Iron Man 2 (2010)
77%RT Audience Score: 71%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
7 wins & 44 nominations total
It isn’t quite the breath of fresh air that Iron Man was, but this sequel comes close with solid performances and an action-packed plot
Iron Man 2 may not have been the most groundbreaking superhero movie, but it sure was a blast to watch. The banter between Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow was on point, and Don Cheadle made for a great replacement for Terrence Howard. Sure, the story wasn’t as strong as The Dark Knight, but who cares when you have explosions and machine-gun-toting robots? Plus, it sets up The Avengers quite nicely. All in all, Iron Man 2 is definitely worth a watch, even if the lead villain and final showdown leave a little to be desired.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Monaco
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language
Year of Release
2010
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS Sonics-DDP Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 4m
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Language(s):English, French, Russian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 7, 2010 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 17, 2010
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
Keyword(s)
starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, directed by Jon Favreau, written by Justin Theroux, action, adventure, fantasy, PG-13, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Kevin Feige produced, $312.1M box office gross USA, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Lt Col James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Natalie Rushman, Natasha Romanoff, Justin Hammer, Ivan Vanko, Whiplash, superhero, technology, military, armored suit, new alliances, powerful enemy, sci-fi action, violence, intense, original language English, Paramount Pictures
Worldwide gross: $623,933,331
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $848,166,559
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 134
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 92,493,627
US/Canada gross: $312,433,331
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $424,717,658
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 103
US/Canada opening weekend: $128,122,480
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $174,167,972
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 24
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $200,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $271,877,304
Production budget ranking: 26
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $146,405,928
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $429,883,327
ROI to date (est.): 103%
ROI ranking: 929
Gwyneth Paltrow – Pepper Potts
Don Cheadle – Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes
Scarlett Johansson – Natalie Rushman, Natasha Romanoff
Sam Rockwell – Justin Hammer
Mickey Rourke – Ivan Vanko, Whiplash
Director(s)
Jon Favreau
Writer(s)
Justin Theroux
Producer(s)
Kevin Feige
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
7 wins & 44 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (302) | Top Critics (71) | Fresh (217) | Rotten (85)
If there were any new ideas, I failed to spot them, as did my bone marrow, which slept through most of it anyhow.
August 30, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
I don’t think the story was nearly as strong as that of The Dark Knight, but it sure was entertaining and surprisingly funny… and sets up The Avengers quite nicely.
September 11, 2017 | Rating: B+
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
As for the actual grand finale, Downey Jr. and Cheadle seem like they’re already network gaming the PS3 release instead of facing any actual threat, and Rourke goes out like a chump.
April 15, 2013
Nick Pinkerton
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
The whiz-bang stuff here — while never less than slick — doesn’t produce anything we haven’t seen before.
April 15, 2013
Tom Charity
CNN.com
TOP CRITIC
The best scenes are still the ones with Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow (as Stark’s charm-resistant assistant, Pepper Potts), or just Downey alone.
July 6, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4
Rafer Guzman
Newsday
TOP CRITIC
It’s enjoyable to see a quality superhero dynamically and enthusiastically rendered.
July 6, 2010 | Rating: B+
Laremy Legel
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
The finale still stands as one of the best and most exciting of the MCU.
June 24, 2021
Nicolás Delgadillo
Discussing Film
Rumours had been circulating around Iron Man 2 for some time – rumours of re-shoots and studio cuts. Is this what they wanted, you wonder? Or is this what they were trying to avoid?
May 19, 2021 | Rating: 6/10
Stuart McGurk
NME
Doesn’t quite stand up to the original, but comes close. The lead villain and the final showdown leaves this film feeling a little empty. Still more than worth a watch though.
March 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
David Hogan
hoganreviews.co.uk
Much of the magic that made the original film entertaining is left by the wayside in favor of bigger bangs and larger quantities of machine-gun-toting robots.
November 29, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
There’s almost no denying that Terrence Howard replacement Don Cheadle, as Rhodey, exhibits a better chemistry with Downey.
September 12, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
They definitely make Tony too unlikable in this film
August 11, 2020
Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net…
Plot
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, along with Pepper Potts, and James “Rhodey” Rhodes at his side, must forge new alliances – and confront powerful enemies.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny comment about the film Iron Man 2 on Fresh Kernels.
Jon-Favreau.jpg
