This is a fun and thoroughly entertaining movie. You should see it just to find the Stan Lee cameo and the secret after credits scene. Robert Downey Jr. is excellent as Tony Stark. He’s funny, sexy, and brilliant. He may have gone a bit overboard, but I’d blame that on Jon Favreau’s direction and the script more than him. I don’t really care for Gwyneth Paltrow, but she is fine as the love interest and every superhero has to have a love interest. Scarlett Johannsen is nothing but eye candy and her action scenes are well done. Sam Jackson as Nick Fury was a good invention and keeps adding to the hype of an Avengers franchise (He’s in a 9 picture deal to play the head of S.H.I.E.l.D.). Sam Rockwell is a good weaselly bad guy. The biggest disappointment is Mickey Roarke as the super villain. He is kind of wasted here. It’s a good role, but I think Favreau under utilized it. Maybe there was just too many characters and not enough screen time. The effects were great and the settings too. New York, Malibu and Monaco are quite scenic. So, it is a fine movie, just not up to the excitement and vision of the first. Let’s see if they can throw enough money at Downey to do a third and kick it up a notch.