I can't say that this is better or worse than first one. One thing that Iron Man 2 is better than the first one is the action scenes. There are more robots to robots clashing in this one although they are a bit short and do not provide enough thrills. One thing Iron Man 2 does not have in the first one is the intensity of the story. This time, the story is not so fast, and in the middle, it drags. Jon the director tries to inject drama into this but in the end, it pulls the fast pace into a slower one. I am not saying it is bad but it just does not put justice to the first one which has a fun pace.

The story: Like I said, this cannot be compared to the first, in fact. Since, Tony is back and he has bigger problems to deal including a villain. The first third of the movie is energetic including WhipSplash known as Ivan in a car racing scene. The second third of the movie is where the pace goes slower for Tony to deal with his personal problems and that gives time to Ivan to build robots. The last third is where Tony thankfully solves his major problem and prepares to suit up for the climax. It may not have the energy like the first one but it is still fun with new characters. John Debney,who replaces Ramin, creates an epic score for this one.

Overall: It still entertains and has a lot of fun. I would say it is certainly a good sequel to the first while it is not comparable. This may be the only movie for your thirst of superheroes movies unless you count Jonah Hex in. This better makes good in box office to have a another sequel.