Lets try again

Iron Man 2 is the first real Disney Marvel film. The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man had already come out in 2008. Surely the negotiations had been happening for years, but Disney did not officially buy Marvel until December 31, 2009. So Iron Man 2 wasn't just different — it felt different. It was the start of the MCU as we now know it.

I don't know if that is the reason this movie feels so watered down, but the best parts of Iron Man — the chemistry and characters — are suspended inside a weak narrative burdened by world-building.

I do not hate the MCU, and I do not hate the idea of a shared universe. Chalk it up to the fact that I read comic books and have loved serialized TV since the '90s. But Iron Man 2 can be seen straining under the weight of doing the narrative work for films yet to come. Now the film never breaks under that weight but there are groans.

Iron Man 2 pulls from some of the very best Iron Man stories, such as the “Demon in a Bottle” storyline from the '70s. Instead of alcoholism, Tony is dealing with the effects of the technology keeping him alive. He also struggles with his father's influence and legacy, something ever-present in the self-loathing genius archetype.

Samuel L. Jackson, as Nick Fury, is about as charming as Robert Downey Jr.. As the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and puppet master pulling the required strings, Fury pushes Tony toward what he needs to do. I don't think Samuel L. Jackson gets the credit he deserves as an actor. I can't think of a role he phoned in or one where he wasn't trying to have as much fun as possible.

The rest of the cast is fun as well. Scarlett Johansson is enigmatic as the girl Friday Natasha Romanoff, and her reveal is less of a reveal and more of a confirmation. Don Cheadle is a huge upgrade and a better scene partner for RDJ, giving the friendship between Rhodes and Stark more depth and weight. Sam Rockwell seems to be having more fun than anyone else on screen, and while Mickey Rourke is good, he cannot solve Iron Man's biggest problem as a character: he has a boring rogues' gallery.

What I think the Iron Man trilogy does well is spend time with Tony Stark, and Iron Man 2 has some of the best Tony scenes in the series. His drunken DJ session and every argument with Rhodes are entertaining. The congressional inquiry scene is so good that I could watch Tony Stark on trial for another 20–30 minutes and not notice the time passing.

Nothing really stands out in this film aside from the fact that it just isn't as tight as the first one. I held that against this film the first time I saw it, but upon rewatching it really isn't that bad. This is a fun movie, but clearly an also-ran in the long success story of the MCU.

If you loved Iron Man, you will probably like this one. If you only liked Iron Man, then you can probably skip this entry.