It's a pleasant surprise, to see that a blockbuster's sequel can be also made in a honorable way. The first "Iron Man" was in itself a pretty good movie in the superhero genre - and the second one stands true to the trend. The conflictual premises of the protagonist are correctly structured, and the general setup, with the political and global background, is way better than in many of the other similar movies.

It's true that the antagonist, played by Mickey Rourke, is somewhat sketchy and short-spanned - but the good news is that the character leads to a valid final confrontation, that also deserves laurels for the smart and resourceful ways of combining all the elements - the hacking angle being the most generous of all. Unfortunately, less can be said about Hammer, an improbable caricature, and about the simplistic satire around the politicians. The target is the right one, but the means to touch it, too cheap.

The photography and the visual effects, of course, are commendable, although the narrative rhythm might be lacking here and there, mainly in the first third of the story - more precisely, up to the Monaco incident, that is masterfully shot. All in all, it delivers, so it would be unfair to demand more. Good thing that the superhero action movie are also able to offer great entertainment - at least, from time to time.