Iron Man 2
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: May 7, 2010 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
19
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
New York Daily NewsJoe Neumaier
Iron Man 2 sets gold standard for sequels thanks to Robert Downey Jr.'s Stark performance. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Favreau supplies the go-go-go that makes the movie stratospherically entertaining, even without 3-D. But it's the promiscuously talented Downey who adds the grace notes that make Iron Man 2 something to remember. Read full review
75
Orlando SentinelRoger Moore
A movie franchise can only take us by surprise once, and by that measure, Iron Man 2 is a preordained letdown. But so much of what gave the first film its gas — is still here. Read full review
75
ObserverSara Vilkomerson
It is all very-very-very entertaining. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
It's difficult to say whether the main problem with Iron Man 2 is that it suffers from too much plot or too little. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A polished, high-ozone sequel, not as good as the original but building once again on a quirky performance by Robert Downey Jr. Read full review
75
PremiereNick Starkey
Like the original, Iron Man 2 is a good time from start to finish. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
At its best, it's shaggily enjoyable and enjoyably shaggy. It's like steroids on steroids with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, disarming arms industrialist, tossing off one-liners like comic grenades. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
The primary challenge for all blockbuster franchises is to be big yet fleet. Iron Man is as good as model as any, thanks largely to Robert Downey Jr.’s flamboyantly narcissistic Tony Stark and filmmakers that valued pacing and character as much as superhero hardware. Read full review
70
Boxoffice MagazinePete Hammond
Fans of the first will not be bored. This Iron Man may not be the Godfather II of comic book movie sequels critics hope for but it is a complete blast anyway. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
It doesn’t come close to the emotional heft of those two rare 2s that outclassed their ones: Superman 2 and Spider-Man 2. But Iron Man 2 hums along quite nicely. Read full review
70
The New YorkerAnthony Lane
To find a comic-book hero who doesn’t agonize over his supergifts, and would defend his constitutional right to get a kick out of them, is frankly a relief. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill Goodykoontz
Bigger, louder and dumber than its predecessor, Iron Man 2 is still a lot of fun. Read full review
67
Tampa Bay TimesSteve Persall
It's as slick and fun as summertime entertainment should be. Downey is still an arresting presence, glib to the nth degree and supremely confident that he's smarter than anyone else. Read full review
67
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
Aside from these two actors (Downey/Rourke), Iron Man 2 isn’t much of a whoop-de-do. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Only a shadow -- if an agreeable and harmless one -- of its predecessor film. Read full review
65
MovielineStephanie Zacharek
The big problem with Iron Man 2, maybe, is that it so dutifully gives the people what they want, instead of giving them what they didn’t know they wanted. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
A movie like this can handle a large character roster, but it helps if the story retains clean lines and a sense of propulsion. Iron Man 2 sags and wanders in its midsection Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
The action sequences are fun, though not as exhilarating as in the 2008 original, and the dialogue can be zingy. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Robert Downey Jr. looks as hung over in Iron Man 2 as he seemed drunk in “Iron Man.’’ He does his share of drinking this time, too. And the sequel makes more out of his insobriety. It has an early stretch where it fizzes and slurs, with the stars stepping on each other’s lines and feet. The movie feels drunk, too. Read full review
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