I chose Compass Rose 65 as the fractal cookie for this post for one reason only--the red and gold color scheme harkens back to the colors of Iron Man's armor. (I couldn't think of anything better so I went with it.) I know the connection is slim but it's the best I had to work with. That being said--on with the review!

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There's a slogan about New York City that goes something like "a place so nice they named it twice." The Producers of Iron Man 2 took this seriously to heart--so much so that they basically remade the first movie again. I was tempted to call this review "Same Song Second Verse--A Little Bit Louder, A Little Bit Worse"--and that pretty much describes the movie. Iron Man 2 to a "T".   It  follows the same path as the first movie--right down to the long, draggy middle section. The special effects and battle scenes look great but you won't see anything new on the screen. Everything about this movie is bigger, louder and more bloated--pretty much like any summer-movie sequel.
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Yes, there is a lot of cute dialog and the chemistry between Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper Potts (Gweneth Paltrow) is undeniable. Mickey Rourke as Russian villain Ivan Vanko/Rampage is perfectly cast as is Sam Rockwell as Star Industries low-rent competitor Justin Hammer. (He literally steals every scene he's in with his "loveable schlubb" act.) In fact pretty much all the performances are spot-on--even if the movie is stuffed with too many secondary characters. Comic book fan (and true "badass") Samuel L Jackson gives an interesting twist to Nick Fury but Scarlett Johansen gets very short shrift (and no back story) as Agent Natasha Romanoff. I loved her performance but was deeply saddened that she didn't get more screen time. (Hopefully. she'll get more screen time in other movies.) The character of James "Rhodey" Rhodes gets a major upgrade as he becomes War Machine and a new actor in the person of Don Cheadle. (You have to wonder how Terrance Howard feels about that...) Movie Director Jon Favreau gives himself a cameo as "Happy" Harrigan. (I knew this character's story from reading comics long ago but Robyn was left completely confused. "Shouldn't I know him from somewhere?" she asked.)  I couldn't decide whether John Slattery as Tony's father Howard Stark (seen in flim clips) was doing an homage to or send-up of Walt Disney.
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Iron Man 2 does exactly what a summer blockbuster is supposed to do--provide mindless, escapist fun. If you loved the first movie you'll probably like this one. It made 130 Million domestic in its first weekend so people were coming out to see it in dorve--but I didn't hear a lot of people raving as they walked out of the theater. If you ddin't care for the first Iron Man you have no reason to see the sequel.  Comic fans should look for clues to upcoming "Marvel" releases in the movie--and comic fans NEED to stay for the "credit cookie."
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FINAL GRADE: B+