Iron Man 2

Doomsday: T-Minus 36 Weeks

Welcome to week 3 of the 39 week countdown to Avengers: Doomsday. I’m watching the MCU films in order of release, one per week, in the buildup to Doomsday.

Opinions seem mixed when it comes to Iron Man 2. I think it’s an even better film than its predecessor. Others like the first movie better. The two are definitely neck in neck, and it’s a fantastic sequel, even if you think the first film was better.

Why do I prefer Iron Man 2? First and foremost, the villains. Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell both nail their roles. Jeff Bridges made sense as a corrupt elder industrialist, but was a bit ill-suited (no pun intended) when he put on the armor and became Iron Monger. Rourke, on the other hand, is exactly what you think a disgruntled Russian with a death wish should be. He looks and sounds menacing, and plays the role with a sneer that fits the character. And then, Sam Rockwell. As Justin Hammar he’s hilarious in his smarminess, and demonstrates a perfect amount of subtle evil amidst the overt narcissism. He feels real. He acts charming and says the right things, but Rockwell uses subtle comments under his breath, or even body language, to let us know what a bastard this guy is. It’s shame he hasn’t popped up again in the MCU beyond a cameo in a short.

Next, up is Scarlett Johansson, who steals every scene she’s in. She’s alluring without ever overdoing it, and never oversteps her boundaries. She’s funny without cracking any jokes. Once she switches to her Black Widow persona, she’s equally awesome, and is just as good as a superhero at Nick Fury’s side as she is as “Natalie from Legal” at Pepper’s.

Speaking of Nick Fury, he has an excellent cameo here. The scene with Iron Man lounging in the famous donut atop Randy’s Donuts (a spot I frequented when I lived in L.A.) is iconic, and his conversation with Stark is one of many cleverly scripted segments of dialogue, and one that only Sam Jackson can pull off.

We also have Don Cheadle. Terrence Howard made a great Rhodey, but I’d argue Cheadle makes an even better one. Howard has more charm, and better looks, than Cheadle, but Cheadle has a swagger that is necessary for standing up to Downey’s Stark. Howard’s Rhodey always felt like a buddy and a subordinate, unlike Cheadle’s, who pushes back.

And finally, we have the love story between Tony and Pepper. It was hinted at in the first film, but comes to fruition here, and it’s beautiful.

How Good Is It?

It’s really good. It is the perfect second chapter to the Iron Man saga. We got the origin story, and we saw Stark oust Stane and reveal his identity to the world. Now we see the aftermath of that decision, as he battles a proper super villain. It’s exactly what one wants from issue 2 of a comic book.

So yes, as good as Iron Man is, I think Iron Man 2 is a notch better. The plot is denser, yet never meanders, and the actors and characters are a step up this time around.

My Watch History

Once again, I still have my ticket stub from watching this when it hit theaters, so I know that I first saw it on May 6th, 2010, at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland. That’s a beautiful theater, and well worth a visit if you’re ever in the Bay Area. If you go, you’re a 5-minute walk from Colonial Donuts, a 24-hour donut shop that’s been around forever, and was still making excellent donuts when I moved out of Oakland. You can sit and discuss the movie you just watched, while enjoying a cup of coffee and a donut.

I’ve watched this film a few times since then. The only dates I know for sure, thanks to Letterboxd, are May 23rd, 2024 and this past Tuesday, April 7th. I think I watched it at least once in between 2010 and 2024. I’ve definitely heard it plenty of times, as my sons love Iron Man, and played the first two Iron Man films seemingly on loop for the first year or so after they discovered him.

How Did I Watch?

I own this on a 4k UHD Blu-ray. You can click the image below to buy a copy. (I get nothing if you do, so this isn’t a ploy to make money.)

Best Line in the Movie

It’s not so much a line as a scene. The conversation between Hammar and Vanko is entertaining as hell, and the taciturn Vanko’s simple statement “people make problem” underscores one of the primary themes of the film. Equally entertaining is when Vanko brings things full circle by spitting Hammar’s words back at him to succinctly cap off their conversation. This is one of the earliest examples of the dry wit that made the MCU so popular. They demonstrated that you could make a superhero film funny using intelligent dialogue rather than slapstick without losing the audience.

Will This Tie Into Doomsday?

Any film that prominently features Iron Man offers some amount of insight into who Tony Stark is, and why he’s the way he is. With Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as Dr. Doom, the prevailing assumption is that there will be some connection between Stark and Doom. Thus, the more you know about Stark, the more you are likely to understand Doom, so yes, I think it’s safe to say aspects of this film will tie into Avengers: Doomsday.

It’s pure speculation, but if Dr. Doom is an alternate universe’s version of Tony Stark, perhaps in that universe he didn’t use science to save his life, but instead turned to magic. Who’s to say? Or the daddy issues he dwells on here may crop up in Dr. Doom’s backstory. The possibilities are limitless, but at this point I’m going to say that the films that develop Tony Stark’s character are required viewing to fully understand Avengers: Doomsday.

How May Stars Does It Get?

While contemplating this project my biggest question was whether or not I should rate the films. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m terrible at assigning films a score. I either like ‘em or I don’t. However, I know readers like ratings, so I’ve come up with something close. I’m going to rank the films as I go along. It’s still pretty easy, what with there only being three films from which to choose, but it will get harder each week.

The Updated Ranking

1. Iron Man 2

2. Iron Man

3. The Incredible Hulk

What’s Next

Next week I’ll talk about the 4th installment in the MCU, Thor.