Film Journal #6 - John Favreau’s “Iron Man 2” (2010)
Like most of the country, I caught “Iron Man 2” over the weekend. This sequel to Favreau’s 2008 hit is great visual fun and certainly kicks off the 2010 summer blockbuster season.
I consider “Iron Man 2” superior to its predecessor in many ways, specifically the film’s action sequences and character development. Favreau still struggles to perfectly set up a climatic and satisfying ending to his action scenes. However, his ability to establish the viewer firmly in the geography of the scene while maintaining an exhilarating pace is a testament to his growth as a director.
In the first film, Jeff Bridges went from good to evil in the blink of an eye. While I would never claim that Mickey Rourke’s Ivan Vanko (AKA Whiplash) or Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer are ‘deep’ characters, they are considerably more developed than Bridges’ ever was.
I really peg the success of “Iron Man 2” on the incredibly enjoyable banter between Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle. And do I really have to mention how awesome it was to see Iron Man and War Machine mow down an army of robots? The six-year-old in me giggled with glee.
