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Iron Man: Rise Of Technovore Blu-ray Review

The uneven “Iron Man: Rise of Technovore” has a few geektastic moments that will please comic fans.

As Tony Stark prepares to set a new satellite into orbit, a mysterious teen (I won’t spoil who) and his henchmen wage a city wide attack that winds up allegedly killing Tony’s pal Lt. Rhodes/War Machine. Wanting answers, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents take Tony Stark in for questioning, but Tony Stark wants to do things his way and literally flies off to find out who is responsible for this heinous crime. Along the way, Tony hooks up with The Punisher in order to find out more about this new villain, but the two soon run into even more problems as Black Widow and Hawkeye have been assigned to bring Tony in. Can Tony Stark find out who this new baddie is or will S.H.I.E.L.D. prevent him from doing so? Can the villain be stopped? Dun dun dun!

After the lackluster “Iron Man” anime series, I wasn’t holding out for much hope for this new animated feature film, but surprisingly, there are some fun moments here. First of all, I like the fact that the film is set in the same timeline as the Marvel film universe. Not only do we see familiar faces like Pepper Potts, Black Widow, Nick Fury, War Machine, and Hawkeye, but we also get some interesting references to the films (see Obadiah Stane). Additionally, we also get to see other elements from Marvel comics and media like The Punisher and even the killer technovore nanotechnology. There’s also another comic book character that appears, but I really don’t want to spoil it as it’s better if you know nothing about his inclusion going into the film. The character’s reveal really makes the plot more engaging if you’re a fan of the “Iron Man” films.

Marvel geek-outs aside, ‘Technovore’ does have some glaring issues. The most puzzling aspect of the film is the portrayal of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which is also strangely short staffed in the movie). You’re never quite sure why Nick Fury was so suspicious of Tony Stark after the attack. He doesn’t really have any reason to doubt what Tony knows and he can clearly see he is pissed off from the fact that Lt. Rhodes has apparently passed away. It may have been “protocol,” but you’d think Fury would be more interested in finding out what really happened than wasting resources and time on tracking down Stark. Secondly, I can’t say I was a big fan of the technovore subplot. It was mildly appealing at the start, but once it became a little too supernatural (complete with a giant beastie in the climax), it felt too much like an over-the-top anime.

Video/Audio:

This animated feature, which is presented in 1.78:1 1080p, is perfectly suited for hi-def. Between the dazzling flying scenes and the explosive action sequences, this stylistic anime style animated film looks as shiny as the Iron Man suit.

This disc contains Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD audio tracks. The Japanese track is good, but I expect many folks will be drawn to the English track as it features cult favorite Norman Reedus as The Punisher. In terms of the action, it will definitely put the speakers to work. These tracks are loud and action packed to say the least.

Extras:
* Ultraviolet digital copy.
* Sony and Marvel trailers.
* Conceptual still art gallery (which can be played as a slideshow).
* “Tale Of Technovore”- Marvel staff and film crew members discuss the animation, characters, the more adult tone, etc. In other words, it’s a puff piece.
* “S.H.I.E.L.D.:Protecting The Marvel Universe”- A featurette on the organization and the characters within it (both the comic and screen versions).

Summary: “Iron Man: Rise of Technovore” is by no means a classic, but it’s an entertaining enough tie-in to get you pumped up for “Iron Man 3.”

April 15, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Iron Man 3, Iron Man anime, Iron Man: Rise Of Technovore Blu-ray Review, Nick Fury, Norman Reedus, Pepper Potts, S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony Stark, War Machine