Despite Some Flaws, "Iron Man 2" Is A Worthy Sequel and a Fun Summer Blockbuster

Rating: Null/10 (8 May 2010)

"Iron Man 2", being a long-awaited sequel, is ready for either great praise or a lot of negative criticism. First, I don't think this was any "Dark Knight", and I don't think it was intending to be another "Dark Knight". I thought "Iron Man 2" was just as good as its predecessor, a fun ride at the movies.
"Iron Man 2" has a lot of strengths. The plot was consistent, I had no problem with it. I wasn't expecting a big complex plot, so I was fine with it. I liked the subplot concerning Tony's problems with drinking. Ivan Vanko was an awesome villain. I liked Rhodes/War Machine, he made a good sidekick (Even though that only lasts for so long in the movie) and the pacing was very fast. To top it off, awesome action scenes and special effects. The fight scene between Tony and Vanko was probably the best scene in the whole film if you ask me. Also, Robert Downey Jr. was just as good in this movie as he was in the first one.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of flaws. The story wasn't as exciting as the original "Iron Man", nor was it as compelling. After the first few scenes, "Iron Man 2" becomes a dialogue- driven film with action scenes inbetween. While the action scenes were awesome, they didn't live up to the very first fight scene between Tony and Ivan Vanko. Also, some of the intelligence in the original was lost. I thought the climax was a bit of letdown. It was a little too short. There was all this build-up to a big showdown between Iron Man, War Machine and Vanko, but I felt the final battle was too short. Otherwise, the climax was still exciting. Also, Nick Fury could've seen a little more character development. Otherwise, well-acted on Samuel L. Jackson's part. There were some other small flaws, but they didn't have much affect on the movie.
In short, "Iron Man 2" is a great superhero film with some flaws. It can come off as a big disappointment if one sets their expectations too high. It was no "Dark Knight" in my opinion. "Iron Man 2" lives up to its predecessor, but it feels more like a bridge between the first film and "The Avengers".
8.3 out of 10.