Meh.

Rating: 5/10 (29 April 2010)

Iron Man was arguably one of the best superhero film of this decade, and a proper rival to DC comics' leading guy. Yes, it wasn't a sophisticated social study like The Dark Knight, and it had some really cheesy plot points. Despite its flaws, it was a light-hearted, pop-culture-heavy popcorn flick which also had guts to tackle on a masked vigilante cliché; the protagonist revealed its alter-ego! It was the coolest superhero movie till Kick-Ass, for sure.
Now a sequel released. Expectations are massively high. All-star casts are even better than having Jeff 'The Dude' Bridges. Trailers and clips look magnificent. The soundtrack album is a freaking AC/DC collection! So... it it a worthy successor? The answer is NO, thanks to Marvel Entertainment.
The good news first. Robert Downey Jr. IS TONY STARK. He nailed every scene. This movie is, presumably, full of improves, and RDJ stays in the character every time. The action scenes are well executed. Although the final showdown was a bit of let-down, aerial dogfights were new exciting addition to the series. Supporting casts are solid. Sam Rockwell was a dynamite in every lines. Scarlett Johansson was hotter than ever. Sam Jackson is the man. Most of all, long-forgotten Garry Shandling steals the show. The Senate hearing scene is one of the highlights of this movie. Trust me. It shines.
AND the bad news; it just forgot to be intriguing. The reason Tony Stark being so awesome was that it didn't care about the future. He always followed the heart, and even being a hero was his choice. In the sequel, by the way, he's always dragged by other things: his sickness, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, villains, etc. He's SO stressed that he almost becomes another emo-Peter Parker. It made me just... uninterested. Villains are not interesting either. Though performances are magnificent in separate scenes, they just don't flow into the movie itself. Mickey Rourke just disappears from the main plot for half an hour. Improvisations are heavily used throughout the whole film, and one-liners simply fill out. Lines are great, but it feels disjointed at times.
The worst news is that Marvel seems to be dying to see the Avengers in action. The whole feature seems to be a giant checklist for the Avengers. "Tony Stark's internal struggle? Check. Introduction of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Check. Warmachine? Check. Possibility of rivals? Check." They rushes things too much, and the grand finale doesn't feel grand at all. It just feels like a long preparation. This is what makes me worried at future Marvel project; they just don't get the idea of a standalone piece, and if they don't get it the future projects will repeat this mistake.
Summary: It's like Quantum of Solace. It shines at times, but fails to be coherent. It looks like Marvel intended this movie to be a stepping stone to the Avengers, but please Marvel take some time.