For pure entertainment and "Buck Rogers" gee whiz gadgets and physics, this sequel to the popular first Iron Man is a hit.  All of the returning characters get enough screen time to fill in some holes in there characters.  Tony Stark has a complication with his electromagnetic device that keeps him alive and is searching for a new method to power himself and Iron Man.  Relationships deepen.  

A new Villain emerges with similar brains to Tony played expertly by Micky Rouke.  Russian and Russian accent included!

Action galore, and new organization headed by non other than Nick Fury ( Sam Jackson ). He has a habit of showing up as a Jedi, a cartoon action movie, now here, welcome as always as a veteran character actor.

My hats off to the biggest surprise character and that is Natalie / Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson.  I would have never seen her as an action hero , but in this movie she gives a convincing performance and has a not to be missed action sequence that is second to none.  

Gwyneth Paltrow returns a Pepper Potts and will get more responsibility for Tony Stark than she might have bargained for.  Her relationship to Tony will start to expand at some point, is a subtle as ever. 

Rounding out the cast are so many others like Garry Shandling, Sam Rockwell,  and  Don Cheadle.

The actors have a sense like they are having almost to much fun making the movie....like it was a big fun enterprise with all this talent yet no one really tries to steal the show.  

I'll see again .