A disappointingly bland follow-up to one of the great modern superhero films. Downey Jr. continues his charismatic portrayal of Tony Stark (playing himself really) and Mickey Rourke is plenty fun, but the film otherwise drowns itself in classic sequel mistake – mainly, too many characters. Some of the setpieces were captivating (Rourke’s first ruckus was great) but overall it was a big letdown after the superb first film, which glowed with wit, crisp action scenes and fun performances all around.
A solid 2.5 stars, if Mubi allowed half-stars (and oh how I wish they did).