The super hero sequel opens six months after the end of the first film in which billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) revealed his true identity as Iron Man
Since then he has helped maintain world peace. He re-institutes the Stark Expo in Flushing Meadows, New York, to continue his father's (John Slattery) legacy--even as a Senate committee, led by Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), demands Stark release the suit technology for military application. Stark refuses, claiming his competitors are years away from successfully recreating the technology.
Soon we learn that Stark is slowly being poisoned by the palladium core in his arc reactor, and all attempts to find a substitute element have failed. Growing increasingly despondent and thrill-seeking as a consequence of what he believes to be his impending death, he appoints his former personal assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) CEO of Stark Industries, replacing her with Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson).
While racing at the Monaco Grand Prix, Stark is attacked by Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who has constructed an arc reactor of his own, along with whip-like energy weapons. Stark defeats Vanko with the aid of his portable briefcase armor.
Stark learns that Vanko is the son of his father's old partner, Anton Vanko, who collaborated with Howard on the first arc reactor but was deported to the Soviet Union following his attempts to cash in on the technology and died in poverty. Ivan blames the Starks for his family's fate, and seeks revenge.
Rival weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwelll) has Vanko broken out of jail - by way of faking Vanko's death - and recruits him to perfect a line of armored combat units to upstage Stark at his own Expo.
Stark throws what he believes will be his last birthday party and gets drunk while wearing the Iron Man armor and indulges in dangerous activities, forcing his friend, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), to step in. Rhodes dons Stark's Mark II armor and after almost destroying Stark's house in the resulting fight, delivers the armor to the military.
The next day, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), approaches Stark, revealing Natalie as undercover agent Natasha Romanoff and that Howard Stark was a S.H.I.E.L.D. founder. Fury gives Stark some of Howard's old material to aid in finding a cure for the palladium poisoning..
Meantime, Vanko contacts Stark, revealing he is still alive....
Once again directed by Jon Favreau this time from a script by Justin Theroux the sequel amps everything up...Giving audiences a lot of bang for their buck. The Grand Prix confrontation between IM and Whiplash is well put together as is the rest of the film--making it a fun summer escape...Now comes the "BUT"...
History repeated itself because I could not help but think of Spider-Man 3 here...The filmmakers /studio decided to jam in as much plot as they could. The theory I suppose being that we have spin-offs and sequels to worry about down the road.
All an overstuffed story gives you is indigestion. Thus, in this case, that special Stark spark that made the first Iron Man film soar somehow gets lost serving lots of characters in between hyper action filled battles--As an example Shandling's Senate sub-plot is introduced and paid off as a comedic punch-line; And Natalie's story is nice to have I guess but screams as just a set up for her own film
There's also more set up for The Avengers and other super hero pics as well--I'm starting to wish Marvel Studios were not so keen on laying the ground work for other films they have coming up as part of a bigger plan...
Fortunately RDJ Paltrow, Cheadle (Terrence Howard who?) and Roarke (chomping scenery as he goes) do enough solid work here to keep you engaged amid the mayhem.
You'll have a good time with the sequel--Just perhaps not as good of a time as you did the first time around.
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