Big expectations from the original are hard to live up to, which just seems unfair to this reasonably enjoyable and exciting sequel. Going over that age-old Hollywood mantra that "bigger is better", this sequel throws in bigger set-pieces, better special effects and a superb cast. But unlike most sequels to successful hits, IRON MAN 2 is not only big in terms of special effects and action set-pieces, it also has stronger characters (perhaps the only real problem with that is that they're too many of them) and an even stronger plot.

As with the other people who enjoyed the first IRON MAN movie, my hopes were high for the sequel. As in other superb comic-book movie sequels like SPIDER-MAN 2 and THE DARK KNIGHT, the storyline frees itself from the exposition settled in the first movie and are now able to take the story into a different direction for the sequel. Following the end of the first movie, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has already admitted his identity as Iron Man and, as he puts it, "successfully privatized world peace". Arrogant as he is, he gets the job done, but saving the world is only half the battle. Stark also has a demanding Senator Stern (Gary Shandling) on his back who wants his Iron Man technology surrendered to the military, a similarly egotistic rival (Sam Rockwell) who wants Stark and his crowning achievement be reduced to yesterday's news, and of course there's vengeful Russian physicist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) bent on killing Stark to avenge his father. Only to make matters worse, the arc reactor that's keeping Stark alive is slowly poisoning his blood, and would kill him if he doesn't find a substitute to the reactor's Palladium content.

There are enough characters here that could have made this as an early reunion for The Avengers, with a powerhouse of a cast to boot. In addition to the return of Downey's egotistic Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow's delightful portrayal as long-suffering assistant-turned-CEO Pepper Potts, there's also Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johnasson in a black leather suit and sporting red hair! 'Nuff said), Samuel L. Jackson's return as Nick Fury (after a very brief cameo in the first), Don Cheadle replacing Terence Howard as Lt. Col. "Rhodey" Rhodes (who finally gets his "next time" opportunity as he dons the suit as the battle-ready War Machine), and even Favreau's Happy Hogan (nothing more than an extended cameo in the first film) gets more screen time. On the bag guy side is Rourke's disgruntled Vanko, Rockwell playing another character we would love to hate, and Shandling's hilarious portrayal of a greedy politician. Too many of these characters could have repeated the misstep that SPIDER-MAN 3 had done; too many characters with too many subplots that ruin the flow of the story. But director Jon Favreau and writer Justin Theroux avoid this pitfall by just giving our characters enough screen time that they deserve and only throwing in subplots that actually move the story along.

IRON MAN 2 is what a summer blockbuster sequel should be; it throws in everything we expect from its superb predecessor and giving is a little more without being something akin to an overstuffed, overcooked turkey. The action sequences are great in the first movie, and they're even bigger here. It even has a better, more thrilling climax than the one in he first, and more interesting and even outrageous villains than in the original. As usual, Downey Jr. is still one of the chief delights with his portrayal of a different kind of comic-book hero. Throw in a cast that looks absolutely perfect and every thrilling action set-piece in place and you have a sequel that's actually worth the wait.

Rating: **** out of 5.