Rating: * *
“If you could make God bleed, people will cease to believe in Him”. This is probably the only part, among other things, that I supposedly remember from this sequel to the grossly overrated 2008 installment. I went in with as little expectation as possible, courtesy of the first installment, and I didn’t come out disappointed.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is reveling in the fruits borne by his alter ego’s endeavors. He doesn’t miss a breath to hog the spotlight, and wears his narcissism on his sleeves everywhere he goes. He never misses an opportunity to point out the fact that America is enjoying peace at the cost of his technology and his bravura. However, the Defense Department wants to return the favor by asking Tony Stark to hand over his technological marvel, citing it to be a State property. Of course, Tony does not oblige. Ironically, the palladium keeping Tony alive is slowly poisoning him as well. Meanwhile, the next Iron Man nemesis is gearing up in some dingy corner of Siberia for a showdown, to avenge the wrongs done to his family by Tony’s dad Howard Stark. This Russian enemy (Mickey Rourke) is devising his own weapon, a whiplash which has electrical energy running down its entire length, to get even with Iron Man. And then there’s Tony’s arch competitor Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) who wants to pin down Tony at any cost, seize on his technological advancements (Iron Man suit, to be precise), and snatch the limelight Tony’s been taking delight in. Among other cast of characters, there’s Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who like in the previous movie, doesn’t have much to do here either. Then there’s Tony’s buddy Rhodey (Don Cheadle), who’s given a fair share of the pie, by getting to don one of the suits, and display suit’s gamut of firework in the finale of the movie. Finally, there’s the Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) who provides enough “curves” in the scenes she appears in. She also moonlights as a secret agent from some clandestine league, whose name I forget. There’s only one scene where she gets to use her body not just to exude oomph, but to kick some butt. However, with the choice of clothing she’s been put up with, it’s hard to care about anything other than her curvaceous self, even while displaying her martial prowess.
I tried my best to chart out the story, if there was any, of the movie. But, just like its predecessor, this one, too, relies solely on visual extravaganza, massive and colorful explosions, exceptional fight choreography, and finally, but not the least of all, Tony’s wit. However, this movie falls drastically short on the last item. I sort of enjoyed the first movie in parts, mostly because of the wit and suaveness that would drip from the lines given to Tony Stark’s character. It only helps that an actor of Robert’s charisma and appeal got to deliver them, and he delivered them pitch perfect. If there’s anything going on for the movie, it’s Robert Downey’s presence and his broad shoulders, upon which the whole damn movie relies. I was so disappointed that a fantastic actor like Mickey Rourke wasn’t given enough meat for his character. Same goes for the brilliant, yet gratuitously underrated actor, Sam Rockwell. All the technical flair and gimmicks light up this movie a couple of times, with the face-off at the Monaco Grand Prix being my pick of the lot. Sadly, there’s all to it. I never expected any better, but was hoping to be proven wrong; a rarity.
If substance doesn’t matter to you and CG is the way you click, then this movie may well be worth your buck. If Robert Downey’s the reason you’re deciding to take a trip to the theaters, then you can be my guest. However, watching Downey’s recent ‘Sherlock Holmes’ would be a better and a wise choice. And if Hollywood’s decade-old obsession with the sequels is any indication, there will be a third installment to this franchise, too. Hell, there’s even an allusion to this very future prospect in the movie itself.
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