Iron Man 2

Well, I was going to do a review for Season 4 of LOST, but fate intervened and I ended up seeing Iron Man 2. Seeing as I like to keep movie reviews current, I figured I'd bypass the lineup of future reviews and get right to this one. Keep a weather eye on the horizon, for here, there be spoilers.

Tony Stark (Robery Downey, Jr.), in an unprecedented move, has revealed himself to be the shellhead superhero of musical fame. And everyone in the world has taken notice. This includes a man named Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), whose father is connected to the Stark family, and who is working on putting the ARC reactor technology to his own use. Here's a hint: it involves awesome-looking whips.

Meanwhile, Stark is going through a midlife crisis of sorts. No, he's not buying a new car. He doesn't need an excuse to do that. In fact, he's dying. Yes, you got that right. The palladium that both powers his suit and keeps him alive is poisoning his blood at a frightening rate, and he is searching desperately to find an alternative element that doesn't exist.

In addition to this, there's a lot of great action, comedy, and plot progression that makes this sequel every bit as good as the original. To tell you the truth, it's the most enjoyable movie so far in 2010.

The movie is crammed full of characters, but this doesn't bog it down as much as it has every right to, thanks to the sleek, stylish script written by Justin Theroux and the skillful, easygoing direction of Jon Favreau. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and SHIELD play a much larger role in Iron Man 2, but they actually have a part in the story of the movie rather than just being a setup for The Avengers in a couple of years.

Downey Jr.'s Stark is, as always, a treat to watch, and he has just as many wonderful lines as in the original. Rourke's Vanko is a compelling villain, one of the creepiest and most eccentric screen characters since the Joker. Gweneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts is great, and the chemistry she has with RDJ is delightful. Don Cheadle takes over Terrence Howard's role as Rhodey, and he does a better job, giving both a character arc and some awesome moments in the War Machine suit.

The action is both more quantitative and qualitative than the original. The climax is breathtaking and exciting. And somehow, a movie where the hero is in such danger of dying still comes off as a lot of fun. See it as soon as possible, if you haven't already.

My rating: 9/10

Coming Soon: LOST: Season 4.