Iron Man 2

directed by Jon Favreau

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) isn't a well-adjusted person. The billionaire businessman and technologist is a raging narcissist, and a risk-taker, incapable of behaving in a low-key manner. But the suit that keeps him alive and turns him into a superhero is slowly poisoning him.

Since Stark invented his suit Iron Man has single-handedly ensured an unprecedented era of peace. However the US military are worried that rival nations will soon catch up and build their own suits. They want access to Tony Stark's suit for reasons of national security, arguing in court that it's a weapon.

In Russia Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is a man with a grudge, and plenty of prison ink to show for the time he's spent behind bars. His father passes on secret blueprints for a body suit to rival Stark's. Vanko's a brilliant physicist, and before long he turns up to demonstrate his new invention. Vanko may be the kind of villain who likes to work alone, but his talent is a temptation for other people who would like to see Tony Stark knocked off his pedestal.

Meanwhile at Stark Industries, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is growing increasingly concerned about Stark's erratic behaviour. She isn't the only one, as his friend Lt. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) shares her unease. Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) is another character who has people on edge. She's a multi-talented lawyer who has risen quickly in the organisation. But is she up to something?

Iron Man 2 is a very flashy movie, full of explosive action and thumping rock music. Nearly every frame looks like it cost a fortune, with locations such as Moscow and the Monaco Grand Prix and lots of impressive stunts and effects. It's got more gloss than a paint factory, and it treats technology as the equivalent of magic. Vanko can break into an unknown computer system in seconds, whilst Tony Stark builds CERN in an afternoon in his workshop, using parts he had lying around. One of the themes is that anything is possible with technology, but be prepared to suspend your disbelief quite considerably.

Justin Theroux's script combines snappy dialogue with a compelling story. Can one man preserve world peace and save himself, and what if he can't be relied upon? Iron Man may be this incredible figure who comes off as invincible, but this is a story that's all about losing our strength, and about our fear of mortality and what we leave behind.

Robert Downey Jr. depicts Stark as a man with an infectious enthusiasm for life and a boundless narcissism that borders on arrogance. But once in a while we see through to Stark's underlying vulnerability, in spite of the character's best efforts to hide it. There's good chemistry between Stark and Pepper Potts, even if the physics in this film is a bit iffy. Iron Man 2 looks and sounds great, but it's this central relationship that really gives the movie its sparkle.