Some of the Shine Is Off

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2010)

With the eye-popping special effects front and center, we need to again delve beneath the surface and figure what separates this from other blockbuster superhero movies. This is a fairly captivating effort, but it doesn't really advance things that much. I suppose Robert Downey looked tired because he was, after all, dying in the film, but I also got that little bit of smugness that comes from walking through the part. Still, there's a great villain who can match well and some great technology to keep things interesting. One of the demands of this is to make your protagonist somewhat vulnerable. It falls just a bit short at times in catching us. Still, I liked the byplay and the fun and don't regret having seen it. I liked the first much better because it has a more sophisticated plot and substructure.