50 God-Tier Acting Moments Buried in Bad Movies
34. Justin Hammer Yells At Whiplash - Iron Man 2
It's been so wonderful to see the rise of Sam Rockwell throughout the last 20 years. He used to be one of those actors everyone thought was great but underrated, so much so that his fame grew more and more throughout the 2010s to the point where he's no longer underrated and is, deservedly, a well-established actor and Oscar winner. You love to see it.
A year after his unforgettable performance in Moon, Rockwell delivered another memorable early role in the bitterly disappointing Iron Man 2, a messy sequel nuked by studio interference. Most of the cast were completely wasted, yet Rockwell really shone through and turned a character who was just a garden shed corporate baddie on paper, into a well-liked supporting villain who is still remembered fondly today. Despite being rather different from the comics version of Justin Hammer, Rockwell effortlessly won everybody over.
Nowhere is Sam Rockwell better than in this scene, in which he furiously berates main villain Whiplash (a wasted Mickey Rourke) for failing to deliver on their deal. He's hysterical in this scene, and beautifully captures a spoiled, childish billionaire throwing a petulant tantrum, dropping many terrific one-liners with comedic aplomb.
All together now: "I don't speak RUSSIAN!"