John Favreau's latest venture in the Iron Man saga proved to build upon the last film in many ways, but sadly deviate in some disappointing ways as well. The film literally picks up right where Iron Man left off. Tony Stark has just announced that he is Iron Man. The film then builds on the story arc of Tony being an egotistical show off and goes into character development.
The technology in this film is as impressive as the first, with Stark's advances machines using 3-D models and translucent displays to prove just how much money this engineering prodigy really has. Technology plays a big role in the life of Tony Stark and the film does an excellent job of portraying that.
The only real problem with this film is that it had a sub agenda of integrating the Avengers franchise into existing films. So there is a confusing of main plots in the film. The main story seems to slip away as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents steal the show. This would be perfectly fine (if not appreciated) if it did not cripple the ending of the story. Iron Man plays only one role of many in the resolution of the film and some cool points are lost sadly. Scarlett Johansson does her best to recoup these cool points by providing a perfect blend of sex-appeal and kick ass action.
The primary problem with the ending conflict is that it feels forced. The film has a rich story and it just seems to be lost in Michael Bay inspired action that involves blowing up several cars and needless destruction that is not even that amazing. At one point Iron Man is being out numbered and he is starting to lose as he faces so many enemies. So he simply just destroys them all with a "one-time-use" laser. This gives the vibe of a poorly executed Indiana Jones move (When Indiana Jones simply shoots the man with the sword in Raiders of the Lost Ark.)
A major saving grace for the film is Ivan Vanko, the Russian Physicist played by Mickey Rourke. He is one of the most complex and intriguing villains I have seen in a film in a long time, let alone a super hero movie. Vanko has a complex back story and great motivation that leads the audience to feel somewhat sympathetic to him. Not only that he is just quirky enough that he in endearing, I could not help but like him.
All in all, Iron Man II is definitely a must see, especially for those who liked the first one. Though if you have not seen the first one, then you should make sure you do before you see this one. Though one could get by only seeing the second one, the first one builds directly up to this one, allowing the intricate plot devises in this one to not go to waste. There are a few parts in the story that feel too much like a sequel plug and not enough like they are a part of the current story, but that can be looked past. The action scenes can be down right cool, despite a few scenes of blatant pointless destruction. The true key to this films success is comedy. Tony Stark is one of the funnies characters in the world, and Robert Downey Jr. really brings him to life. Iron Man II despite some minor flaws is still a fantastic film that earns itself an 91/100
