IRON MAN 2 (2010)  Movie Review

Box office smash, Iron Man 2, hit theatres on May 7, 2008. It began as an instant continuation from the end of the first Iron Man, which answers the long awaited question. How does Tony Stark fair with the public as Iron Man? It’s clear from the beginning that the public adores him cheering at his every appearance and feeding his ego. Yet, they put him under an enormous amount of pressure to surrender his technology.

Behind the scenes Stark fights his inner demons. His heart is failing again, and the he can’t find the solution. In a state of hopelessness he names his replacement as CEO and resorts to self-destructive behavior costing him the good will of his adoring public. It is not until he hits rock bottom and he has nothing left, he turns to the last man on Earth he thought could give him any answers: his father. With his father’s hidden answers, he is able to construct a new device, thus saving his heart and his life. Through his father, he receives a new heart and becomes whole again.

The movie also explores the balance between personal strength versus external strength by introducing Agent Natalie Rushman played by Scarlett Johansson. While Stark depends on the destructive power of his technology, Potts and Rushman rely on their personal strength. It is a balance of the two that essentially gives them the power to defeat the opposition and save the day. This message serves as a reminder that we cannot rely too much on the machines we build and that bigger isn’t also better.

If you have not yet seen Iron Man 2, I would highly recommend you see it. It is one of few films that measures up to its predecessor, and the end leaves an opening for more. I can’t wait to see what happens next.