Sequel Ex Machina

Robert Downey Jr. Saves an otherwise assembly line sequel

NPR's David Eldestein borrowed a quote from Jon Favreau's first film Swingers to describe Favreau's most recent addition to the Marvel media empire.  

Iron Man 2: "You're so money."  

With all respect to Mr. Eldestein, I think he has it entirely wrong except for one, film-rescuing point.

Robert Downey, Jr. : "You're so money."  Apparently about $128 million. 

Iron Man 2 is in no way a "good" movie.  Its plot is thin where it's not cookie cutter, its antagonists are a mix of pathetically impotent (didn't the Ferengi teach us anything about laser whips?) and just pathetic, and no character exits the story any different than when they entered.  Sure it's pretty to look at it, but the action sets are few and neither new or engaging.  I'd even say the CG work, while its "robotic" awkwardness is somewhat understandable given the subject matter, is pretty sub par, with glaringly obvious compositing and overall poor action pacing. 

So yeah, just about everything that was good about the first film, a truly sinister villain, brilliant CG sequences of soaring through the sky, and some stunning practical effects work, are all gone.

So why is this movie so fun to watch?

If I had to look for comparisons, Iron Man 2 is lot like G I Joe.  Campy, stupid fun that knows its own tone but doesn't degenerate into a travesty of offenses like Transformers 2.  But what makes Iron Man 2 so much better than just another G I Joe, is the man, the money, Robert Downey, Jr. 

Downey's Tony Stark is probably one of the most likeable characters ever invented, and the fact that this character isn't too far from the Robert Downey, Jr. usual fare, is testament to how in love Americans are with quirky, sarcastic, flawed, rich people.  That practically describes the reason Hollywood exists.  Downey's comic timing is spot-on, and his steady barrage of witicisms keep a smile permanently welded to your face.

Scarlett Johannsen is hot but vapid, joining the gang as the secret SHIELD agent Black Widow (I still prefer my Johannsen Lost in Translation style, but to each his own), and you'd have to be crazy not to be madly in love with Gweneth Paltrow's Pepper Pots, the only thing in this comic book world capable of countering Tony Stark's loveable ego.  Don Cheadle is wasted as War Machine, made even sadder by the absence of Terrance Howard, who having spent a film developing a relationship with Tony Stark, could have brought more to the role he once played. 

The villains are a mixed bag. Mickey Rourke constantly looks as though he's been shot up with horse tranquilizers, even while thrashing about his seemingly inconsequential laser whips as the villain Whiplash.  Sam Rockwell plays the nerdy Stark wannabe Justin Hammer, but his whiny demeanor is only mildly amusing as second fiddle to Tony Stark.  And for goodness sake, Jon Favreau, get out of your own movies!

Rather than going on about how Robert Downey, Jr should run for president, or complaining about the movie's ridiculous, element-inventing plot contrivances, I'll sum it up with this:  Iron Man 2 is a welcome glass of lemonade to herald in the summer, neither as sweet as its predecessor, or as tart as last year's Wolverine.  It's just freshing enough to wet your whistle for what's to come, and trust me, summer is just getting started.

Oh, and Robert Downey, Jr., you're so money.