Iron Man 2
With “Iron Man,” Marvel Studios and director Jon Favreau asked star Robert Downey Jr. to carry them to glory. They hoped his charisma was so overwhelming that audiences would flock to a movie in which he spends much of his time welding — that is, when he’s not off-screen entirely, replaced by a computer-generated guy in a silly metal suit. I thought they failed spectacularly, but I was squarely in the minority. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but snicker at the beginning of “Iron Man 2,” as the audience is treated to a long sequence of Mickey Rourke … welding. Is this a superhero saga or a dreary two-part episode of “Dirty Jobs”? Thankfully, “Iron Man 2″ gets better from there, but the welding torch is the only thing that catches fire. It’s a reasonable exercise in big-budget escapism — competent but uninspired. I got my kicks mostly from the intermittently clever one-liners and from the hammy antics of the first-rate cast. Downey, Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Garry Shandling perform with gusto. Beyond his able handling of the actors, I remain mystified that Favreau is allowed to direct these movies. He can’t stage action with any tension or verve, and his images just sit there, indifferently lighted and framed. Maybe he hopes we’re watching through an “Iron Man” mask. The first movie had novelty on its side — it introduced an intriguingly flawed superhero, played by an actor with a notably checkered past. But I’m not sure “Iron Man 2″ will generate much excitement beyond the marketing-driven opening-weekend bonanza.