Good fun but not as much fun as the first film.

Rating: 6/10 (14 February 2011)

Iron Man 2 follows on from the hugely successful Iron Man with Robert Downey Jr reprising his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man.
This time Stark reveals that he is Iron Man and denies access to companies and the military who demand to know the secret behind the suit. Enter Justin Hammer, a weapons manufacturer trying to replicate the suit and Russian Ivan Vanko who wants revenge on Stark and you have the basic set up. Set among an Expo Stark enterprises has set up and continuing the sexual attraction between Stark and Pepper Potts the film is a lot of fun.
Some nifty action sequences including one during the Monaco Grand Prix keep the film moving at a good pace and the introduction of Natalie Rushman adds more sexual fun. Stark is a cheeky chap and the film is laced with some nice humour, with his constant jabs during a Senate hearing or his staff being buffeted about during the fight at the Grand Prix. Downey Jr has fun in this role and so too does Sam Rockwell with Hammer and Don Cheadle in the role of Lt.Col. Rhodes, with Scarlet Johannson doing a nice job as Rushman.
The first Iron Man was a really enjoyable romp, with much more humour throughout and it's sequel feels a little tired and flat for the most part. It's also it seems more of a set up for future films based around The Shield/Avengers of which a plethora of upcoming films are hinted at including a sequence after the credits obviously highlighted the film Thor. This might excite some who are fans, but I found it a little annoying, but perhaps if you don't really follow these things, you might not pick up on them.
It's a fun film, even if it's predecessor is better, but like many of these films is you don't analyze it too much (like how does anyone fly with that suit exactly and where does all the ammunition go?!) you have yourself a perfect DVD for watching on the sofa with chocolates and snacks, which is exactly what I did.
More of my reviews at iheartfilms.weebly.com