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Iron Man: Rise of Technovore (アイアンマン ライズ・オブ・テクノヴォア)

Madhouse Studios/Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2013

Directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki (Texhnolyze, Ai Monogatari)

Based upon characters created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber and Don Heck

Running TIme: 88 minutes

Rated PG-13 for graphic violence and strong language.

Cast (English)

Mathew Mercer (Tygra in ThunderCats, Kiritsugu in Fate/Zero) as Tony Stark/Iron Man

Eric Bauza (Fiendish Dr. Wu in Black Dynamite: The Animated Series) as Ezekiel Stane/Technovore

James C. Mathis III (T'Challa/Black Panther in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes) as Col. James Rhodes/War Machine

John Bentley (Fire Emblem in Tiger & Bunny) as Nick Fury

Kate Higgins (Sakura in Naruto, Karin in Bleach) as Pepper Potts

Kari Wahlgren (Witch Hunter Robin, Cher in Wolf's Rain) as Maria Hill

Norman Reedus (Murphy in The Boondock Saints, Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead) as Frank Castle/The Punisher

Troy Baker (Schneizel in Code Geass) as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Clint Barton/Hawkeye

Clare Grant as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Tara Platt (Temari in Naruto, Anna Williams in Tekken: Blood Vengeance) as Sasha Hammer

J. B. Blanc (Joker in R.O.D. -The TV-, Enrico in Hellsing Ultimate) as Obadiah Stane

Synopsis

Tony Stark is preparing to launch his new spy satellite "Howard" as his contribution to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s war on terrorism, but the launch ceremony is disrupted by a group of terrorists led by Ezekiel Stane, the son of Stark's late nemesis Obadiah Stane. Making matters complicated is "Technovore", a new form of techno-organic armor Ezekiel uses in his quest to be the only dominant species on Earth.

Story: C-

This is one of the few examples of an anime adaptation of an American comic book title missing the mark. Iron Man: Rise of Technovore is bullet-riddled with loopholes that the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier can jump over. The pacing is horrid and the character interaction is almost non-existent. Maybe we were spoiled by Robert Downey, Jr., as his portrayal of Tony Stark "made you feel he's a cool exec with a heart of steel"; as a result, any small-screen incarnation of Stark is just flat. What's probably an insult to Marvel fans is Norman Reedus being topbilled in the credits, especially when the Punisher is only in the film for less than 10 minutes.

Animation: B+

About a decade ago, when anime started mixing 2D with 3D, it looked cool. This, however, looks kinda cheap for a Madhouse production. The 3D looks good, but the 2D animation feels wooden. There are moments during the battle scenes where War Machine looks like a dark gray wooden block moving around the screen.

Soundtrack: B-

The musical score by Tetsuya Takahashi (Appleseed, Resident Evil: Degeneration), who has done the music for other Marvel anime titles, is just generic.

Sub vs. Dub

Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain the Japanese dub of this film. But by reading the supplied subtitles, the Japanese script has a lot of different dialogue that seems to have more wit in Stark's lines.

The Bottom Line

Thus, the decline of anime continues. Stick with the live-action movies.

References

Anime News Network

The Internet Movie Database

Edited by areaseven
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I agree, the animation seems top notch and it's good to look at. Is this part of the bigger movieverse or is it in a standalone universe? Don't plan to see it unless it's available on some Chinese video sites for free.

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I agree, the animation seems top notch and it's good to look at. Is this part of the bigger movieverse or is it in a standalone universe? Don't plan to see it unless it's available on some Chinese video sites for free.

Though it's supposed to be part of the Marvel anime universe, it appears to be a tie-in with the Marvel cinematic universe, as it incorporates a lot of design cues from The Avengers and some backstories from the first Iron Man movie.

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