Review: Iron Man 2

Superhero sequels tend to fall on one of two extremes – they’re either vast improvements over the first installment like “X2: X-Men United” or “The Dark Knight,” or they’re huge disappointments like the debacle that was “Spider-Man 3.” The sequel to the surprise smash “Iron Man” isn’t quite as strong as the first film, though it’s a far cry from “Spider-Man 3.”

“Iron Man 2” picks up six months after “Iron Man” left off. The world knows that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man, he’s successfully made the world a peaceful place and all the attention is starting to go to his head.

But Tony is soon knocked off his high horse when he faces scrutiny from the press and pressure from the government to share his technology with the military, a point that causes tension with his best friend, Jim Rhodes (Don Cheadle).

Unable to keep up with his Iron Man duties and running Stark Industries, he promotes his assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) to CEO of the company. But business pressures are the least of Tony’s worries. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), a Russian physicist who’s recreated his technology, wants him dead and Tony’s business rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), will do just about anything to bring him down.

Tony must also contend with a mysterious new assistant (Scarlett Johansson), the increased presence of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and a borderline midlife crisis.

This time around the story doesn’t feel quite as fresh as in the first “Iron Man,” but the snappy dialogue and Downey’s charisma still make it a fun ride. It’s action-packed, hilarious and a surefire crowd pleaser.

It’s also clear that director Jon Favreau is setting the stage for something greater – the upcoming “Avengers” film that unites Iron Man with fellow Marvel heroes Thor, Captain America and The Hulk. “Iron Man 2” contains a few shout-outs to the other Avengers that are sure to please fans of the comics.

As in the first installment, Downey’s performance really carries the film. He’s so funny and so charming that it’s impossible not to love him despite his ever-increasing narcissism. Tony isn’t anywhere close to perfect, but that’s exactly what makes him such an interesting hero.

Paltrow’s chemistry with Downey is particularly magnetic in this film, and Cheadle seems to be a better fit for Rhodey than his predecessor, Terrence Howard.

The whole supporting cast is strong, but Rockwell in particular is a scene stealer. His Justin Hammer is delightfully slimy. His desire to be as powerful as Tony is overwhelming, but his cowardice always gets in his way. Rockwell is probably one of the most underrated actors working today, and he really has the chance to shine here.

“Iron Man 2” might not be as complex as “The Dark Knight,” but it’s the perfect blockbuster to kick off the summer movie season. Especially for fans of the first film, the sequel is a fun-filled adrenaline rush that will leave audiences walking away smiling. B

Review: Couples Retreat

With a cast including funny men Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Jason Bateman, I expected “Couples Retreat” to offer plenty of laughs. But as far as romantic comedies go, this one fell a little flat.

The film focuses on four couples: Dave (Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman), a stable and happy couple with excessively busy lives, Jason (Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell), an anal retentive couple who are having trouble conceiving a child, Joey (Favreau) and Lucy (Kristen Davis), who married after getting pregnant in high school and both have wandering eyes and Shane (Faizon Love) and Trudy (Kali Hawk), whose May-December romance is a product of Shane’s recent divorce.

Jason and Cynthia tell the others they are considering getting a divorce, and they want to travel to a tropical couples resort called Eden to attempt to save their marriage. They can’t afford the cost of the trip themselves, though, so they invite their friends to accompany them and get a discounted group rate. While the other couples are only looking for fun in the sun rather than therapy, the trip forces all of them to reevaluate their relationships.

The film was written by Vaughn and Favreau, both of whom have proven funny in the past in films like “Swingers.” But for the majority of the film, the audience only let out a few half-hearted chuckles and the occasional laugh.

The concept for “Couples Retreat” had potential, but it failed in its execution. The film was cheesy and predictable in all the wrong ways. I love cheesy and predictable romantic comedies as much as the next person, as long as they’re funny. But the jokes in this film were just few and far between, with only a handful of laugh-out-loud scenes.

The movie did have a terrific ensemble cast, which is part of the reason I was so disappointed with it. With the names attached to the project, I just expected more. All of the actors did a great job in their individual roles and as a group, and with a less talented cast, this movie would have completely missed the mark. The actors all seemed to be having fun together, which is part of what made the film bearable.

“Couples Retreat” did have some cute and funny moments, and the actors are all enjoyable to watch. It’s by no means the worst rom-com out there, but the fact that this romantic comedy isn’t all that funny takes away from the experience. “Couples Retreat” ends up being more of a lackluster trip than an enjoyable getaway. C-