BEFORE: No Robert Downey Jr. in this one - that's tomorrow's movie. This is another of those Marvel direct-to-DVD animated films that I collected, and this puts my movie total three ahead of the day count, which is good, because I'm going to probably lose 5 days while in San Diego at Comic-Con, which starts in just 3 weeks.
THE PLOT: When an industrialist's efforts to raise an ancient Chinese temple lead him to be wounded and captured by enemy forces, he must use his ideas for a revolutionary armor in order to fight back as a superhero.
AFTER: This is another re-working of Iron Man's origin - it's different from the one in the comic-book, from the one in the live-action film (I'm assuming...) and different from the recent animated series "Iron Man: Armored Adventures" (which depicts a teenage Tony Stark inventing the armor, with help from his friend Rhodey).
Originally, in the comic books, Tony Stark was injured in Vietnam - but as time passed, and the comic book's writers wanted to maintain his mid-thirties age, it became impossible for him to have been in 'Nam (he'd be in his 60's, at least), his origin was moved to the conflict in Afghanistan, then the first Gulf War. This film moves it to China, where Stark's company is excavating an ancient city, accidentally awaking four elemental spirits (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) who seek 4 rings to resurrect an ancient Chinese ruler known as the Mandarin.
It's an interesting twist on the origin of the Mandarin - although that animated series I mentioned also featured a teenage Tony searching temples around the world for the (Makluhan) rings - but 10 instead of 5. And that series also had a descendant of the Mandarin seeking the rings - but there it was the son of the Mandarin, masquerading as Tony's teen schoolmate, Gene (short for Temugin).
So, there are a lot of inconsistencies in Iron Man's origin, across the Marvel line, that's all I'm sayin'. Even in this film, the timeline doesn't quite work right - Tony is forced by a Chinese zealot named Wong Chu to build something that will destroy the machinery that raised the ancient city - so Tony builds a rough version of the Iron Man armor, supposedly accomplish this task. But when he and Rhodey use the armor to escape instead, they fly back to Stark's office in New York, where he has 6 or 7 versions of the Iron Man armor already made. Huh? Did he invent the armor in China, or in New York? If he had already made advanced armors before, why did he make such a basic version while in captivity?
This is another movie for kids, so the violence is sort of toned down, and no mention made of Tony Stark's alcoholism. But his other weakness is seen, which is a fondness for the ladies. Supposedly his playboy lifestyle is a cover, like Bruce Wayne's, but I'm not buying it. He's been involved with so many female superheroes (and villainesses) that I think that dames are like his kryptonite. Skirts and booze, he's a classy guy.
Still, all in all, I think this was the best of the Marvel animated films that came out of the deal with LionsGate. Certainly better than "Dr. Strange", "Planet Hulk" or "Hulk Vs." At least this had a beginning, middle and end, with some good action scenes, and something close to a point. Though I still wish Marvel could have maintained some continuity across their various entertainment platforms with regards to old Shellhead.
From what I know about the live-action films, the Mandarin does not yet appear - but he's one of Iron Man's biggest enemies in the comic-book. If there is an "Iron Man 3", that could be a good direction for them to go in. But I guess then the film might not play well in China, and selling our movies in China is probably the best way for the U.S. to get out of debt there...
RATING: 6 out of 10 repulsor blasts
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