Iron Man 2 is not quite as good as Iron Man, mostly because it copied the first one and therefore lost the refreshing originality that distinguished that movie from all the other superhero movies. The plot is fairly simplistic (evil Russian physicist Ivan Vanko has a bone to pick with Tony Stark and creates a suit with electric whips to kill him) but it suffices for the genre. There are a number of dumb/inconsistent plot points that make the movie more preposterous and less believable than it already is (e.g., creating a new element by changing how protons, neutrons, and electrons interact; flashing a warning light 30 seconds before the evil drones are set to explode so that the hero can escape). And the tension during the action sequences was completely deflated because the movie basically turned into a straight-up comedy. Instead of caring that the explosions didn't kill the characters we got attached to, it felt like we were watching a CGI demonstration for July 4.
All that being said, the movie is quite enjoyable. It is far funnier than I remember the first one being. (That swinging doohickey was comic genius!) The jokes are well-timed and delivered with aplomb. The acting by all parties met my expectations, although Robert Downey Jr.'s smugness is now starting to get on my nerves a little bit. If you liked the first one, you'll surely like this one, but I'm not envisioning it blowing anyone's socks off. Don't be afraid to wait for it on DVD. Btw, don't bother watching the 5 second snippet at the end. Let me save you the trouble. He finds Thor's hammer. Now you can leave 10 minutes earlier without having to sit through the 9 minute 55 second-long credits. You're welcome.IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228705/