Brilliant.

Rating: 10/10 (1 May 2010)

Call me biased if you will, because I admit I was completely taken with the first movie, but I absolutely loved this film. I went into it knowing I would enjoy it either way, but fully prepared to admit it if it wasn't good. There are a lot of people saying this was disappointing. Those people are everywhere, in every board, for every film. Pay them no mind, and I encourage you to go and see this film for yourself, make your own judgement.
With amazing effects, and just the perfect balance between character development and action, this movie has it all. It picks up directly where the first one left off, and gives us everything we loved from the first film and then some. The suit got more advanced, the bad guys got badder, and the tension between Tony and Pepper went up a notch. Any loose strings from the first film are tied up nicely, and I'm happy to say that Stark is every bit as egotistical and brilliant as he was in Iron Man. As for Potts, while some complain about her, I really don't see the problem. Pepper is easily the most relatable character, not just in Iron Man, but in every superhero film, as far as female leads go.
Comparisons should not influence your decision, because there is no film quite like this one out there, aside from the first installment. A firm ten out of ten from me.