#TBT: The 8 worst summer blockbusters of the 2010s
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Scarlett Johansson
The first Iron Man is easily one of the best summer blockbusters of the 2010s. It features a good mix of action, comedy, and career-defining performance from Robert Downey, Jr. With its freewheeling approach to the largely self-serious genre, it changed the way superhero movies were made and skillfully laid the foundations for what will likely be the most successful movie franchise in film history. Additionally, Iron Man 3 is a fascinating genre deconstruction but also offers a satisfying end to the series.
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And then there’s Iron Man 2. The film’s biggest problem is that it’s trying to be two different things at once. It wants to re-create the fun, improvisational feel of the first Iron Man film while also adding more depth to its central character and larger universe. It fails on both counts, feeling both narratively unfocused and dramatically unengaging. It also has a weirdly ambivalent relationship to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite featuring several prominent references to the wider MCU, Tony Stark is exactly told he’s not ready to join the Avengers. Both the film and its main character seemed to feel anxious about living up to expectations and the film suffers because of it.
Moreover, Iron Man 2 manages to waste two Academy Award caliber actors by having them play a pair of the most uninspiring villains in recent film history. Having made more than $600 million at the box office, the film is one of the highest grossing summer blockbusters of 2010. It’s also the most forgettable.