Review #64 - Iron Man 2 (2010)

The time has come.

From the back of the box: "Robert Downey Jr. returns as billionaire Tony Stark in this thrilling sequel to the worldwide blockbuster. Now that his Super Hero secret has been revealed, Tony's life is more intense than ever. Everyone wants in on the Iron Man Technology, whether for power or profit...but for Ivan Vanko ("Whiplash"), it's revenge! Tony must once again suit up and face his most dangerous enemy yet, but not without a few allies of his own. Co-starring Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Scarlett Johansson, Iron Man 2 is "spectacular!"

Iron Man 2 came out on DVD on Tuesday. We waited until WEDNESDAY to buy it at Wal-Mart. This is because I am a scientist, not some pathetic loser who has been on some sort of countdown for the past 65 days awaiting the release. I then waited until today, FRIDAY, to actually watch it. Again, scientist - not long-suffering fan who's been casting sidelong glances at a DVD case for the past two days, and giving it a loving stroke whenever I walk by it, like Oprah on a maple bar.

Ahem.

All that being said, I sat down with an 11-year old, a Dr. Pepper, a box of old-fashioned donuts, a bag of jalapeno chips and a carton of Whoppers earlier tonight to officially review Iron Man 2. You may recall, dearest reader, that Tav and I were in line at the Omak Theater back in May when the film was released, but I postponed my review until now, the dry spell before the wind down.

Side note- we only have 2 movies left. Can you flippin' believe it???

I'm going to assume that you haven't been on a lunar expedition for the past few years, and you've actually seen Iron Man. Did you like it? Well, you will like this one too. Did you hate it? Well, go back to the moon. Who asked you, anyway. Iron Man 2 is a little dark, a little opaque - who, exactly, is Scarlett Johansson supposed to be again? - but it's so entertaining, you don't really care. I mean, come on. It's a superhero movie. If you want accuracy and plausibility, watch "An Inconvenient Truth" or something like that.

(I'm inserting a Starkian raised brow and smirk here. Do as you see fit, depending on your own environmental and/or political leanings.)

The only action scene that was difficult to follow was Scarlett's butt-kicking montage, which was visually confusing due to her long red hair flopping everywhere. Other than that, it wasn't a visually overwhelming film, as some (many) tend to be, to the point where your brain gets so tired of tracking flying bodies, rolling cars and laser beams that you can't see straight enough to drive home. Some films make me nostalgic for Claymation. At least you could see what was going on.

Did I like it? Well, of course I did. After all I've endured this year film-wise, I deserved Iron Man 2. This is my flick, which I benevolently share with the population at large. You may miss it, if you're not watching closely - but there's a dedication at the end: "To Tina, with all my love and gratitude for enduring "Friends and Lovers" and "The Gingerbread Man", RD." Thanks, Bob.

We gotta go with a 10.