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Directed by Jon Favreau
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Iron Man One
of the most unexpected pleasures of the first “Iron Man” movie
was the way in which it said to hell with the laws of physics, this is a
comic book and we can do anything we want. The other great pleasure of the film
was the casting of Robert Downey, Jr., as Iron Man – probably the only
actor in Hollywood who can play an ironic role without stepping outside and
saying “it’s only a joke, folks.” You know that he’s playing an
unbelievable part and he’s enjoying it as much as you are. Fortunately,
“Iron Man 2” has the same wicked sense of humor, and as directed
by Jon Favreau and written by Justin Theroux, it
also exhibits the same go-to-hell attitude toward whatever laws of physics it
violates. With Robert Downey,
Jr., again and a plot that, unlike most films, has its climactic scenes set
in Queens, of all places, it’s another example of thumbing your nose at
Hollywood logic. And what in the
world was Samuel L. Jackson, with an eye patch, no less, doing in the
film? He spots something and Iron
Man says, “You have a good eye.” For that matter, what was Scarlett
Johansson doing in the Tilda Swinton
role from “Michael Clayton” as the not-to-be-trifled-with
attorney for the Stark Corporation. And
best of all, there’s Mickey Rourke as the
Soviet physicist Ivan Vanko, also known as
Whiplash, who has a grudge against Iron Man and is hired by Stark’s
competitor Sam Rockwell to do away with Iron Man. In other words, “Iron Man
2” is as bizarre a delight as the first one was. Everyone plays it straight, except for
Downey, who is allowed to use irony to make his points. As it happens, this time he’s
dying for want of an unknown combination of elements to put into his heart;
he has to find the right ones and manufacture this unknown alloy of metals in
order to live. Will he live? Is the Pope Catholic? Well, we don’t know that either,
but yes, he does emerge triumphant, just in time for the next sequel. Let
me not close this out without a nod to Jon Favreau,
who can direct comedy as well – maybe better than anybody else working
today. He also plays Iron
Man’s nebbishy sidekick, and knows how to
make a comedy scene work, either as an actor or as a director. It’s a rare talent. |