Undoubtedly the most anticipated sequel of the year, Iron Man 2 had some shiny metal shoes to fill and doesn’t disappoint.

The sequel picks up mere seconds after its predecessor left off; as the titles flash we hear Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) at the post disaster press conference announce to the world media that he is Iron Man overheard by embittered physicist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). Vanko believing the Stark family to have been the source of all his hardship concocts a devastating plan to destroy Tony and his reputation.

Stark’s troubles are stacking up; he has a new-found nemesis, the military are demanding he hand over the Iron Man technology, his industrial competitor Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) is breathing down his neck; his best friend Col. Rhodes (Don Cheadle) is losing faith in his ability to play superhero, his relationship with long suffering sidekick Pepper Potts is being strained by the appearance of sexy new assistant Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) and to top it off he is secretly dealing with the fact that the arc reactor keeping shrapnel out of his heart (see the first instalment of the franchise) is also poisoning him.

For a sequel the character development is exceptional. Director Jon Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder) went the extra mile and added believable personal conflicts to the lives of all main characters. Robert Downey Jr. steps up his game as the tortured Tony Stark, crumbling under pressure and facing his own mortality. Equally the smitten and doe-eyed Pepper Potts of the original is given more depth as she takes on more responsibility and Don Cheadle’s ‘Rhodey’ no longer hero-worships Stark and all his exploits.

Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as Tony Stark, playing him with the same sexy swagger as before but with a touch of humanity as he struggles to tell Pepper about his worsening condition. He really shines at the senate hearing where the cocky Stark, impeccably down-played by Downey Jr., claims to have privatised world peace and argues that since he IS Iron Man to hand over the suit would be “akin to indentured servitude or prostitution”. This exacerbates the committee and Senator Stern to Paul Gogarty levels garnering the reaction “Fuck you Mr. Stark, fuck you buddy”.

To Favreau’s credit, though the eponymous hero is at the centre the rest of the cast, even secondary characters, are given due respect and development. The support cast is solid, Scarlett Johansson doesn’t have a lot of screen time but when she does appear she sizzles. Her scenes as Stark’s assistant are a little lacklustre but dressed as her alter ego Black Widow (oddly, perhaps wisely, never referred to as such) she kicks ass, and in a powerful, no-nonsense kind of way.

Though the material was juicier, a few members of the cast failed to shine through. Oscar winner Paltrow’s paltry attempt at softening the now-powerful Pepper Potts fails miserably, and despite the fact that you know our hero belongs with her, she just cannot make her character in any way likeable.

Equally Don Cheadle’s attempt to take over the role of Col. Rhodes from Terence Howard’s doesn’t work well. There is nothing wrong with Cheadle’s performance; his time on screen just lacked the chemistry which Howard and Downey Jr. originally had in the 2008 film.

Mickey Rourke also failed to impress as Whiplash, his menace was rooted in his grubby appearance and scary tattoos while his Russian accent had hints of Sesame Street about it, “Von, Two, Three Iron Drones, mwah ah ah”.

However, the show stealer was Sam Rockwell as Stark’s kooky foil Justin. His impeccable sense of comedic timing and off-the-wall energy provide comic relief but also add an unhinged and terrifying element to Hammer’s character.

Samuel L. ‘just-make-sure-the-cheque-clears’ Jackson is back after his post-credit sting with a sustained cameo as Nick Fury. It’s a minor role but his main purpose seems to be to drive Internet fan-boys wild in speculation and anticipation for what lies ahead in the Marvel world. The now-confirmed Avengers film featuring Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor unsubtly referenced throughout; both Captain America and Thor are overtly discussed in the film, handy since a film on each hero is due out next year.

Though this can be seen as needless plugging of upcoming Marvel projects it actually adds to the film, creating a rich, layered and believable world where superheroes exist; the use C-SPAN, CNN news updates and even a Bill O’Reilly rant add to the authenticity of Iron Man’s world. It also makes me for one anticipate upcoming Marvel projects with more relish, presenting viewers with the (super nerdy) challenge of spotting in-house references and jokes. Similar to a Discworld novel, when characters, events and places crop up across the franchise it enriches the audience’s knowledge and experience of the diegetic world. But I digress…

Favreau has really upped his game on this film, with the direction taking on some fun quirks. A high-speed airborne Iron Man chase is interspersed with still shots of a car park where each passing metalman sets off a medley of car alarms. Even the exploration of Tony Stark’s character is sassed up, a POV sequence is used at the beginning of the film (complete with regal cameo) to give the audience a taste of life in Stark’s playboy world. Favreau’s creativity even sees his own character, driver Happy Hogan, pressed betwe­­en Scarlet Johansson’s thighs (I guess being the boss has it’s perks).

It is refreshing to watch an action movie that doesn't take itself too seriously and Iron Man 2 has the perfect balance of action and comedy. Packed full of break-taking CGI (though there are still shots where the gleaming suit looks a bit more animated than it should), full of snappy dialogue, and with compelling performances (apart from the woefully wooden Paltrow) Iron Man 2 effortlessly pulls away from the pack of mediocre superhero films and takes its place as one of the best action films of the year.