Iron Man 2...

Iron Man was a bit of a surprise, a romping stomping superhero flick with a comic smirk and Robert Downey Jr on top form as the boozing, gambling, seducing playboy Tony Stark. So when the trailers for the sequel surfaced (particularly the second), everybody went bat-shit crazy with anticipation - the kick ass AC/DC soundtrack in the latter certainly helped give you a boost of excitement.

The movie itself however - while maintaining the quality of the first movie, as well as the style and humorous streak - doesn't live up to the giddy hype of the hard-rocking trailer. The first flick's plot had a direction to be heading in at all times, and the structure of the plot was more even ... the sequel doesn't have either. Iron Man 2, at times, drifts off into certain directions that don't quite convince, or are left somewhat undercooked, and you can occasionally feel adrift in the plot.

The balance of action is mostly shifted into the second half, so the first half can become a bit quiet. Indeed when all the action kicks off, you've gotten used to the slower pace, and then find yourself blind-sided by all the arse-kicking robot action, which is tip-top by the way ... that said the final ruck does feel oddly short-lived.

It could also do with a bit more AC/DC throughout, I've gotta say ... but before I make this sound like I disliked the movie, I must say that I still rather enjoyed it. Sure, it didn't convince like the first movie, but I was invested throughout, enjoyed the characterisation and the rough-n-tumble was a ruddy good time.

If only the plot was a bit more balanced and focused. Iron Man 2 is an enjoyably solid effort that never quite lands the killer blow, but I look forward to seeing it again when perhaps I'll be able to view it more on its own terms, rather than in comparison to the first flick which was the surprise hit of 2008.

Iron Man...

An awesome trailer with an arse kicking soundtrack, a slightly less awesome - but ultimately very entertaining - movie with an arse kicking soundtrack. It certainly has its flaws, mainly that at times it feels a bit flabby around the edges. Occasionally you'll feel like you're treading water - as in, "he's still building this thing?" - but fortunately the wit and utter cool of RDJ keeps things moving, even when the plot is slowing down.

It's rated 12A in the UK, which means that under 12's can get in with an adult - and there were certainly plenty of kiddywinks in the audience when me and the lads went to check it out t'other night. Now either I'm getting old, or I'm right in my thinking (I'm thinking it's half-and-half) but it's sometimes very tough for a 12A.

The tough parts aren't too tough for a 12 year old, but due to 12A allowing in kids as young as - well, anything pretty much - the sections which focus on the terrorists are surprisingly grim. Now either a six year old, for example, will either be taken aback - or they won't pay it much attention as they don't understand that, right now in the middle east, there really are scumbags rounding up families and splitting the men from their kids and wives, lining them up against a wall and then shooting them dead ... sadly in real life, Iron Man doesn't crash land from the sky and start kicking arse and taking names whilst some hard rock pummels your ears.

It's a thrashing, bashing, hard rocking super hero movie with a witty tongue. Not the best out there, but far from the worst. It's hasn't got the pace and general drama of Spider-Man, but nor is it the silliness and forgettableness of Fantastic Four 2.

Definitely worth seeing, twice even, and with news that RDJ has signed on for a sequel - which was pretty much guaranteed before the movie even stormed the box office upon release - it's all good.

Mind you, The Dark Knight is coming soon ... hell yeah.