IRON MAN 2 Review Roundup

Iron Man 2 is on so close I can practically hear AC/DC opening the film now. Of course with such a high caliber film, the reviews are already hitting the internet, including those of some major publications like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

My fears with the movie were that we’d have a Spider-Man 3 situation with Iron Man 2, with too much going on and changing what worked with the predecessor. The reviews certainly seem to be split thus far, with some people claiming that the story is too scrambled and some saying it is great. The one thing that is getting stated repeatedly though is that the movie has far too much talking and not enough great action scenes. Regardless of what the reviews are saying (and I know I’m not alone in this thought) the movie already has my ten dollars.

For a list of excerpts from all the early Iron Man 2 reviews hit the jump.

Variety – “Iron Man 2″ isn’t as much fun as its predecessor, but by the time the smoke clears, it’ll do. Much like “The Dark Knight,” this Paramount release brings an enormous stash of goodwill to the party, thanks to a well-crafted origin tale whose popularity fueled anticipation for a follow-up. Yet while the first go-round for this lesser-known Marvel hero benefited from its freshness and visual flair, the beats here are more familiar, the pacing more uneven. Given the demand, though, that will hardly matter, and this armored adventure promises to be a money-making machine that clicks on all cylinders”.

Empire (3/5 Stars) –  “Like the sequels to Stars Trek and Wars, Iron Man 2 is a tale of revenge. But, unlike those films, this is one of the breeziest blockbusters you’re likely to see. There’s potential for darkness here: when we meet Tony, he’s hiding from everyone the fact he’s being gradually poisoned by his suit; villain Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is hellbent on avenging perceived injustices done to his father; and Jim Rhodes (Don Cheadle) is considering betraying his pal by teaming with rival arms dealer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). But Jon Favreau, it seems, didn’t want to make his Part Two a downer. He’s out to have fun, not only in front of the camera (his chauffeur character, Happy Hogan, has been bumped up from cameo to supporting role, helping out Tony in two action scenes and getting pinned between Scarlett Johansson’s legs) but behind it too, focusing on gyrating cheerleaders and gleaming tech over inner turmoil”

Coming Soon (8/10) – “The first movie was at its weakest during the climactic battle between Iron Man and Jeff Bridges’ Iron Monger, and Favreau has certainly improved on the quality of the action scenes with a number of fantastic fight sequences between Iron Man and others. Unfortunately, there also seems to be a lot more talking in the movie, too, and despite the clever patter, the middle portion of the story gets somewhat bogged down and convoluted by the number of characters and subplots. Favreau manages to pull all of it together as these characters converge into an extremely satisfying final action sequence, the last thirty minutes of the movie literally exploding into a full-out war.”

IGN (4/5 Stars) – “The filmmakers’ loose style of making the Iron Man films may be too evident at times, especially during the aforementioned sequence. Steven Soderbergh may be able to wing it in the Ocean’s films, but that’s a dangerous method for a movie like Iron Man 2 to adopt. I understand wanting to maintain a similar breezy tone to the relatively happy-go-lucky original film, but in a story such as this — with so many subplots and spin-off seeds to be sewn — the filmmakers could have been a bit more vigilant and disciplined in their execution. As the saying goes, sometimes too much of anything isn’t always a good thing. It can slow narrative momentum down or simply amount to clutter.”

Hollywood Reporter – “For a film riding a wave of unbridled achievement from its predecessor, “Iron Man 2″ begins with a curious sense of panic. Characters talk at once. Hesitant story lines launch in all directions. The soundtrack and music clang away, but onscreen, little happens until a big set-piece at a Grand Prix race nearly 20 minutes into the movie.”

Box Office Magazine (3.5/5 Stars) – “Director Jon Favreau and new screenwriter Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder) deftly manage to juggle all these interweaving parts without succumbing to the sophomore slump many comic book franchises suffer. Although the addition of a trio of new villains may seem like overkill, Favreau keeps it all balanced and really pulls off some tremendous set pieces including a spectacular Monte Carlo Grand Prix where Tony is one-upped by the Godzilla-like tactics of Whiplash and narrowly escapes alive. The half hour finale is also loaded-for-bear with dizzying non-stop effects and action incorporating not one but two Iron Men.”

Daily Mirror [UK] (1/5 Stars) – “I don’t know what went on behind the scenes while the film was being made but rumours of reshoots and recuts have been swirling around the internet. Was this the film director Jon Favreau wanted to make? I doubt it. After Elf, the underrated Zathura and the first instalment, he’s proved himself a capable pair of hands. Perhaps the blame lies higher up the studio food chain. Whoever’s at fault, if Favreau still wishes to make the series a trilogy, this is a franchise in serious need of rewiring.”