Rise of the Technovore is the latest in a series of Marvel projects brought to us by the Japanese studio Madhouse. Its April 16th release was intended to get the early jump on this week's Iron Man 3 craze. Does it fit the bill? Why don't I just let Chris tell you...
First, as a long-time viewer of Japanese Animation, I am honored and proud to be invited to Action-A-Go-Go!
Review:
As movie goers and fans prepare for another repulsor blasting barrage (yes, I’m running with that) of comic book action on the big screen from the House of Ideas, the Armored Avenger who spearheaded Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues his adventures in anime form in Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore. This marks the fifth entry in Marvel’s Anime efforts with Madhouse Studios and Sony Japan . Similar to his live action exploits, Iron Man was the first to launch the Marvel anime universe that included Wolverine, X-Men, and Blade.
Our story begins with a tepid and dreary monologue narrated by a young woman while ants and moths scurry about a lone road. As the title screen cuts in between the monologue, a young man watches from the road as two objects in the distance soar across the sky. Coming off the heels of his self-titled anime series Iron Man, billionaire Tony Stark and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine) have a little aerial sparring match prior to Tony showcasing a new satellite that will assist S.H.I.E.L.D. in its efforts to monitor all nefarious activity across the globe. However, before it launches, a mysterious mercenary group called The Raiders try to interrupt the launch, prompting Iron Man and War Machine to battle the invaders. However, the conflict reveals an armored clad young man leading the charge who tells Tony that the Technovore, a mysterious biotech virus, will set the world straight with its godlike ability. With that revelation in mind, chaos erupts for Tony: The Good News is the satellite, H.O.W.A.R.D., (named after his dear old dad) managed to launch into orbit despite the ruckus. What’s the Bad News? His dear friend and comrade in arms War Machine was taken out in the midst of the madness along with three hundred civilians. As a result, Tony finds himself on the other side of the law. With Nick Fury and his S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Black Widow and Hawkeye (Avengers Mania, Brother) on his metallic heels and the possibility of the organization A.I.M. being involved, Tony finds help in the form of The Punisher. After much bickering between the two and the quickest investigation possible, Tony learns that the mysterious young man, who was present at the very beginning of the film, is none other than Ezekial Stane, Son of The Iron Monger. Cue the guitar riffs!
The animation in this feature is very good thanks to Japanese Animation Studio Madhouse (Demon City Jeff Bridge
The storytelling is scattershot, but manages to pull from Marvel’s immense history and make
In addition to the crisp and dynamic action on screen (when it’s present) as well as the cheesecake factor of Pepper Potts in a bikini in her reintroduction since her anime debut and Black Widow’s barely zipped top, Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore boasts a plentiful voice cast. Much like Ellis’ absence, Adrian Pasdar (Heroes) did not return to play
However, Madhouse is not without its faults. The Punisher’s transition to anime is sufficient, but slightly off scale while Pepper Potts mirrors Black Widow in facial structure (even this reviewer had to blink twice before realizing the slight tint in hair color makes a difference in the characters here). The mechanized villains are given clunky appearances that are at best forgettable. The Raiders looks like random rejects from Robotech (Macross for those in the know) while Ezekiel Stane, an established villain made famous in Matt Fraction’s The Order and The Invincible Iron Man, falls victim to one of the worst modern anime tropes, appearing not as a raven-haired villain out for revenge and personal conquest, but as a vengeful, androgynous beautiful young man or “Bishonen” with an effeminate bodysuit, melancholy eyes and a sanctimonious swagger most would find in the target demographic of Hot Topic.
Rise of the Technovore is a reach, even for a Marvel property. It has some worthwhile elements, but not enough to keep it afloat compared to its live action properties. Rise of the Technovore slightly innovates, but very much imitates other action titles. From the introduction of the H.O.W.A.R.D. satellite (aka Skynet Lite) to the general public that just doesn’t seem to be too concerned about big brother (S.H.I.E.L.D.) spying on them above to Nick Fury’s clichéd diatribe of why Tony can’t go after those responsible for his friend’s apparent death feels like something pulled out of the last twenty years of action films. Normally, that would be a good thing, especially here at Action A-Go-Go where the history of action films is greatly honored. But improper execution, stilted dialogue, and convoluted pacing prevents the efforts from fully paying off. In addition to all of that, the score of the film is uninspired with repetitive guitar riffs and basic orchestra Although the final act of the movie was strong and scenes in the second act were good (especially the Black Widow and Hawkeye team efforts), it could not make up for the weaker aspects of the film given its eighty seven minute running time.
Sadly, Iron Man Rise of the Technovore joins Batman: Gotham Knights and Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc in the hard luck heap of tie-in products that fail to compete, and compare to their respective (and successful) live action counterparts or the comic book material that inspired them in the first place. Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore also drives home a solid point: By attempting to please everyone, you please no one in the end. Is this a movie for anime fans, comic book fans, fans of Marvel characters, or all of the above? Lastly, the movie is not a horrible title by any means despite this review, but simply feels incomplete and unfocused in comparison to other Marvel animated properties. There are sound ideas that fly up at a moment’s notice that just don’t seem to develop while other scenes linger agonizingly to its tepid point. In hindsight, it is probably the best feature in comparison to majority of the Lions Gate associated Marvel releases years ago. In short, only the mightiest of Marvel fans should seek this out for the crisp animation, feasible voice work (both in English and Japanese tracks), and the fact of seeing your favorite Marvel characters portrayed by some of the best. For all the casuals, you can wait for the trade (better known as a rental).
0 comments:
Post a Comment