Iron Man 2

I finally got around to seeing Iron Man 2 last night at the drive-in theater. (Lauren also saw it with me last night, but of course "finally" isn't a word that naturally corresponds in her case; "begrudgingly" is probably closer to the truth.) I went into it benefitting somewhat from having read early reviews and knowing what to expect. For instance, I knew the following facts up front:

• It's unfocused
• It lacks the charm of the original
• It's a fairly blunt set-up for the upcoming Avengers movie

These are all true-blue bullet points. The original Iron Man had more on offer, both in thought and action. But, crammed behind the steering column of a Saturn Ion, this wasn't what bothered me about the movie. What really burned me up was how most of the cast seemed so unhappy to be there. Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, and Don Cheadle all completely phoned it in. And, to a certain extent, it's understandable; not everyone is as enthused with comic books as Samuel L. Jackson and Nick Cage, and it's gotta be slightly embarassing to deliver lines as thoroughly cornball as those written into Iron Man 2.

But then, on the other hand, we shouldn't forget that they are being paid a veritable assload of cash. Maybe have some fun with the role? Instead, Don Cheadle steals the joy from every scene he occupies; Gwyneth Paltrow is constantly on the verge of pouting; and Scarlett Johansson, for all the sex appeal she's got on display, acts like she's trudging through a bad blind date. As director, Favreau should have let these folks know that when their characters have names like "War Machine" and "Black Widow," it's OK to play it a little loose.

Robert Downey Jr. though is, as always, riotously good. Sam Rockwell makes good with little as the antagonistic arms dealer Justin Hammer. And Mickey Rourke likewise succeeds in making an interesting villain, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the writers gave him virtually no backstory, character, or lines in English.

Comic books, even more so than fantasy novels and heavy-metal music, are knowingly campy. For it to work, you have to know it's ridiculous -- but you also have to love it. Next time around, let's hope people can remember that in casting.