Iron Man 2

Two years after the sensational success of "Iron Man", director Jon Favreau and lead actor Robert Downey Jr. have teamed up again to send the superhero in steely armor on a second cinematic adventure. With great action, terrific effects and, most importantly, top-notch supporting cast, "Iron Man 2" more than convincingly succeeds in eclipsing its predecessor in nearly every way.

After revealing to the world's public at a press conference that he is Iron Man, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is caught in more than just the media crossfire. True, it is thanks to Iron Man's intervention that warlike conflicts around the world have drastically decreased. And yet, the superhero has not only made friends. Especially weapons magnate Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who has always been in Tony Stark's shadow, wants to finally make his unloved competitor harmless. He enlists the help of Ivan Vanko aka "Whiplash" (Mickey Rourke), the son of the man who once worked with Tony's father to develop a highly explosive technology that ultimately, Ivan is certain, cost him his life. Now "Whiplash" wants revenge.

But Tony might consider himself lucky if those were the only problems he had to contend with. Because his best friend Rhodey (Don Cheadle) also seems to be turning on the media darling. And to make matters worse, the very technology that makes him Iron Man makes him so sick that Tony has to fear for his life. But the biggest battle is yet to come.

Although "Iron Man 2" may seem a bit overstuffed at first glance with its numerous supporting characters and storylines, Jon Favreau has pulled off a bit of a feat. Every character introduced is well fleshed out and noticeably carries the actual plot forward. Even Happy Hogan, Tony Stark's driver and bodyguard, played by Favreau himself, who only appeared for a few moments in the first installment, makes an important tel in his brief but very watchable appearances here to make the film work so well. Also Samuel L. Jackson, who is seen again as Nick Fury, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, U.S. comedian Garry Shandling as sleazy Senator Stern and finally Scarlett Johansson as mysterious as attractive Natalie Rushman are all far more than just prominently cast extras.

But the good character drawing is particularly intense noticeable in the main characters. But even though Mickey Rourke makes a convincing villain and his "Whiplash" - and especially his first appearance at a Formula 1 race - is certainly one of the highlights of the film, it's Sam Rockwell who steals the show here for everyone (except Robert Downey Jr., of course). Rockwell does a wonderful job of conveying Hammer's desperate attempts to outshine Tony Stark onto the screen with a mixture of cockiness and uptight insecurity. The interactions between Hammer and Stark, due in no small part to the wonderfully written dialogue, are nothing short of superb.

Besides the characters, however, the action du special effects are also fully convincing. If the last act of part 1 still seemed a bit clumsy and the action here threatened to be crushed by its own weight, Favreau manages in the second attempt much better to let it really crash. The finale, which is played out at Stark Industries' big expo, is exciting, amusing and, above all, fast-paced, without visually bludgeoning the viewer too much, as was the case with, say, "Transformers 2".

"Iron Man 2" is the best proof that good actors, clever dialogues, elaborate special effects and explosive action can be combined and are not mutually exclusive. With its great lead actor (no one but Robert Downey Jr. could have embodied Tony Stark's arrogance with such a charming twinkle in his eye), a good script, and a marked increase in the quality and quantity of the action, "Iron Man 2" is a great sequel that leaves you wanting more. Don't miss it

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp