Iron Man 2

Film: Iron Man 2
Cast: Robert Downey Jr. Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke
Genre: Action
Direction: Jon Favreau
Duration: 2 hours 4 minutes
Critic's Rating: 3.5 stars


Story: Tony Stark returns as the clangy hero who wants to usher in world peace with his ultimate weapon: the Iron Man armoury (read suit). But things aren't quite right. Our hero's not only got a medical condition, he's also got a new business rival, Sam Rockwell, who wants to steal his copyright and a vengeful Russian scientist, Mickey Rourke, who brandishes Star War-like sabres. Can the girls -- Gwyneth and Scarlett -- help him through this ferrous battle for power?

Movie Review: If Iron Man was introspective, interspersed with high octane action sequences, then Iron Man 2 is completely over the top and no apologies for that. And that's what makes it such great fun. Tony Stark, the eponymous hero, isn't the only person on the edge in this two-hour dhoom-dhadaka. You too seem to be sliding dangerously close to the periphery as you try and keep pace with the mad melee exploding in your face. Oh yes, we know it's totally wild; it's totally make-believe; it's Hollywood hungama unleashed....And that's what it's meant to be. So what the heck! Just sit back and see Mickey Rourke make chutney of all the fast cars in the Grand Prix or Tony Stark create chaos with his special skills in unbridled megalomaniacal shows where he fights entire armies of rival clones. And if that's not enough, there's the delightful Ms Johansson, the new aide in the Stark empire, don the leather suit and do some Keanu Reeves antics, airlifted from The Matrix series. Total paisa vasool stuff!

But please, please don't even bother about plot and credibility. Doesn't matter, even though Ms Pepper Pots (Gwyneth Paltrow), the new CEO of Stark industries, does try to infuse some order in the chaos and pin down the blabbering Iron Man who seems to be hell bent on an I-Me-Myself mission. The story is just incidental. The action is incremental, as Iron Man 2 gets even more edgy than Robert Downey Jr himself. Although, we do wish Mickey Rourke had more to do than just appear menacing as the maverick Russian who loves his birdie and hates Iron Man more than anything in the world. Also, the Paltrow and Iron Man romance tends to take a back seat in the sequel with the entry of the new femme fatale: the mask-like and mysterious Scarlett Johansson. But once again, this track too doesn't reach its sizzling heights as the new lady remains impervious to Iron Man's charms. Tch Tch!

Nevertheless, the sequel is one hellish and hungama-filled ride into the world of high-octane drama. It may lack the finesse of the first film, but there's enough to keep the adrenalin pumping. Go, join the headbanger's ball!