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IRON MAN 2Movie Reviews
Action adventure sequel has Tony Stark facing off against his Russian arch nemesis and his corporate rival. Cast:Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Sam RockwellDirector:Jon FavreauRelease Date:May 7, 2010DVD Release:September 28, 2010From:ParamountRating:PG-13Length:2 hr 4 min
Iron Man 2 played to good not great reviews. • Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "...pure geek pleasure." • And Curt Holman wrote in Atlanta Creative Loafing, "...provides the requisite level of action and fun performances, even though the incessant changes in tone and storyline can give audiences whiplash." More Reviews Below...
Iron Man 2 Positive Reviews (47 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: MODERATE "Downey, a bona fide star after years of reckless living, lends a lot of his autobiography to Tony's addiction to fame... The rest is a cluttered, clattering toy story."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 634 words, 05/07/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Downey's head and heart are in the right place, but the movie is more in pieces than whole, and more about iron than about men."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 675 words, 05/07/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...knows how to jump the hurdles and have you smacking your lips for more. Favreau supplies the go-go-go that makes the movie stratospherically entertaining..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 866 words, 04/30/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The action sequences are fun... the dialogue can be zingy. But the movie strains under the weight of an excessively crammed story. Heroes and villains are shoehorned in."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 414 words, 05/07/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a polished, high-ozone sequel, not as good as the original but building once again on a quirky performance by Robert Downey Jr.... You want a sequel, you got a sequel."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 666 words, 05/06/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...it does try something a little bit new and perhaps, given the solemnity that has overtaken so much comic-book-based filmed entertainment, a little bit risky. It's funny."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 980 words, 05/07/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...fires on more cylinders than the first film, yet relies on star Robert Downey Jr. more than it does kinetic energy and rock 'em-sock 'em technology (which it has in spades)."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 466 words, 05/05/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "While it has its moments, there are times when I found myself agreeing when the ADHD-addled Tony complains he finds something 'boring, boring.' "(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 610 words, 05/05/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a passable knock-off... What saves it is Favreau's work with the cast.... It helps that nearly every performer on screen has a verifiable, useful sense of humor."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 674 words, 05/06/10
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The best scenes are still the ones with Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow, or just Downey alone. The rest feels like padding."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 311 words, 05/06/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a polished, high-ozone sequel, not as good as the original but building once again on a quirky performance by Robert Downey Jr.... You want a sequel, you got a sequel."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 666 words, 05/06/10
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...undeniably murky... Downey Jr. and Cheadle seem like they're already network gaming the PS3 release instead of facing any actual threat..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 05/05/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux lard the script with a baffling array of characters and subplots, which threaten to take the shine off Downey's red suit."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 05/06/10
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...cashes in hard on the unexpected success of the first 'Iron Man' from 2007 and somehow loses much of its soul in the process."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 744 words, 05/06/10
Josep Parera, La Opinion: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...una soberana decepción. Lo que no quiere decir que no termine convirtiéndose en un multimillonario éxito de taquilla y genere una tercera entrega. Así están las cosas."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 463 words, 05/07/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...struggles with the fact that the scenes when Tony Stark is out of his super-suit are more interesting - and much more fun - than the scenes where he's in it."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 05/06/10
KEY CITIES (16 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...a busy, unfocused clatter of cross-talk punctuated by occasional fender-bender royales.... seems chiefly intended as a placeholder for its next dozen or so sequels."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 474 words, 05/07/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...pure geek pleasure.... a hopscotch plot that is little more than an excuse to have the leading characters swing their big metallic fists."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 05/06/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...stays afloat as director Jon Favreau relies heavily on the considerable charms of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, along with an excellent supporting cast."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 707 words, 05/06/10
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Downey, a witty script and a couple of well-choreographed action sequences keep things from spilling into 'Transformers' territory..."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 255 words, 05/07/10
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Director Jon Favreau pumps up the volume and amps the clatter of metal against metal. One wishes that writer Justin Theroux had done more with Vanko."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 654 words, 05/07/10
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...at its best when it's breezy, playing up the idea of the CEO and the superhero as a vain rock star.... the heavier both the movie and the metal get, the duller they become."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,054 words, 05/07/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...has just enough laughs to keep things light and entertaining. And yet the whole thing feels like a dress rehearsal for some better movie that we'll never see."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 470 words, 05/07/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "...only a shadow -- if an agreeable and harmless one -- of its predecessor... there's little in it that infuses you with a sense of thrills, laughs, tension, drama or fun."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 666 words, 05/07/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "There are too many new characters, too many crossing story lines, not enough romance and our hero's a smug jerk for the first half hour. Who cares?"(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 632 words, 05/07/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...more of a set-up for the upcoming 'Avengers' picture than a stand-alone adventure - a puzzling and unexpected disappointment..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 05/07/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...undeniably murky... Downey Jr. and Cheadle seem like they're already network gaming the PS3 release instead of facing any actual threat..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 05/05/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "The glossy high-tech hardware is seductive... even Samuel L. Jackson as that self-righteous scold Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., manages a certain charm."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 625 words, 05/06/10
Scott Tobias, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a clean, efficient, somewhat generic piece of storytelling and most of the additions are not subtractions.... as good a model as any..."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 400 words, 05/06/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...struggles with the fact that the scenes when Tony Stark is out of his super-suit are more interesting - and much more fun - than the scenes where he's in it."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 05/06/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...provides the requisite level of action and fun performances, even though the incessant changes in tone and storyline can give audiences whiplash."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 638 words, 05/07/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "Downey carries the weight of an unwieldy plot on his buff physique, plus the digital dictum that governs most action-adventure sequels these days..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 05/07/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...it does try something a little bit new and perhaps, given the solemnity that has overtaken so much comic-book-based filmed entertainment, a little bit risky. It's funny."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 980 words, 05/07/10
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "All the actors are so plainly enjoying the ride that to watch it slow and stall, under the weight of dead plot, is a cause for regret."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 769 words, 05/03/10
Brian Lowry, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...isn't as much fun as its predecessor, but by the time the smoke clears, it'll do.... the beats here are more familiar, the pacing more uneven."(See all of Brian Lowry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 775 words, 04/27/10
Olivier Brunel, Cinema 24/7: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...passable popcorn entertainment... Favreau relies more heavily on visual and CGI effects while neglecting issues of plot, characterization, emotional engagement."(See all of Olivier Brunel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,230 words, 04/29/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...it does try something a little bit new and perhaps, given the solemnity that has overtaken so much comic-book-based filmed entertainment, a little bit risky. It's funny."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 980 words, 05/07/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "Downey carries the weight of an unwieldy plot on his buff physique, plus the digital dictum that governs most action-adventure sequels these days..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 05/07/10
13.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Iron Man 2's reviews are separated by an average 13.7 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Iron Man 2 (47 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Iron Man 2's reviews cover 94.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 28,818 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 613 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Iron Man 2 Coverage, Volume & Length (47 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 26.7 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Iron Man 2's reviews on average broke 26.7 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Iron Man 2's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Iron Man 2 (47 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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