MOVIE REVIEW: IRON MAN 2

IRON MAN 2

Six of Seven Cows

Movies based on comic book characters often rely on the viewer’s willful suspension of disbelief for their success. The moviegoer truly has to want to buy into a character who’s attributes are simply too outlandish to exist in the real world. For this viewer, Iron Man 2 succeeds not in spite of the unbelievable nature of a character and it’s costume, but entirely because I really, really want to believe in such a character.

Oh, I’m not talking about Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man character and his high-tech weapon-suit, as cool as he is: I’m talking about Scarlett Johansson and her low-tech Catwoman-like outfit. Talk about willful suspension of disbelief! As Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, says upon first laying eyes on her, “I want one.” If there’s an action figure coming, count me in.

Scanning the reviews of Iron Man 2 after having seen the movie myself, I was surprised by the tepid response of many of the reviewers. While few reviews were purely negative, many called the movie disappointing or lacking in the original’s substance. Well, trust me, these people are idiots. Iron Man 2 rocks, pure and simple.
First thing to understand about Iron Man 2 is that this is an action movie based on a cartoon character. This is not The Deer Hunter, Zoolander, or some other cinematic masterpiece. It’s meant to be fun. Things are supposed to blow up. Wisecracking characters are supposed to make us laugh. Cartoon-like violence is supposed to make us go “Arrrggg!!” and “Ahhh!!” and “Whooopeee!” If you leave the theater rubbing your chin and opining that Iron Man 2 seemed to lack the social relevance of the original, then you are simply too dumb to be trusted with speech.

There isn’t a bad performance in Iron Man 2, though I must mention Mickey Roark and how cool it is to see him on the same screen with the equally gifted, often equally-troubled Robert Downey Jr. As a mad Russian with a grievance he’s awesome and seeing the two together, after all they’ve both been through in their private lives, is just nice on a human level. You want social relevance? Try this: No matter how far off-track your life has gone, you’re probably still better off than either of these two were. Get yourself into a program and there is still an amazing life out there for you.

I give Iron Man 2 six cows, and in my deranged imagination Scarlett Johansson is riding one of them. “Arrrggg!” and “Ahhh!!” and “Whooopee!” indeed.