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Written by Movie Megan
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3 out of 5
Recommended For: High school age and above
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell
Directed By: Jon Favreau
Running Time: 2 hrs. 5 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy
When Tony Stark reveals himself as Iron Man, the United States government demands he turn over his suit for military use. When he refuses, a race to create a suit better than Iron Man ensues with the help of a criminal mastermind out to exact revenge on Tony.
Iron Man 2 is definitely entertaining for the older crowd. Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, and Sam Rockwell give amazing performances, and you simply cannot take your eyes of Mickey Rourke. Most adults will overlook the plot holes and disjointed story lines, but is this a film your kids should see? Should it be advertised to kids on Nickelodeon and in Burger King kids meals?
It's no surprise Iron Man 2 abounds with the kind of action and violence you find in video games, along with a handful of swear words and alcohol abuse. What may surprise parents is the amount of sexual innuendo and objectification in the film.
Remember Star Trek? It still ranks pretty high on my all-time-favorite action movie list, even though Kirk is a womanizer and we see two women in their bras and underwear in a scene that could have been more tastefully done.
But Iron Man 2 goes a bit further. (Okay, not as far as Transformers, but still a pretty decent leap.) The women in this film expose tons of cleavage, their outfits as tight as humanly possible. Natalie (Scarlett Johansson) is ogled by every guy, especially when she bends over or pulls her top off in the backseat of a car. At one point Tony tells Pepper that he "wants one," referring to Natalie. This gets big laughs from the audience because, well, men objectifying women is slapstick at its best, right?
Pepper is the most modestly dressed of course, lending to her stereotyped characterization as a "career woman." The camera focuses on her face, showcasing the wonderful and emotive (albeit small) performance by Gwyneth. But she's often juxtaposed with dancing cheerleaders and bikini-wearing party guests, who each get their share of chest, crotch, and butt shots.
There are definitely two classes of women portrayed in the film: the scantily clad beauty whose only purpose is to be looked at, and the uptight career woman who never has any fun (or shows any skin). Natalie is a sort of hybrid between the two, bearing skin when she needs to because her career calls for it. (And that "career" still eludes me, even now. Did she really have a purpose in the film? Really?)
Iron Man 2 is your typical comic book trope with more shoot-'em-up action than you could ask for. The plot is Swiss cheese, the characters not completely fleshed out, and the love-story between Pepper and Tony feels tacked on and limp...but I'm guessing viewers won't care. The film is so glitzy and exciting, and Robert Downey Jr. is so captivating, that it's sure to be a box office smash.
My main concern for the younger audience: is Tony Stark the kind of hero our kids can/should look up to? In the end, he chooses the "right" woman and mentions he's now in a somewhat stable relationship, but we don't get to see any evidence of how this has changed him from his ogling, womanizing ways.
Perhaps that's for the third film?
OVERALL
An entertaining summer blockbuster, but leave the kids at home.
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Movie Megan |
| About the author: |
| Megan has been involved in countless plays and musicals in her lifetime. Her experience both in the spotlight and backstage, as well as playwriting and film-making, has seasoned her into a well-rounded film critic. She enjoys the excitement of finding the diamonds in the rough for you and your family, even if it means sitting through hours of tasteless or boring films. Email Movie Megan
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