IRON MAN 2 was better than the original. i say that today because that is how i feel. i don't know, i might feel differently tomorrow - but that was my initial assessment. oh yeah, and it also was completely badass-awesome. unlike the irritating SFX of transformers changing - which had me tearing my hair out in that horrible sequel - i can't get enough of iron man and his mecha effects. everytime he arrived onscreen it was like a rush of adrenaline. i have to give props to director jon favreau for not bastardizing this franchise so early. he built on IRON MAN THE MOVIE, kept it fairly simple and was smart enough to know not to inject the sequel with a billion new villains. IRON MAN 2 was entertaining from start to finish. i especially appreciated the dialogue which was pretty clever throughout. there were a few scenes where tony stark and pepper potts were conversing and i could barely make out some lines - but it felt natural, so it didn't bother me at all. robert downey jr. really helped to drive IRON MAN 2. just rewind back to IRON MAN THE MOVIE for a moment. downey jr. was using that film as his comeback vehicle. audiences didn't really know what to expect. now, in IRON MAN 2, we know exactly what downey jr. is going to bring. his infectious style makes tony stark a tremendously likeable character. i can only guess how much of his dialogue was ad-libbed. it certainly felt that way. don cheadle was solid as rhodey. but that was to be expected. ::side note: i met don cheadle a few years back at a gym. he was extremely gracious and nice. ok - end side note:: mickey rourke as ivan vanko was powerful but my personal hats off to sam rockwell as justin hammer. rockwell is one of those below-the-radar actors whose face you always remember but name you don't know. it's a shame because he is a fantastic actor. rockwell matches wits with downey and beats him at his own game in some instances. definitely a great casting choice. samuel l. jackson and scarlett johannsen tried hard not to be irritating. can anyone say - THE SHADOW? :) my only criticism - i wasn't impressed with the relationship between potts and stark, but i don't know if that is because gweneth paltrow just isn't relevant anymore. whatever luster she had is now gone in my mind. everytime her face flashed on the screen, i was suddenly displaced to 2001. i can't even count how many times i went "woah" in watching this film. i don't think any of us are impressed by seeing men fly anymore, or seeing the world blown to bits. but the executive style in which IRON MAN 2 is displayed makes it so memorable. jon favreau has really captured the essence of comic book action films. his sense of comic timing and emotional triggers mixed with the badass scenes -- what you get is a layered film that is much more substantial than guys in metal suits. hurry up and go see it, ladies and gentlemen. i want to hear your thoughts right here! oh yeah, don't be a fool and leave before all of the credits are done.you'll be sorry. shaaaaaaaaaang! soy grade: A+