Iron Man 2 continues the adventures of Tony Stark as Iron Man. The entire world now knows that the eccentric billionaire inventor is the man in the red and yellow armored suit, and that's not necessarily a good thing. The United States government wants to take the suit away from Tony, and that's something that the inventor isn't willing to do. He argues with a judge about how the suit isn't a weapon and how him and the suit are one, while repeatedly admitting that he is Iron Man. While arguing in court and defending his case, he stands up for what he believes in and shows his cocky, proud, egotistical self. Because of this, he doesn't have to give up the suit, and he gets to continue being Iron Man, which just happens to be one of his proudest accomplishments, if not the proudest. After Tony awards Pepper with a surprising gift, he is in the lookout for a new assistant. He ends up hiring a girl named Natasha, who is more than qualified for the job. Tony needs the new assistant's help as well as Rhodey's and Pepper's, because new threats are emerging and only the heroic Iron Man can defeat them. Tony learns that having two identities and having the entire world know both of those identities isn't always fun and games, much to Tony's dismay as he does his best to be both a superhero and the eccentric billionaire. 

 Iron Man 2 tries to be bigger, badder, and better than the original and succeeds with two out of the three. Although the movie does succeed in being bigger and badder, it doesn't quite match the same closeness to perfection that the original triumphantly achieved. The plot of the movie has a few holes, and the villain of the movie is more than just sub-par. This villain is one of the main reasons why the movie isn't quite as successful as the original, and whenever there's a lackluster bad guy in a superhero movie, the movie is bound to fail. Iron Man's true gritty nature isn't able to shine through, and there aren't really any awesome battle scenes.

However, Iron Man 2 does have a few highlights. One of the first things that come to mind are that there's one particular scene in this movie that tries to hint at Tony's alcohol problem, which is apparent in the comics, and showcases a battle for the ages between Rhodey and Tony, and they're both in two different Iron Man suits, clashing it out. Robert Downey Jr. continues to shine and thrive as Tony Stark, which continues to prove to be the role that was built for him. One of the only issues with the movie is the not-so subtle transition between Terrence Howard and Don Cheadle. Terrence played Rhodey in the first movie, but in the second movie, Don Cheadle takes the role, and there's no explanation for why the character looks vastly different all of a sudden, which is sure to cause some confusion for viewers. Although this movie does have its flaws, it still proves to be an entertaining joyride. 
 

Iron Man 2 isn't quite as great as the original, but it is still a superb sequel that manages to complete its goals of furthering the franchise along as well as setting up future movies in the Marvel cinematic universe for success. This movie introduces Black Widow to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and when she's in the picture, everything is more awesome. There's also more of Rhodey, and Don Cheadle plays the role phenomenally and helps to character more intriguing, which allows the franchise to reek in the benefits. The few battle scenes towards the end are epic and take advantage of the movie's great visual effects. The actual ending of the movie is fairly well done and manages to keep the tone of the movie light, which is a something that Marvel movies are famous for. For the avid superhero fan, the Iron Man fan, the person who saw the original, and for basically anyone and everyone, Iron Man 2 is definitely worth watching as long as people don't try to place the movie in the same light as the classic Iron Man.