'Iron Man' comes back with a few twists

From the first scene of Jon Favreau’s sequel to 2008’s “Iron Man,” it is clear that this installment is moving in a more practiced direction rather than expanding on the innovations that made the first film a surprise smash.

The first “Iron Man” opened with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) being attacked in a convoy in Afghanistan, taken prisoner by a terrorist organization and learning that his arms company was financing terrorism halfway across the globe. Being a comic book movie, the good vs. evil lines were, of course, quite clearly drawn; still, it offered an interesting perspective on 21st century military and industrial complexities.

The first sequel of the lucrative franchise takes a different approach. Instead of the war on terror, it opens in Russian Siberia, where Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is building his own combat suit (“Whiplash”) after his father’s death, for which he blames Stark.

“Iron Man 2” isn’t going to be about terrorism. It’s a revenge story, pure and simple.

However, Rourke, playing this Russian antagonist — complete with a growling accent and tattooed body — doesn’t seem to realize that he is in a slightly campy comic book movie. He invests Vanko with an incredible seriousness of purpose, and when Rourke is on-screen with other characters, it almost feels like he’s out of an entirely different movie.

The other stand-out in the cast is Downey, whose portrayal of Stark the first time around revitalized his career and put him back in the limelight. In the sequel, he reminds the audience why he’s the perfect Tony Stark, full of sarcasm, wisecracks and an insatiable appetite for fame.

At one point, he tells a Senate subcommittee: “I serve America at the pleasure of myself.” In the film’s opening, he lands at a New York City science expo (sponsored by his company) and dances onstage, surrounded by scantily-clad ladies adoring him.

This film does make Stark’s character a bit more nuanced. The story sees him struggling with a blood toxicity problem, and Downey portrays Stark’s down-spiral into alcoholism and depression by drawing upon his own experiences. To top it off, the film even gives Stark some daddy issues.

When Rourke and Downey share the screen, it’s quite the sight to behold. Unfortunately, that only happens once and fairly early in the film. The second time hardy counts as both men are clad in combat suits, and the scene feels more like a computer-generated video game.

The rest of the cast plays the film like most comic book movies, slightly campy, with a flair for visuals and humor. In particular, Sam Rockwell (playing Justin Hammer, a business rival of Stark’s) imbues every one of his scenes with a sarcastic, comedic quality — a wry smile reminding the audience not to take this whole thing so seriously. When Rockwell pairs with Rourke, the contrast is striking.

Gwyneth Paltrow reprises her role as Pepper Potts, Stark’s personal assistant, while Scarlett Johansson joins the team as a legal aid and doubles as “Black Widow,” a government agent whose skintight spy suit will likely please male audience members. The film’s director, Jon Favreau, also continues his role as Happy Hogan, Stark’s driver and bodyguard.

Clashes between Favreau and Terrence Howard — playing Stark’s friend, Air Force Officer James Rhodes — on the first film led to his dismissal. In the new film, Howard has been replaced by Don Cheadle, who seems to be enjoying his alter-ego as “War Machine,” a Stark ally.

The film suffers from a clutter of action unfolding on a pace that proves to be too quick for the story; and the plot often seems lost in a race to move from set piece to set piece. Still, these are mostly well-done — a fight in Stark’s house set to “Beat My Body Senseless” is particularly fun.

The lack of narrative focus becomes apparent just over halfway through, when Nick Fury, director of a secret government agency, has to give a speech explaining what’s been going on so far, who the bad guy is, and why everyone is acting the way they have been. However, Fury is played by Samuel L. Jackson, so this scene is still way more entertaining than it has any right to be.

Narrative problems aside, “Iron Man 2” is great fun. As long as audiences don’t think about it too much (for example, can Stark really create a new element out of scrap parts in his basement?) the movie is exciting, entertaining, and a good way to spend a few hours in an air-conditioned theater away from the summer heat.

Those interested in a sneak peek of Marvel’s next comic book movie should stay through the credits for a special teaser.

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