I’m late to the party, I know. It’s just..I enjoyed the first Iron Man movie so much, and then heard crap things about the second one, I didn’t want to spoil my fun with that world. But, I’m glad I saw it. 

The qualms I heard about the film make sense. There are a bunch of SHIELD things shoehorned in, though I can’t complain about the choice one-liners that came with those scenes (Phil Coulson has the best line in the movie, by far). There were too many stories and not enough build on any of them to support a coherent narrative. Okay.

But. But. But.

The “alcoholism” storyline—the one most associated with Tony Stark—wasn’t about the alcohol. Not really. No, this was a film about a suicidal superhero. That fact was mostly ignored by everyone in the cast except RDJ and possibly Samuel L. Jackson. The alcohol was most assuredly an exacerbating factor to Tony’s depression, but bigger red flags are EVERYWHERE. Giving away belongings, tidying up his affairs, not planning for the future, a sense of hopelessness (as evidenced by giving up on finding a new power source that, you know, won’t poison his blood), avoidance and isolation. These are all huge warning signs, not to mention Tony’s propensity toward manic and impulsive behavior—hell, even a narcissistic personality is rooted in self-loathing and feelings of inadequacy. This film could have done a much better job at being a teaching moment about mental health and the importance of support networks.

But yes, the film focuses on silly antics that turn violent and more than a little sad when Tony’s drunk. They should have been more worried about the billionaire who feels he has nothing to lose.

SO SAYETH THE THERAPIST.