Director Jon Favreau expands on the success of the first film. The dialogue crackles, the special effects pop, and the action onscreen never slows down. During the next hour or so, though, everything all begins to break apart slowly and imperceptibly. Downey, Rockwell, and Rourke are all having a great time, but Don Cheadle's role as Stark's redundant buddy-cum-sidekick Rhodes is redundant. 'Iron Man 2' is gleaming, endearing, and never dull.

However, it's wildly unequal and overly complicated. The film leaves the audience feeling unfulfilled and yearning for more. Let's hope the series' potential is realized in the planned third installment.