Iron Man 2 Review (4/5)

For all its faults, "Iron Man 2" proves itself in so many ways: the countless preludes to Marvel's centrepiece of 2012- "The Avengers"; the inclusion of famous baddies Whiplash and Justin Hammer, as well as SHIELD's own Nick Fury (played by Samuel "Mace Windu" L Jackson), managing yet another brief but great cameo by creator Stan Lee (look for him in the early scenes- blink and you'll miss it). So, with all these credentials attached, where does this 2-and a half hour long epic go wrong? To answer this intriguing question, I must simply point out a character who, up until now, seemed to be the driving force of this all-out sequel: War Machine. Portrayed by the excellent Don Cheadle, this Iron Man rip-off has been advertised carelessly for months in the promo campaign, to the point where a team-up between himself and the Iron-clad protagonist seemed nigh-on unforgettable. Trouble is, while on screen the duo are generally either bickering, drunk-fighting, or unwillingly forced to battle one another in the skies, and even all this only occupies perhaps a tenth of the overall flick. If Cheadle had received more time to build on his Rhodes, then "Iron Man 2" might even have achieved the lofty heights of its predecessor, a move not many sequels even dare attempt to make. However, to give it its credit, while it doesn't quite manage it, "Iron Man 2" has a bloomin' good go at finding a plot well-rounded enough to trump the 'Origins' tale, and deserves to be seen by movie-goers everywhere. Oh, and call yourself a true fan of the "Avengers", or Marvel for that matter? Then stay for the credits. No really, it's worth it. Just stay...because somewhere in New Mexico, they've found it.