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Iron Man 2 (PG-13, 2010)

common sense media says

Downey whips out the big guns, sexy banter in fun sequel.

parents & educators say
  • 39% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say sexual content is an issue
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this sequel to Iron Man has even more explosions and action than the original, but it also ups the snarky humor and sexual innuendo. The two biggest concerns for parents are violence (while there's not much blood, there are plenty of bombs, weapons, and fights, as well as two men who are briefly shown hanging to death) and consumerism (several brands are featured again and again to the point that the movie seems like an expensive commercial for Audi, especially). Although there is only one climactic kiss, there are lots of double entendres and innuendo-filled jokes that may go over the heads of tweens and younger teens. Robert Downey Jr.'s  Tony Stark, is still not the role model of power and responsibility that Peter Parker is, but he knows when and how to help. Scarlett Johansson's character is strong, but she's so objectified it's hard to think of her as a role model to young girls.

Positive messages: Once again, it's clear (for the most part) who's "good" and who's "evil." Tony Stark learns the lesson that just because you think you're going to die doesn't mean you should care only about yourself. Iron Man also discovers the importance of honesty and cooperation. He couldn't have defeated his enemy alone, but when he teamed up with his best friend, he was twice as powerful. That said, the female characters -- both primary and secondary -- are largely love interests or highly sexualized, even if they are strong and capable.
Positive role models: Despite the negative role models of the vengeful Ivan and the greedy Hammer, there are a couple of positive role models: Pepper Potts is a very loyal, honest, and caring character (if a bit whiny), and Lt. Col. Rhodes is probably the best role model, because he is willing to contradict Iron Man for the greater good, but he also trusts him enough to fight by his side when the situation calls for it. Tony Stark is an arrogant, self-avowed narcissist who tends to put his needs first but in the end always does the "right" thing to help others.
Violence: Lots of explosions and several dead bodies in the movie. One person dies of illness or old age, but the rest of the body count is from explosions and in two cases, hanging (that's the worst scene). Iron Man and Rhodey have a big fight that smashes up Stark's house and leaves both of them passed out. The fights with Ivan, including the climactic sequence, are the most violent, but there's almost no blood. Since Stark and his competitor Hammer are weapons designers, the weapons in the movie are fairly glamorized, especially the ones Hammer Industries creates, which Hammer shows off in an almost sexual manner to army officers.
Sex: Although there is only one big kiss, there are several scenes that feature women dressed provocatively, especially  Natalie (Scarlett Johansson) and a group of Stark dancers. There is a great deal of sexual innuendo in Stark's dialogue, particularly when he talks to or about Natalie, who in a couple of scenes is shown in her bra and in every other scene is wearing skin-tight, cleavage-bearing outfit. 
Language: Mild language ("stupid," "idiot," "damn," a couple instances of "ass", one use of "bitches" and a few "God"s as exclamations), but what's of note is the amount of sexual innuendo. Stark routinely says things like: "I serve this great country at the pleasure of myself, and if there's one thing you can count on, it's me pleasuring myself" or "I want one" (in reference to Natalie).
Consumerism: Several brands appear again and again, like Audi, which has at least two of its vehicle fleet featured prominently (including gratuitous close-ups of Audi's interlocking rings logo), in addition to its name/logo as part of the "Stark Expo" sponsors. Another heavily promoted brand is Oracle, and there is also a Rolls Royce. Pepper wears Christian Laboutin shoes with their conspicuous red soles and carries Louis Vuitton luggage. Real-life news anchors like CNN's Christiane Amanpour and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly's shows are shown.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Adult characters drink vodka, wine, champage and cocktails at dinners, parties, and to have congratulatory toasts. Stark gets drunk at his birthday party, and Ivan is often shown drinking vodka (sometimes straight from the bottle).
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More on Iron Man 2

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

  • Families can talk about the immense popularity (and profitability) of comics-based movies and superheroes. What do you think is the appeal of superhero flicks? And what's up with sequels? Why do you think almost every superhero movie has at least one sequel?

  • Are weapons of war glamorized in the movie? Should weapons be portrayed as that shiny and cool? What message does this send?

  • Ivan Vanko is obviously a criminal, but is he justified in feeling wronged by the Stark family? Who is on the right side of the argument?

  • Tony Stark says he doesn't need a sidekick, but in the end, he does need Rhodey's help. Is Rhodey more than a sidekick? How is their relationship different than the typical hero-sidekick dynamic?

  • In the world of superheroes, Tony stands apart as a pretty selfish rich guy outside of his Iron Man persona. Discuss how he's different than other comic-book heroes like Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Bruce Wayne/Batman?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is back and more popular than ever in IRON MAN 2. Everyone knows he's Iron Man, and he's helped the United States broker peace around the world. Unfortunately, there's a dying Russian physicist who blames Tony and his visionary father Howard for his family's misfortune, so his dying wish to his son, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), is a cry for vengeance. While Tony is fending off congressmen who want to force him to turn over the Iron Man suit to outfit the Armed Forces, he's also dealing with the fact that Palladium, the element that's keeping him alive, is slowly poisoning his blood unless he can find an alternative, less-toxic element. Ivan creates his own special suit and sets out to destroy Iron Man, garnering the attention of Stark's chief business competitor Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who commissions Ivan to develop a line of Iron Man clones. Meanwhile, Tony goes into self-destruct mode thinking his days are numbered, naming Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) CEO of his company and alienating his best friend Lt. Col. 'Rhodey' Rhodes (Don Cheadle).

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

This franchise completely owes its popularity, unlike the '80s-'90s Batman series which kept changing its lead, to the irresistible charm of its star. Robert Downey Jr. is effortless as the playboy billionaire turned narcissistic superhero. It's the same perfect blend of actor and character that makes Johnny Depp the best part of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Luckily for director Jon Favreau (who enjoys his own role in the movie as Stark's bodyguard/chauffeur), all of the cast is up to par, even if the overall plot is a bit ridiculous (why didn't Howard Stark, played by Mad Men's John Slattery, just leave his son specific instructions to begin with?) and the game-changing revelation too easily discovered.

After all of the controversy surrounding the dismissal of Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle seamlessly slipped into the best-friend role.  Scarlett Johansson's SHIELD double agent Natalie Rushman/Natalia Romanoff is equal parts Jessica Rabbit and Catwoman (it's unclear who's side she's really on for half of the movie), and Paltrow continues to be Stark's loyal, long-suffering enabler and love-interest. The villains, Rourke and Rockwell, are deliciously campy, and the more roles Rockwell gets, the better. A very tattooed Rourke smears on the Russian accent and affected mannerisms a bit too thick, but then again, so does every super-villain. For a fun, fairly mindless action romp, Iron Man 2 is a snappy start to the summer movie season, but an action masterpiece like The Dark Knight it isn't.

Movie themes & details

Themes
superheroes
Movie Details
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 126 minutes
Theatrical release: May 7, 2010
DVD release: September 28, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language
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This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
 
 

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What parents & educators say

11
Based on 49 parent & educator reviews:
  • 39% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say sexual content is an issue
  • 29% say there are positive messages
  • 29% say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking
  • 27% say language is an issue
Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

janmac
parent of and 9 , 11 , 14 year old
12
 
Just because there are fast food toys doesn't make it for children
The movie was an "eh" but so many small children in the audience drove me to distraction! Iron Man drinks throughout the movie, is sometimes drunk and then shoots things up at a party with scantilly clad women and there are no negative consequences to his drinking and becoming violent. (I'm sure every mom in the theater would be so saddened if their sons followed this cultural stereotype.) There are frequent double intendres and constant objectifying of women. When the action paused to watch a U.S. military "iron man" point a machine gun at the head of a 5 or 6 year old boy, I couldn't help but be conscious of the small children sitting around me.
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playbill313
teen, 13 years old
12
 
Good movie if you can handle it.
The special effects in this are great and the plot is complex yet easy to follow. There is one scene before a giant fight destroying Iron Man's house where Iron Man is extremely drunk and doing stupid things. There is one big kiss and only one part where we see Scarlett Johansen (I know I spelled it wrong...) changes for a shirt time (nothing but her in her bra and her legs are shown). There are many violent scenes but they aren't not realistic enough to be ridiculous but not so realistic as to scare you. Tony is a narcissist and bad role model most of the time. The villain, Ivan, hangs two guards (we don't see there chest and up but we see their legs dangling and know it isn't pretty) in one scene and the scene where he semi-believably breaks out of jail. The most scary parts are when Ivan is going after Iron Man because he attacks Tony in public places with crowds; one attack is at a race car track where some innocent racers are attacked and one is at a giant exposition with tons of people. Don't worry... there's just enough explosions. In the end teamwork helps Iron Man--who's had his ups and downs at this point--save the day. A couple petty bad words are said but s--t is said once. Altogether, it's a fantastic and entertaining movie which keeps your eyes looking up and keeps you fascinated. Just don't bring the toddlers.
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lorikbr
parent of and 5 , 8 , 13 year old
10
 
Great fun for families that like the summer blockbusters - won't disappoint!
My husband and I took all of our kids (12, 7 and 5) to see this movie. I was a great big "iffy" on my youngest, but he's tired of being left behind and he begged to see it. We relented with the plan that we would leave if he was overwhelmed. Our 12 and 7 year old loved it, the 5 year old was bored, but hung in and claimed to love it when we left. It's full of combat, weapons, mass destruction and scary situations, but it was all fast moving and I didn't find it terrifying (like Batman). I did have to talk my little one through the first scene with Whiplash (Ivan) at the race - I reminded him it was pretend and assured him that Tony would "be okay". We did take the two younger kids to the bathroom for the scene with the hanging guards (as recommended by other parent raters). As far as the sexual stuff, there is definitely innuendo but it was clever, earned big laughs from our audience, and I didn't feel uncomfortable at any point. As far as objectifying women, the value of Tony Stark as a role model, and product placement messages - um, really? It's a summer superhero blockbuster movie - what else would you expect? We love this type of movie, and I thought this one was great. After seeing it, I would place this on par with the Toby Maguire Spiderman movies as far as the degree of scariness/violence but definitely racier. I also thought it was lighter than the first Iron Man. I'd rate it one of the better sequels I've seen and would totally recommend it to anyone who likes this genre. Whether or not kids are ready for this movie is up to their parents (and not the lady who said she couldn't even enjoy the movie because she was so worried about the kids in the audience).
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Jonathans mom
parent of 7 year old
6
 
could almost maybe be a movie for most of the whole movie
I loved it and my 6 year-old loved it as well. I took him to see it only after reading the reviews on this website and had to leave one myself. I rated it "iffy for ages 6+" but only you know what is appropriate for your child and what they can and can't understand or handle. My son is all boy and loves big action. He got plenty of it in this movie. While I don't mind the explosions and occasional tussle I only allow it without blood and guts and murder. There was one scene after Justin Hammer locks Ivan Vanko in a room with guards where Vanko calls Tony Stark and the guards are hanging from the ceiling in the background. I offered my son more candy to distract him (and am very discriptive of that scene so you know when it is coming if you'd like to do the same). It wasn't graphic but not something I want to discuss with my son. The sexual innuendos directed toward Scarlett Johansson's character really weren't as bad as I expected and the scene where she is shown in her bra was while she was changing her clothes in the back of a speeding car to go help save the day. While it probably could have been skipped all together it was no more than my son has seen while I was getting dressed for the day and she couldn't very well fight in a dress. The only time my son asked any questions was when Tony Stark was drunk.
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PSE53370
parent of 10 year old
10
 
At our house we are great fans of super hero movies, however watch out for violence. Also, at one point Iron Man gets drunk, it can be considered funny but it also shows how silly you might look and behave when you are intoxicated.
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De Habanero
kid, 11 years old
13
 
Iron Man 2
Typical superhero violence with a villain bent on revenge. This had sexual humor too. BUT THIS WAS NOT AS GOOD AS THE FIRST! The first was MUCH better.
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lonny green
teen, 17 years old
11
 
idk
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That Reviewing Kid
kid, 11 years old
13
 
Fantastic action but everything else has gone down into hell itself
It's violent, it's got sexual issues, foul language, consumerism, heavy drinking and Iron Man is such a jerk he gets everybody's attetion so that they can watch him wet himself. He also blows up his own house when he gets drunk. I loved the first Iron Man movie so this was really disappointing.
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schuym1
adult
6
 
Horrible sequel
I hate this movie. I enjoyed Iron Man, but this one is horrible. Tony Stark/Iron Man is just egocentric in this movie. Sure, that's because he thinks that he will die. But why base a whole superhero movie around it nonetheless a movie based on a popular Marvel Comics superhero? People say that there is a lot of action, but there is none. There is only three major fights. The second major battle just happens to be between a drunken Tony Stark and his buddy, both in battle suits. The main antagonist is horrible. The villain gets defeated with one blow from both Tony Stark and his friend. One blow not for a henchman, but for the main antagonist. How would people like it if Joker got defeated in one hit in The Dark Knight? It's crazy. Three dumb action scenes, an egocentric Iron Man that acts like a total jerk, and the fact that they can't even mention that the woman spy's code name is Black Widow. Why not mention her code name. In the comics, she's a part of a superhero group called the Ultimate Avengers. I also hate that dumb guy that hired the antagonist. How could he possibly think that an evil mastermind would follow his orders? That's like Joker or Lex Luthor being bossed around by someone who isn't powerful in any way. When the opening started with Iron Man dancing with a bunch of women in front of a crowd, I was like oh no, this movie will be horrible.
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cinnamonrolls
kid, 12 years old
12
 
fun
Good sequal just doesn't beat 1st
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ApplePopRox
kid, 11 years old
8
 
OK...
Well, I'm not one of those people who really likes action movies. Chick flicks, comedies, yes. Sandra Bullock? Count me in. Meryl Streep? You bet. Anne Hathaway? AWESOME! But I had to watch this movie, and I actually thought it was OK. Not the best, but OK. It had some really violent parts, with strobe-flickering sequences that may hurt kid's eyes or scare them. There are obvious references to Scarlett's tight, cleavage-abundant outfits. This is an OK but action-packed movie that also portrays that 'Iron Man' cares ALOT about money!
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briggsgamer
parent of 13 year old
13
 
Great teen boy movie - things blowing up, light on storyline
Both boys loved it, we purchased DVD when it came out. Heavy on action, light on story. Some of the details of the story got lost on the kids but they loved the action.
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Lucbuzz
kid, 10 years old
11
 
Iron Man 2 rocks!
I saw the movie with a couple of friends and and their moms.The movie was violent in alot of diffrent ways with blowing stuff up like cars and windows throwing people around alot.Showing off guns as mentioned as a weapon.The movie was an awesome movie like one of the best of 2010!But violence wasn't the only problem.Somewhat alot of swearing was going on just not enough to leave.They said a** a few times but they mentioned The name of God in like 'Oh God'.They said s*** b*** h*** also I counted 14 swear words but there maybe more I am just not completly sure.Tony ( Iron Man) drank beer and wine and at one point I think he was drunk.Ladies didn't dress appropriate for a conversation but really you couldn't say it was too bad like all you saw was their bellies and backs.But it wasn't all innapropriate they had positive messages just to have fun.Violence and swearing was basically the only problem to it. Sci-fi horror too.All I got to say is it's an awesome and amazing movie and it's worth watching.
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masonlackey
teen, 14 years old
10
 
good movie
good movie
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teamjacobgirl2.0
teen, 17 years old
5
 
Boring
This movie was really boring. Scarlett Johansson was pretty but, there was nothing to see in this movie and it just seemed to drag on (even though its just two hours). I don't like comics or Iron Man but, the first movie was better and less boring.
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roguegibbar
teen, 15 years old
7
 
Fine for younger kids too
Its typical Iron Man. Doesn't have anything really bad. I mean, the majority of the sensuality in the movie is stuff that's thrown into commercials all the time. The violence is fine for the rating. Might even be fine for PG.
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fish sticks
kid, 12 years old
10
 
awesomness
there are a couple of inappropriate scenes but over all not that inappropriate
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Miranda ...
kid, 11 years old
11
 
Could have had a little more action but awesome!!! more of a tweens movie
Awesome movie but very scary for little kids, One use of "crap" and other words like "s--t","bulls--t", "holy s--t", "a-s", "d-mn" and it was as awesome as the first one but the first iron man has a little but more action which means I like the first iron man was a little better. Tony, the guy who made his suit had a girlfriend and kissed a few times and drinks alcohol and gets drunk a few times, but not really that bad, Very good.
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reviewplace
adult
8
 
Iron Man 2 review
Its a great comic book to movie adaption.The acting is good enough and the storyline reads just like a comic book which is what sells the movie. The action is intense but not over whelming.
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robot kid
kid, 12 years old
11
 
Good movie, but it wasn't as good as the first, but as action goes, it's probably better or equally epic!
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