It must be lonely at the top. Industrialist billionaire Tony Stark has it all—fame, fortune, genius intellect, handsome features, and did I mention fortune? In the eyes of many, that means Stark can do whatever he wants, even if it raising the ruins of an ancient Chinese kingdom long buried for many centuries. However, this doesn’t sit well with a terrorist group that has a hidden agenda. It becomes even worse when they steal weapons from Stark’s expedition and use it against him.

Not wanting more delays, Tony Stark heads to China himself only to be injured in an attack, captured, and held prisoner. His only hope is his skill as an inventor as he builds an armoured suit to help in his escape.

Marvel Comics has teamed up with Lions Gate Home Video to release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies with The Invincible Iron Man as the third in its line-up. The best way to attack this project is by giving the viewers his origin story explaining what makes Tony Stark tick. But there have been some changes in this re-accounting to make it work better. Or does it really work better?


The Prophecy of the Iron Knight

Raising the ancient Chinese ruins has consequences. Many locals are against it for fear of an ancient evil that lies within. There is an ancient prophecy that the Mandarin, China’s emperor during its darkest and most violent time in history, will rise again. But the prophecy also tells of a tale that an Iron Knight will be there to battle the resurrected Mandarin.

Tony Stark doesn’t realize that he is this Iron Knight, or Iron Man, that will have to face this deadly evil. To make sure that the prophecy doesn’t come true, he has to stop the Mandarin’s henchmen, the Four Elementals, who possess the powers of fire, water, air and earth. It becomes a battle between sorcery and science.

The origin story is altered from the comic book changing his whole visit and capture in Vietnam. Stark is caught in an explosion and a piece of shrapnel is lodged in his heart. Tony is dying but he doesn’t go out without a fight. He builds an armoured exoskeleton to help keep his heart beating. It also gives him great strength and other abilities. The whole heart problem is removed from this movie. And Vietnam is changed to China to tie in the Mandarin’s role with Stark’s.

The Mandarin’s origin is drastically changed. The comic book version of this character is one of the greatest scientific geniuses that relies a lot on technology. The movie version has stripped all that away by making him into a magical entity with immense mystical powers. I guess it’s supposed to show a contrast to Iron Man’s technological world. I thought it was interesting but I really would have rather seen Stark fight a scientific rival instead.

But here’s the kicker: the whole Iron Man/Mandarin saga was, dare I say, a bit boring. I found the intrigue and conspiracy surrounding Stark’s business to be much more fascinating, especially with two of his employees: Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes, his chief engineer and best friend, and Virginia “Pepper” Potts, his sardonic personal assistant. They brought some nice energy to the movie.

Marc Worden voices Tony Stark and does a nice job with it. This isn’t the first time that he has done this character. The previous Marvel animated movies—Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2—also had Worden playing the role of Iron Man/Tony Stark.

The animation is decent but fails to blend both traditional and computer animation together. If anything, the computer animation was really a distraction at times. Too bad considering that Iron Man’s world is the perfect fit for it. The hall of armour, however, was quite impressive.

The Invincible Iron Man isn’t a bad animated movie but keep in mind that this isn’t made for younger children. The PG-13 rating should be a warning that some mature themes are present. Strangely enough, the movie does capture the comic book feel quite nicely. I can also understand the alterations to make it more relevant to today’s sensibilities. Marvel’s characters are flawed people, which is why they are quite interesting to begin with in the first place. Tony Stark fits this mold. He may have everything but he’s not perfect. Surprisingly, if the movie was just about Tony without his armoured alter ego, I think I would have enjoyed it more.


Other Animated Comic Book Movies
DC Comics
Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero || Batman: Mask of the Phantasm || Batman: New Times || The Batman Superman Movie || Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker || Superman: Brainiac Attacks

Marvel Comics
Ultimate Avengers: The Movie || Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older