Note: This review is STUFFED withspoilers.
There are no more spoiler warnings after this point!
Everyone knows the rule.
The better a comicbook movie, the better its sequel.
It was true ofSpider-Man.
It was true ofX-Men.
It was true ofBatman(twice).
And yet, somehow, it did.
Dont get me wrong, this film is good, and sometimes even great.
At no point is it ever any worse than your typical summer action blockbuster.
Ad content continues below
Perhaps its simply that afterKick Ass, the benchmark has been reset.
And once the plot gets going, theres little reason for the audience to crack a smile.
Well-written and well-acted, but sorely lacking those moments of reckless, invincible excitement that defined the first movie.
The comedy, too, has been muted a little.
Pacing, too, is a concern.
If you like Iron Man more than Stark, well, youre in the wrong movie anyway.
Thankfully, things improve dramatically following the first major action set piece.
and gets to work.
Whiplash makes for a fantastic visual, and is far more fun than another generic goon-in-a-suit would have been.
When Rhodes gets hold of the Mk.
On that level,Iron Man 2is certainly smarter than the average action movie.
At one point, Stark has to save his own life by creating a new element.
Still, thats a pet peeve.
Many in the audience will let it wash past them without blinking.
Throughout the film, Paltrow is spectacular.
Independent, organised and intelligent.
Undercover as Potts replacement, Johansson drips with silent confidence befitting a Russian super-spy.
If Daniel Craig tried to put the moves on her, shed probably rip his balls off without flinching.
If you dont come out of this movie loving the Black Widow, you didnt watch it correctly.
Shouldnt I have left wanting to see more Iron Man?
Worst of all is that theres no post-credits Easter Egg.
Maybe the goalposts shifted.
Maybe the execution wasnt up to scratch.
Maybe it was simply destined not to meet impossibly high expectations set by the first movie.
Flawed but enjoyable, weakened largely by what it failed to be, rather than what it was.
Rating:
3 out of 5
