Not as good as Iron Man, probably one of the worst superhero movies in a long time

Rating: 3/10 (9 May 2010)

I had no expectations going into Iron Man 2....I enjoyed and loved the first Iron Man movie and liked the story, characters, flow, and feel of the movie. I liked how it took a character like Tony Stark and put him in post-Cold War America and yet stayed true to the comics. At the same time, it deviated from the comics and had its own stamp that was fresh.
Yet with this movie, it's like none of what made the first one great even carried over. All that seemed to carry over was that Tony Stark is a millionaire -- putting millionaire douche-bag Larry Ellison in a cameo cemented that. Stark's a combination of Steve Jobs meets Batman, complete with his own Mac Fest.
But that wasn't fully realized at all in this movie. It became an excuse to show explosions, have cool scenes, and show Iron Man suits. The story -- which is what made the first one great -- was largely absent. Ivan Vanko's character was the only one that was fully fleshed out, partially due to Mickey Rourke's great performance. You liked Justin Hammer and could actually sympathize with him even though he is a smarmy jackass. The other new character Natasha/Natalie/Black Widow really was a non-issue in the movie and seemed to be a void in this to make an impression.
Yet Tony Stark was totally unlikable in this. The 'underdog' character from the first film wasn't there -- sure, what's on his chest is killing him. Alcohol is killing him (yes, they vaguely referenced the "Demon in a Bottle" storyline from the comics but that was it). But there is nothing to Stark this time that makes you root for him like there was in the first movie. Really, you hope he gets what all millionaires like him get and that is to lose everything. His character never really comes to that realization (the party scene doesn't count). The only character that seemed to have changed at all in this movie is Pepper Potts.
This movie lacked the sophistication and overall story of the first movie. Even though Terrence Howard wasn't that great as James Rhodes in the first movie, he actually made a smart choice in avoiding this movie. Don Cheadle did very well with the material (or lack thereof) he had to work with. The movie doesn't even explain how he's able to just jump into an Iron Man suit and use it. I was hoping that part of the movie would be about explaining that or even growth for James Rhodes as well. Instead, Rhodes inexplicably being able to use the suit and deliver it to the U.S. military sends the movie to the climax.
I would say see it if you're a fan of comic book movies, but don't expect it to be like Spider-Man 2 or The Dark Knight or even Superman Returns. It's not. It's almost like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen bad. So go in, turn your mind off, and don't worry about the plot, characters, or anything else that make movies enjoyable.