Revisiting Iron Man 2

Picture description: It's the Iron Man 2 poster. The title is at the bottom above the crew-members' names, and above the cast names. The film's villain, Whiplash, is surrounded by a bright orange explosion, which looks fantastic. He wears a metal breastplate with a round, glowing light in the middle. He holds what looks like an electric skipping rope in both hands, ready to spar. Our heroes, Tony Stark, Rhodey, Pepper Potts, and Natasha Romanoff, all stare off dramatically into various distances. The Iron Man suit is the biggest thing on the poster, gold and red with blue eye-slits, and a matching triangle in the red breastplate. War Machine is another version of the suit, standing on the left of the original. This version is bulkier with red eyes and breastplate light, and a gun is attached to its back, like the world's most impractical backpack.

With the success of 2008's Iron Man, it came as no surprise when Marvel announced a sequel. Does anyone remember it? I wrote a review for it when it hit cinemas, but I think it's safe to say that I was a little overexcited.

My thoughts from 2010 are highlighted in blue.

The Director: Jon Favreau

The Cast:

Robert Downey Jr. – Tony Stark/Iron Man

Gwyneth Paltrow – Pepper Pots

Mickey Rourke – Ivan Vanko

Sam Rockwell – Justin Hammer

Don Cheadle – Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes

Jon Favreau – Happy Hogan

Scarlett Johansson – Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff

Samuel L. Jackson – Nick Fury

Garry Shandling – Senator Shan

Certificate: 12A

Released in UK cinemas: 29th April 2010

The Plot:

The year is 2010. When we last saw billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes), he’d just revealed he was Iron Man. Is that why he starts acting so impulsively? He signs Stark Industries over to his assistant, Pepper Potts (Paltrow, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow), and he’s partying harder than usual. Then he nearly gets killed by Ivan Vanko (Rourke, The Wrestler), the son of his father’s old adversary.

You know, as you do.

The Review:

2020: Spoiler, ahoy!

2010: What’s that I hear? Ah yes, that’s die-hard Marvel film fans squealing with glee, in the distance.

2020: It should be noted that 17-year-old me had a crush on Robert Downey Jr, so I was probably a teeny, tiny bit biased.

2010: Once again, Mr. Downey Jr. is Iron Man, and he’s got a few upgrades up his metal sleeve…[Tony’s] pal, Rhodey (Don Cheadle – NOT the original actor, much to my irritation).

2020: I’m just irritated because I didn’t explain why I was irritated. Terrence Howard originally played Rhodes in Iron Man, but due to a “falling-out” with Marvel Studios, he was replaced by Cheadle. While Howard’s version of Rhodey had a playful relationship with Stark, Cheadle gives as good as he gets from RDJ/Stark when it comes to sass. Their squabble in Tony’s suits was tragically entertaining. As a fan of Daft Punk and Queen, the music in that scene really works.

2010: Elsewhere, there’s this Russian guy called Ivan (the greasy-haired Mickey Rourke) who’s got Iron Man on his hit list, but Tony’s got other rather large problems to deal with…

2020: Ooh, foreshadowing. Also, I am embarrassed the best thing I could say about Mickey Rourke’s performance was that he was greasy-haired.

2010: Mickey Rourke plays a very good Russian.

2020: Oh, is that all? While Rourke didn't win fans' hearts the same way Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger in 2018's Black Panther, he was a more stereotypical bad guy, whose motives were reasonably clear...as long as you have subtitles on while he speaks. Combine surgically enhanced lips with a thick Russian accent, and you'll be lucky to understand anything besides "You lose, Stark!" and the hilarious way Rourke says "bird."

Well, this is awkward…

Picture Description: (Left) Tony Stark has come to visit Ivan Vanko (right) in a dark cell. Vanko is handcuffed, sitting on a bench wearing just his pants. His body is almost green with so many tattoos.

In preparation for his role, Rourke apparently visited a Russian prison and researched what tattoos Ivan Vanko would have to authentically represent his Russian heritage, prison societies, and any exclusive clubs he might have joined. Well, I’m no expert in this, but he certainly looks the part, and I tip my hat to whoever had to apply all those tattoos onto Rourke’s body because it must have taken an age to do.

Nevertheless, the film’s true villain is Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell, Moon). Hammer is desperate to beat Stark at his own game by developing his own iron suits. I particularly enjoy Hammer as a bad guy because he’s so earnest in his attempts to appear as impressive as Stark, but always falls hilariously short. He’s handsome and tanned, but his palms are suspiciously, luminously orange. He uses Vanko to make his iron suits, but he dubs them Hammeroids, of all things. The supposed pinnacle of his weapons catalogue is a tiny missile, so-called the ‘Ex-Wife’ for its sheer destruction of anything it hits, and yet when used, it’s a damp squib at the worst moment. While he’s not one of the most memorable Marvel villains these days, it’s fun to watch Hammer make a tit of himself, and Sam Rockwell plays it so well.

Actually, Senator Shan (the late Garry Shandling) is perhaps the most despicable character out of all of them. So smarmy, so over-privileged, and RDJ/Stark’s snarky charisma blows Shan out of the water every time they share a scene.

2010: Paltrow and Johansson allow some girl-power into the picture, or, in a male’s perspective, some nice eye candy. Whatever, they still do well.

2020: What was I trying to say here? Most probably, it was a thoughtful comment on the lack of female superheroes. Johansson plays “Natalie Rushman,” which is just one of Natasha Romanoff’s pseudonyms. At the time of my review, my knowledge of Marvel characters didn’t go far beyond the Hulk, Spiderman, and the Iron Man films, so I didn’t know much about Black Widow, nor did I care that much. Likewise, I hadn’t watched the first Iron Man’s post-credits scene, so Nick Fury didn’t fill me with much joy – except for the fact he was played by the legend that is Samuel L. Jackson, dressed in black with an eyepatch.

And he will always be awesome.

Johansson’s role is small but essential (now we know her somewhat better), keeping her very enigmatic, which is necessary for Black Widow. The scene where we see her true colours, as Romanoff takes down Hammer’s security guards single-handedly (while Happy struggles to subdue just one of them), is my favourite part. This was seven years before the Wonder Woman film, so it was my first time watching a proper female superhero and not just a love-interest. While that is precisely what Paltrow is playing, Pepper Potts remains one of the more underrated characters who can certainly hold her own alongside Tony – and against Hammer when the time is most critical.

Superhero landing!

Picture Description: Natasha Romanoff (a.k.a Black Widow) is dressed in a skin-tight suit, ready for battle. She crouches in a finishing move after beating up some bad guys. Her red curly hair is long and loose, and her expression is intense as if to say, “Who’s next?”

2010: However, the action may dominate the film more than the plot – but either way, I really loved it!

2020: The first Iron Man kept the action to a minimum, focusing more on Tony Stark becoming a better person. This was probably due to the film’s tiny budget of $140 million, while Iron Man 2 had a budget of $200 million – and it shows.

Vanko’s electric whips look amazing, and we get not one, not two, but three Iron Man battles in total and that opening scene with Stark landing onstage at Stark Expo is one of the most iconic scenes in the film.

Oh! Superhero landing #2

Picture Description: Iron Man has landed on a lit stage, surrounded by models wearing matching lights in their chests and palms. The American flag is projected dramatically behind them.

Stark’s main story-arc is the palladium core in the arc reactor that keeps him alive is, in actual fact, steadily killing him. This was a really ballsy move from scriptwriter, Justin Theroux, as Stark’s actions are motivated by his attempts to live life to the fullest with the time he has left. Then Nick Fury saves the day, slapping some sense into him, and it’s soon time for Stark to battle the Bad Guy. You know, again. In a lovely Japanese garden with his bestest pal, I might add. The status quo is reinforced, which I found disappointing, and still do.

But be still my geeky heart over that Captain America Easter egg I didn’t realise the significance of at the time.

This may be the only time Coulson will get to do this…

Picture Description: SHIELD Agent, Coulson uncertainly holds a shield that may or may not have been held by Captain America. It looks half-finished.

Bonus Easter egg: The boy Stark saves at the end is Peter Parker, and yes, Tom Holland has confirmed this.

You’re gonna go far, kid.

Picture Description: We look through the black-and-white camera of a Hammeroid (ha). White stats frame a little boy – a young Peter Parker. He’s wearing a toy Iron Man mask.

In conclusion, Iron Man 2 is an enjoyable sequel, adding unexpected pathos to Tony Stark’s story (just don’t expect it to last). RDJ is as charismatic as ever, but we’re offhandedly thrown pivotal characters like Nick Fury and Black Widow with little context. Die-hard fans of the comics would have recognised them, while the casual viewer (or, indeed, the new fans) were left in the dark, which let’s face it, is a long-running issue with most Marvel films. Compared to subsequent films, though, Iron Man 2 is pretty forgettable.

The Verdict:

2010: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

2020: 3 STARS OUT OF 5

The Sources:

Iron Man 2 poster

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man_2

- What happened to Terrance Howard?

“Don Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard as Rhodey, due to a falling out between Howard and Marvel Studios. The two actors worked with each other in Crash (2004).”

- How Mickey Rourke prepared for his role as Ivan Vanko

“To prepare for his role as Ivan Vanko, a.k.a. Whiplash, Mickey Rourke paid a visit to Butyrka Prison, Moscow…”

“According to Mickey Rourke, he carried out a lot of research in Russia choosing what tattoos Ivan Vanko should carry on his body. He wanted authentic Russian tattoos, which would represent Vanko's Russian heritage, prison societies, and special clubs he might be in.”

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228705/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv

Vanko’s tattoos – picture

https://www.scifimoviezone.com/comicheroironman201002.shtml

Black Widow, unleashed – picture

https://meaww.com/black-widow-final-trailer-taskmaster-existed-iron-man-2-natasha-romanoff-fans-scarlett-johansson

The budget for Iron Man

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man_(2008_film)

Iron Man 2’s budget

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Man_2

“You know what this is?” Why, yes, Coulson, I do NOW! *sob* - picture

https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/101625/what-happened-to-steves-shield-in-iron-man-2

Iron Man Jr. – I mean, little Peter Parker - picture