This is one of the dumbest and most painful to watch movies in it's genre today. There is so much potential here, that has masterfully been laid to waste here. Robert Downey Jr. played Tony Stark as the cliché arrogant, spoilt rich-kid in the first movie. In the second add morose, self-destructive dumbass to the list.

Half of the movie is wasted on his mood swings and substance abuse. A little ::too close:: to reality.

The chemistry between Pepper and Tony Stark --so does not work. The back-n-forth, him grovelling at her feet, is so old and preposterous it makes you cringe and hate both of them!. Scarlett Johansen's character is wholly redundant. It was plainly injected to add sex appeal and as it plays out, chubby Johansen looking up at the camera for 3 seconds, after ever take down, as if she is expecting the audience to cheer for her, is asinine shtick. Very painful.

The only silver lining is Mickey Rourke's character. He is the only guy who seems to take this movie-making business seriously. He did full justice to the measly air-time they gave his character. Had he been given as much lines as... Pepper Potts, he would have stolen the movie from everybody.

The movie is dull, slow, painful and insulting. Like getting your teeth pulled by a jeering dentist.