Iron Man 2

Release date: 30 April 2010
Certificate: 12A
Running time: 125 mins
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson
Genre: Action/Adventure
Studio: Paramount
Format: DVD

Robert Downey Jr. shines in Iron Man 2, and it's not just because of his suit. Since Iron Man, everybody now knows that billionaire Tony Stark is the superhero known as Iron Man - and he's not shy about it.

However, he is now under pressure by the media and the government to divulge the secrets behind his suit so that they can be mass-produced and used defensively. Tony also has to defend the suit and whether it can be used as a weapon. He comes under fire when he announces that no other country could produce something like that for at least ten years, and then gets attacked by one run by Mickey Rourke.

Medically fighting for his life, Tony goes into a spiral of self-destruction, signing his company away and discrediting the Iron Man name. In order to get the respect back, he has to win it back. What results is a battle between two incredible minds and the products of their genius.

Visually incredible, with a pumping soundtrack (thanks to AC/DC), the film is a feel-good action film with lots of comedy thrown in. The casting in the film was good - it changed my mind about Downey Jr., Paltrow and Rourke, but it installed in me a sheer dislike for Scarlett Johansson. She is completely objectified, and placed in the film for no other reason than aesthetic pleasure, and it didn't please me. Sometimes, less is more. 3/5

Buy, rent or skip? BUY
Blu-Ray or DVD? DVD