Director:         Jon Favreau  

Starring:         Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle.  

When we last met Downey Jr’s egotistical Tony Stark we were introduced to a unique, irresistibly charismatic arrogance and the world was made aware of his super-suited alloy bodied alter ego, Iron Man.  The first film, Marvel’s first fully funded blockbuster, was a commercial and critical success, finding an appealing balance between humour and balls-to-the-wall comic book action.   

The secret was in the casting, unconventional yet perfectly pitched.  Hopefully this forthcoming sequel will be able to do the same, with some very capable stars in the new super villain roles fixed on stepping up to take Stark down a notch or two… 

“…plenty more of the playfully edgy banter of the original.”  

Let’s hope that they’re given room to breathe and we get plenty more of the playfully edgy banter of the original.  Too many big budget super sequels have suffered from too-many-baddies-lose-the plot syndrome™, becoming one-dimensional clichés with limited screen time devoid of the character development they deserve.   

This time around we’re given the allegiance-flipping Black Widow (Johannson looking to overthrow Pfeiffer’s long held crown as sexiest queen of the cat-suit), Whiplash (Rourke, barely recognisable in Russian electro-dominatrix mode, ooer…) and Justin Hammer (Rockwell) who’s keen to build an army of iron suited soldiers based on Stark’s technology.  

 “…the cinematic equivalent of a 2 Player co-op…”  

With so many adversaries there looks to be no shortage of action and Iron Man’s now got some much needed backup.  In the cinematic equivalent of a 2 Player co-operative mode, Stark’s pal Colonel ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle, who replaces the first film’s Terrence Howard) dons a primed, pre-paint job version of the armoured suit to become War Machine, effectively doubling the destruction.   

Iron Man 2 may be the heavyweight in the comic movie stakes when pitted against Kick-Ass, but it’ll have to work twice as hard to build upon the cast iron foundations built by its predecessor; especially if it’s to compete with the originality of the young upstart.  Whatever the outcome it’s great news for cinemagoers, as we power into to a blockbuster summer of comic book carnage.  

4-Word Thinking:  Suited to Marvel us 

Go further:  Visit the official site or view the preview trailer below.