In this apparently inferior sequel to the 2008 hit Marvel Comics adaptationIron Man79, a now-famous Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is under pressure from the government to share the secrets of his suit, and faces a new nemesis: a Russian inventor with his own powerful armor. Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, and Mickey Rourke also star.

What the critics like:The best part of the movie can be summed up in two words and an abbreviation: Robert Downey Jr. Critics are once again loving his "quirky" performance (Roger Ebert), and even those reviewers who aren't huge fans of the film still have praise for the actor (and, to a slightly lesser degree, the rest of the cast). Some critics feel thatIron Man 2is a satisfying and entertaining sequel.

What they don't like:It's confusing, incoherent, too busy, and overstuffed with characters and plot. Many critics feel that the movie is far less fun than the firstIron Man, with the screenplay largely to blame. A few critics go so far as to call the film "bland" (Time Out New York) or "inessential," (Empire) while The Globe and Mail basically labels it soulless. Note that many of the most negative reviewers — including The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt — actually liked the first film, so it's not just a case of the critics not being fans of the genre.