Iron Man 2 was pretty good. Let me know if ya’ll agree in the comments below, and head over the Fan Area Forums Pages to get the convo started.