She Did A Great Spread On Tony, And She Also Wrote A Story
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Lovable rogue and genius Tony Stark is back again, he's better known to the world as Iron Man. Following his revelation to the press of his identity as the crime fighter it seems there are all kinds of people who want to be like him and have their own suit. This worries the US government, but not Tony who rubbishes the idea. They also worry about Tony having too much power to himself.

Unknown to him however there is a Russian with a grudge and thanks to a little theft the plans to exact his revenge. Is Tony his own worst enemy and can he keep it together with the help of the people who care about him?

Conclusion
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This is one of the most anticipated sequels released lately. Iron Man was a breath of fresh air and a surprise hit with non comic lovers and comic lover alike. The trouble is how to break the curse of the sequel. I'm happy to report that this film lives up to and in some cases surpasses the first film. There is a large cast of quite big stars on show here too.

Star in the title role here again is of course the excellent Robert Downey Jr. He made the first Iron Man film for me, and he does it again in a performance that looks effortless. Tony Stark is actually quite a complicated character, he gets it spot on again.

Gwyneth Paltrow is back again as Virginia "Pepper" Pots, the woman Tony couldn't live without, again as in the first film she has the character nailed. Her concern for Tony comes across as genuine.

Sam Rockwell is less talented Stark wannabe Justin Hammer, although not a conventional bad guy he makes for an interesting character who's in over his head thanks to his envy of Stark. He is a great actor and excels here.

Tony's long suffering friend Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes is this time played by Don Cheadle instead of Terrence Howard, I like Cheadle and he is good in the film, but I found Howard to be better in the first one. It's a shame they didn't have him as I always find it a bit annoying when actors change between films. Just like in The Dark Night when Katie Holmes became Maggie Gyllenhaal. It would have been better for him to have been a different character.

Paltrow is not the main eye candy for the lads this time, with that honour has to go this time to Scarlet Johansson as the mysterious Russian Natalie. I understand that she is or will become Black Widow from The Avengers. I had no idea what the Avengers are, a little digging and now I believe they're a collection of Marvel superheroes. She has a small part really but really shines when she is as the curvy beauty bad ass.

Mickey Rourke is ideal as the bad genius with a chip on his shoulder for Stark. He plays the part very cool, almost understated at times and this adds to his mystery and menace. It's a shame he got himself all messed up boxing but he's making a great comeback, good on him. He has perhaps the most memorable scene in the film, the Monaco scene.

Even Samuel L Jackson turns up as Nick Fury, his part is tiny but memorable. Even though he is playing Samuel L Jackson, he has a pivotal moment in the film and may well be seen in any more sequels.

Another performance of note, if only a voice performance, is Paul Bettany as the voice of Jarvis, Tony's friendly computer. Very articulate and a little machine like as expected, but with personality.

There are a number of plot lines in the film, with Tony's self destructive personality and health problem, bad guy Whiplash and ruthless business rival and Tony Stark wannabe Hammer all running simultaneously. It could easily have spiralled out of control but somehow it all manages to work.

Soundtrack wise, well other than some AC/DC tracks, it's pretty standard action movie fare. Nothing to write home about but fits the film well.

The special effects are well, special. They of course surpass the already excellent effects from the first film. There are some real wow moments, especially the ending battle and the Monaco sequence. All through there are amazing visual moments, even Tony's house is amazing.

Summing up, I thoroughly enjoyed Iron Man 2. It has fine performances, excellent special effects, lots of humour and some great action. This one will be great on Blu-Ray no doubt. It's great escapism and fun. What more can you ask for?

Recommended.

Main Cast List
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Robert Downey Jr. - Tony Stark
Don Cheadle - Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes
Scarlett Johansson - Natalie
Gwyneth Paltrow - Pepper Potts
Sam Rockwell - Justin Hammer
Mickey Rourke - Ivan Vanko
Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury

Directed By : Jon Favreau
Running Time : 124 Mins.
Certificate : 12A