Writer: Lai Swee Wei

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Watch this if you liked: “Iron Man”

Picking up where it left off, "Iron Man 2" kicks up some serious butt in the early stages and builds up well to a climatic finale, of which didn't quite do justice to the extent of the scene. Thus, the lust for more action hits us when the two Iron Men (Robert Downey Jr. with new sidekick Don Cheadle) combats against badass Russian villain Whiplash (pouty Mickey Rourke), who has long despised the Stark family and has an odd preference for his bird... cockatoo bird that is.

The story has some high-octane action scenes combined with witty dialogues and outrageous special effects will get chills running down your spine. Watch for the race car sequence, where Whiplash makes his grand entry on the circuit and Tony Stark dons the heroic iron suit (from a suitcase structure) that we know and oh-so-love. Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), an oily defense contractor equipped with weapon knowledge, is also another baddie to lookout for and delivers nothing short of believable.

Each of the characters has their own sufficient amount of screen time, including director Jon Favreau as the driver-turned-fighter! Robert Downey Jr. maintains his charms and quick-wit comebacks together with a very frustrated love interest, Gwyneth Paltrow. Don Cheadle served as a great sidekick who compliments well with Iron Man and never seems overshadowed by Iron Man. Scarlett Johansson in turn makes a jaw-dropping Marvel character called Black Widow, who has grace and cat-like moves that could easily win her a spinoff. Moreover, you can't go wrong when you see her in a tight suit, same goes for Halle Berry in "Catwoman".

The special effects are no doubt impressive. However at some parts, the polished suit looks a bit more animated than it should, especially during Tony Stark's birthday bash where he gets more bashed than birthday.

Overall, "Iron Man 2" delivers a fun movie that's worth the watch and may even be just as interesting as its predecessor, even though it shares the same fate of many sequels that is of a less-than-satisfactory ending.

In addition to that, do stay back till after the end credits as Marvel Studios includes a teaser of their next project! - A short scene worth catching to whet the appetite of Marvel comic fans all around.

Cinema Online, 28 April 2010