I really enjoyed the first Iron Man. I thought it had a lot of riveting action. Robert Downey Jr. was in top form quipping all about, and the source material seemed to be given a great deal of respect. The sequel is not bad by no means. It has the action, a haggard Robert Downey quipping(but with a lot less zing), beautiful Scarlett Johannson, and a mega-lode of special effects. Perhaps too much in that area for me. What was supposed to be presented on the screen as reality - at least for me - was detracted by the over-use of CGI, explosions, and a throw-it-all-at-you ending. The movie picks up sort of where the first one left off, and, yes, it is laying the groundwork for The Avengers release. Like I said, I didn't dislike the movie but left viewing it somewhat disappointed. Sorry, I cannot help how I feel when watching a film sometimes. Maybe I need to see it again. For now, I liked Johansson(a lot!), Downey at times, and thought Mickey Rourke was okay - liked the Monte Carlo scene best. Kate Mara is aboard and so is Samuel Jackson. Nice to see Gary Shandling has a role. He was humorous - at times.John Slattery does a nice job playing Howard stark in some flashback scenes.