"Iron Man 2" lacks a big punch for many critics

"Iron Man 2" kicks off what Hollywood hopes will be a lucrative summer movie season on Friday, but many U.S. critics feel the much-anticipated sequel lacks the punch of its superhero predecessor.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. dons his high-tech suit once again to fight the kind of evil that helped "Iron Man" earn $585 million at global box offices in 2008.

Most critics agreed that Downey Jr's performance as the egotistical billionaire Tony Stark helped overcome the shortcomings of a bigger, noisier movie sequel that is good enough, but not better than the original.

"It's the promiscuously talented Downey who adds the grace notes that make 'Iron Man 2' something to remember," said Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine.

The movie, which opened a week ago overseas to a strong $100.2 million box office, scored a 64 percent approval rate on U.S. movie review aggregator rottentomatoes.com.

Hollywood Reporter reviewer Kirk Honeycutt said the element of fun that made the 2008 original so terrific had vanished with in its second outing.

"In its place, 'Iron Man 2' has substituted noise, confusion, multiple villains, irrelevant stunts and misguided story lines," Honeycutt said.

Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan echoed a widespread view when he commented; "As sequels go, this one is acceptable, nothing more, nothing less."

But Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic turned in a far kinder review, giving the movie 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5 and calling it, "Bigger, louder and dumber than its predecessor, 'Iron Man 2' is still a lot of fun."

While Tom Long at the Detroit News felt there were too many new characters, crossing story lines and not enough romance, he added; "Who cares? 'Iron Man 2' still rocks."

Still, for heavily-promoted action movies aimed mostly at young, male moviegoers, rarely matter, and the movie is seen raking in the cash over the upcoming weekend.

"Iron Man 2" is expected to make more than $120 million when it opens in the United States and Canada at the weekend.

It launches four months of summer movies featuring some of the industry's biggest stars that Hollywood studios hope will bring in some $4 billion at North American box offices.