Let's talk about Iron Man 2.

Iron Man 2. Or as I like to call it, Tony Stark.

An indestructible superhero isn't a lot of fun. Neither is a superhero whose main power is just an arsenal of weapons. And it's a stretch to believe that the director of Elf could film a good action scene. Realizing these limitations, and that Robert Downey Jr was the best thing about the first movie, Iron Man 2 keeps Tony Stark out of action as much as possible. It's a logical choice, albeit a somewhat disappointing one.

Do any other public identities overshadow their alter egos? It's hard to get worked up over the existing laundry list of Bruce Waynes and Clark Kents, but I'd watch an entire movie of an average day in the life of Tony Stark. Iron Man isn't fun, he's the serious guy who has to care about world peace.

That's one of the biggest problems about Iron Man 2. One of the original movie's strengths was its focus on Tony Stark's character arc. He starts the film caring only about himself, his fancy toys, and whatever woman he'll be spending the night with. At the film's end, he's discovered the value of altruism and monogamy. He's still a self-indulgent jackass, but his heart is in the right place. Iron Man had a cocktail of four writers, though; two worked on Children of Men, the other two worked on Punisher: War Zone, and that mix of highbrow and lowbrow reflects Tony's character at the end of the movie. Justin Theroux, who was not one of those writers, is the only credited writer on Iron Man 2, and under his watch Tony has regressed. He might gallantly express the dignity of keeping the Iron Man suit away from the meddling hands of the corrupt U.S. government but there's no indication that he actually means it. His chief concerns are still chasing tail and Stark Industries' bottom line. His motivations don't form an arc so much as a series of loop-de-loops. One second he's pondering his inevitable death, the next he's a full-blown alcoholic. It's fine for Stark to have self-destructive impulses but he hasn't earned them (it's okay, though, they disappear halfway through the film).

So story isn't Iron Man 2's strong suit (no pun intended). Fortunately, the cast is loaded. We all know that Robert Downey Jr is brilliant, but it's surprising how well Gwyneth Paltrow bounces off of him as his secretary. She's more than capable of going toe-to-toe with him in their rapid fire exchanges. That Sam Rockwell would turn in a good performance as one of the film's two villains is not a surprise, but it's still amazing how good he is. He's the anti-Stark, just as loquacious and showboating but without a conscience or self-awareness. Mickey Rourke, on the other hand, hardly says a word as Ivan Vanko, but he looks and acts the part of a hardened criminal to a tee.

Despite what I've said, I do recommend Iron Man 2. It's not as good as the original but given other recent blockbuster sequels, you could do much worse.

Loose ends:

- I am still tickled pink thinking about John Slattery's role. Though as Howard Stark he's a weapons manufacturer and government contractor, he's clearly meant to resemble Walt Disney.

- At first I thought that Stark saying The Avengers couldn't afford his services was a meta-reference to casting the upcoming Avengers movie, but Wikipedia says Downey will in fact be part of the cast.

- Other than a swank paycheck, Terrence Howard didn't miss much by not reprising his role as Rhodey. Don Cheadle certainly looks the part but he turns in a joyless performance and is mostly relegated to the sidelines.

- Scarlett Johansson has a rather average-looking face but she continues to make the most of it. Rawr.