On Friday night, I sat myself down in a crowded theatre with Twizzlers and Reeses Pieces in hand to take in a viewing of the much-anticipated Iron Man 2.

The first thing I noticed about Iron Man 2 was that it felt great. From the very beginning, it felt like not only a great movie in itself, but a logical successor to the first movie. It’s a sequel that retains all the fun and charm of the first flick, and takes you to new places as well.

First thing I want to say: Suitcase Armor. The whole movie could have ended right there and I would have been satisfied. The scene in Monaco is mind-blowing and so much fun to watch. Throughout the movie, the action sequences were fantastic fun, and actually managed to improve on the ones from Iron Man. While watching that movie (particularly at the end) I felt it went on a little too long and had kind of hard time telling which guy in a robot suit was which. Not so in Iron Man 2. The action is fast, and not at all drawn out, and actually serves a purpose in forwarding the story.

The characters are great as well. Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark remains the defining interpretation of the character, and Sam Jackson’s Nick Fury is right out of my head and the comics pages that birthed him. Mickey Rourke does a good job as Whiplash, but the standout villain has to be Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. Don Cheadle breathes fresh new life into James Rhodes, and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow… To quote Tony himself: “I want one.” Scarlett can do no wrong in my books, so not surprises there. Even Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts has some real development, and is much more than just a quasi-romantic foil for Tony.

What we have with Iron Man 2 is exactly what a sequel should be: A movie that lives up to its predecessor and takes the story in new and exciting directions while also setting up future movies and sequels. It’s a lot of stuff, but Favreau and crew managed to strike a perfect balance. For others out there making superhero movies, this is now the textbook on how to make a multi-character, multi-level movie.

In short, if you liked Iron Man, you are going to really enjoy Iron Man 2. Great story, great characters, great movie.

Oh, and like Iron Man, be sure to stay until after the credits. If the Internet hasn’t spoiled it for you already, there’s a scene not to be missed!