Iron Man 2

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site It is not often that a sequel surpasses its predecessor, but around an hour in, Robert Downey Jr’s latest outing as Tony Stark is shaping up to be another X2 or Dark Knight, or quite possibly the best comic-book movie EVER.

Tony Stark, charismatic CEO of multi-million dollar defence company Stark Industries, is facing legal issues and a huge wave of publicity over his announcement that he and Iron Man are one and the same (the bombshell climax to the 2008 original). But this is the least of his worries: his antics have attracted the unwanted attention of a demented Russian inventor (a heavily tattooed Mickey Rourke) with electric whips and a grudge; the future of the company is threatened by a rival entrepreneur (a suitably annoying Sam Rockwell), who has his eye on the new government defence contract, and the power source that is keeping him alive is also poisoning him to death, resulting in a Hancock-style downward spiral into alcoholism and depression. So far, so good.

Unfortunately, the initial promise of the first hour fails to develop completely, and after a fantastic build-up, the middle-section is slightly disappointing. As Rourke’s villain builds an army of robot soldiers, our hero busies himself with finding a non-toxic element to replace the radio-active palladium that is killing him. And that’s about it for the next hour or so. There is an amusing metal-man fight between a drunken, suited-up Tony and his army buddy Rhodey (Don Cheadle), but it almost feels as though director Jon Favreau threw it in because he suddenly remembered he was making an action film.

Despite this, Iron Man 2 is still a hugely entertaining film and worthy sequel, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed it from start to finish. The slightly lacklustre midsection is saved by Downey Jr’s natural charisma, and he effortlessly carries the film with the roguish charm that has won him an army of female fans (myself included!). The action gets back on track for the thrilling finale, with Tony’s Iron Man and Rhodey’s ‘War Machine’ taking on Whiplash and his metal droids - and guys will surely enjoy the sight of Scarlett Johansson battling baddies in a skin-tight leather cat-suit.

Maybe Iron Man’s second outing doesn’t quite surpass its predecessor, but it certainly equals it. So switch off your brain and enjoy the fireworks - and stay to the end of the credits for a bonus clip.

CMD