Iron Man, actually Stark in a hulking great metal suit with laser-emitting palms, jet-booster boots and super-human strength when he needs to battle evil forces, isn't the most well-known Marvel character. It's no surprise, then, that this is an origin story of how Stark came to be a pillar for peace. A respected billionaire businessman, he is hired to use break-through technology to physically raise a forgotten city against his father's advice. In doing so he awakens the emperor of China’s darkest and most violent dynasty, the Mandarin, and his four Elementals; magical warriors who harness the power of the elements, earth, water, wind and fire. Nearly killed in the process, Stark survives thanks to the fitting of a breastplate which enables him to control a giant iron suit, battle the Elementals and stop the Mandarin from unleashing the full extent of his evil when he takes on his full form.

Moving Iron Man's origin story from Vietnam and into an ancient Chinese history lesson is disappointing as it becomes like any other Saturday morning cartoon scratching around for ideas. Battles against magical monsters who can manipulate the earth, wind, fire and water are hardly original, and the claims of the filmmakers in one of the features on this DVD that this made it a more exciting movie are laughable. It would have been far more interesting to see Stark in a real world and not transported into a fantasy setting where a giant dragon shows up for a duel. Granted it never looks ridiculous to see larger-than-life heroes and villains battling in 2-D, however fans will probably not be happy.