While there are better animated films out there, Astro Boy is a long way from being down there with the worst. Coming from someone who loves animation dearly and only know the TV series by name(really need to get round to seeing it), Astro Boy was a good film that could have been even better. The bright spot about Astro Boy is the animation which is just wonderful, full of detail, beautifully modelled character designs and vivid colours, and the music, which has a rousing sweep to it, also shines. The dialogue is smart and intelligent, the comic relief is actually amusing and doesn't feel misplaced at all and the more emotional parts don't come across as mawkish. The story generally works, of course it is formulaic and can drag from trying to do too much(as well as having an ending that is too at odds with the rest of the film) but the heart and charm is there as well as a fun and sweet nature. There are a lot of action sequences too and they are very exciting without bogging things down too much. Credit also is due for incorporating darker adult themes and doing them in a way that doesn't jar and gives the film emotional impact and heart, the beginning is downbeat, but anybody will relate to and be moved by it. The characters generally do engage, especially the endearing protagonist. And generally the voice work is very good, although Bill Nighy felt out of place and Nicolas Cage had a tendency to be too monotone. Freddie Highmore is perfect in the protagonist role, Donald Sutherland seems to be enjoying himself as the villain, Charlize Theron and Kristen Bell are decidedly sincere and Nathan Lane and Matt Lucas are great fun. In conclusion, good but could have been more. 7/10 Bethany Cox
97 Reviews
A real surprise!
kewlmatto13 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The first fifteen minutes of its dialogue was groan-inducing...this, combined with Nic Cage's droning voice is enough to turn the viewer off quickly.
Fortunately, you can't judge this one by its opening act. As soon as Astro leaves Metro City, the film really picks up. This is surprisingly intelligent, fun, nostalgic and engaging.
The film manages to canvass some rather complex ideas regarding robotics, which really raise the quality of the story to a higher level. Characters have some shades of grey which are much appreciated.
The animation is strong, though it is a little too Western in appearance at times, and it would have been nice to see a bit more anime style.
Unfortunately, the lack of the classic music theme does leave a gaping hole.
Fortunately, you can't judge this one by its opening act. As soon as Astro leaves Metro City, the film really picks up. This is surprisingly intelligent, fun, nostalgic and engaging.
The film manages to canvass some rather complex ideas regarding robotics, which really raise the quality of the story to a higher level. Characters have some shades of grey which are much appreciated.
The animation is strong, though it is a little too Western in appearance at times, and it would have been nice to see a bit more anime style.
Unfortunately, the lack of the classic music theme does leave a gaping hole.
Decent, but lacks that Tezuka magic
robotbling12 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
(www.plasticpals.com) As a fan of the '80s animated TV series from my childhood, I was wary of the new Astro Boy movie by Imagi Studios, so I didn't go see it right away. Besides Astro himself there are only a small handful of recognizable characters, while the rest of the cast is new and generic. The world has been divided into the affluent floating Metro City and the Surface dwellers below. As a fan of Tezuka's character designs, I was disappointed to see that his distinctive style was not replicated in the film as it was in the latest TV series and video games. And that, despite volumes of source material available, little (if any) was mined when scripting and designing the film. All of these needless changes to Astro Boy's origin and setting hurt the movie's chances of a favorable review.
In the original story, Dr. Tenma's son Tobio is killed in a car crash. In the movie, Toby is incinerated by a military robot gone haywire, infused with the negative power of the film's version of unobtanium. Dr. Tenma then creates the robot we all know and love in Toby's likeness. This kind of change in the back story doesn't matter so much, and it lays the groundwork for the film's predictable plot of a power hungry military general's descent into madness. I'm not an Astro Boy purist by any means, so this kind of thing is entirely excusable, but the next change is less superficial.
Astro gets blown off Metro City to the scrap heap below. The Robot Circus and its abusive manager have been replaced by a gladiatorial robot tournament and a tinkering roboticist, and he's nowhere near as evil. We don't see Astro suffering under the whip of his human master. We see robots being destroyed for the humans' entertainment, but they are mostly complicit fighting machines, so the message is blurry. And Astro doesn't earn his name from his daring circus tricks – but by one of a ragtag band of revolutionary robots. One of which is literally a talking fridge. Along with a talking spray bottle robot, these designs are terribly unimaginative and don't belong in Astro Boy.
In what is perhaps the film's boldest alteration, Astro's heart and sense of justice no longer comes from the heart built by Dr. Tenma, but from the positive power of the film's unobtanium, giving it an unwanted tinge of spirituality (it gives Astro the God-like power to resurrect broken robots). In the TV series Astro often ran into trouble when his batteries ran out, but thanks to the unobtanium he now has an infinite power supply. In effect, Astro appears invincible, which kills any suspense that the film's final confrontation may have had. Unfortunately, the enemy robot is not based on any particular design from Tezuka's canon.
It's sad that most of Tezuka's unique characters, the often bitter-sweet messages underlying his stories, and his damning portrayal of human intolerance of robots wasn't faithfully reproduced on the big screen. These changes will no doubt leave fans feeling disappointed, but the film still manages to be entertaining in its own right. Those completely unfamiliar with Astro Boy will likely enjoy the film on its own merits. Despite my gut feeling, it turned out better than I would have thought, and the visuals look great. I felt it was just a little bit too long. As it is, I can still give it a recommendation, though fans looking for a faithful big screen adaptation should be prepared for something different.
In the original story, Dr. Tenma's son Tobio is killed in a car crash. In the movie, Toby is incinerated by a military robot gone haywire, infused with the negative power of the film's version of unobtanium. Dr. Tenma then creates the robot we all know and love in Toby's likeness. This kind of change in the back story doesn't matter so much, and it lays the groundwork for the film's predictable plot of a power hungry military general's descent into madness. I'm not an Astro Boy purist by any means, so this kind of thing is entirely excusable, but the next change is less superficial.
Astro gets blown off Metro City to the scrap heap below. The Robot Circus and its abusive manager have been replaced by a gladiatorial robot tournament and a tinkering roboticist, and he's nowhere near as evil. We don't see Astro suffering under the whip of his human master. We see robots being destroyed for the humans' entertainment, but they are mostly complicit fighting machines, so the message is blurry. And Astro doesn't earn his name from his daring circus tricks – but by one of a ragtag band of revolutionary robots. One of which is literally a talking fridge. Along with a talking spray bottle robot, these designs are terribly unimaginative and don't belong in Astro Boy.
In what is perhaps the film's boldest alteration, Astro's heart and sense of justice no longer comes from the heart built by Dr. Tenma, but from the positive power of the film's unobtanium, giving it an unwanted tinge of spirituality (it gives Astro the God-like power to resurrect broken robots). In the TV series Astro often ran into trouble when his batteries ran out, but thanks to the unobtanium he now has an infinite power supply. In effect, Astro appears invincible, which kills any suspense that the film's final confrontation may have had. Unfortunately, the enemy robot is not based on any particular design from Tezuka's canon.
It's sad that most of Tezuka's unique characters, the often bitter-sweet messages underlying his stories, and his damning portrayal of human intolerance of robots wasn't faithfully reproduced on the big screen. These changes will no doubt leave fans feeling disappointed, but the film still manages to be entertaining in its own right. Those completely unfamiliar with Astro Boy will likely enjoy the film on its own merits. Despite my gut feeling, it turned out better than I would have thought, and the visuals look great. I felt it was just a little bit too long. As it is, I can still give it a recommendation, though fans looking for a faithful big screen adaptation should be prepared for something different.
An entertaining animation
Gordon-1115 March 2010
This film is about a top robot scientist, who copes with his sons death by building a high tech robot to replace his son.
I find "Astro Boy" very well made. It has got an engaging and exciting plot with plenty of action. There are also plenty of emotional elements to touch people's hearts. The leading character, Toby, is well portrayed. he is such a good boy with a sad background. It is easy to sympathise with his situation, making viewers connect with him and hence be engaged by the story. Visuals are great as the sets are vibrantly composed, making every scene a joy to watch. "Astro Boy" is a fun film to watch. Both kids and adults will all be entertained by it!
I find "Astro Boy" very well made. It has got an engaging and exciting plot with plenty of action. There are also plenty of emotional elements to touch people's hearts. The leading character, Toby, is well portrayed. he is such a good boy with a sad background. It is easy to sympathise with his situation, making viewers connect with him and hence be engaged by the story. Visuals are great as the sets are vibrantly composed, making every scene a joy to watch. "Astro Boy" is a fun film to watch. Both kids and adults will all be entertained by it!
A good achievement for Japan's icon.
emasterslake11 January 2010
Astro Boy has always been the symbol of the golden era of anime as well as the golden era of American licensing of anime. This movie presents Astro Boy in a slightly new way.
The story for it is rather simple, but doesn't fail in keeping one entertain throughout it's time run. Those who seen the three anime adaptations would already know the origin of Astro Boy's creation. That's still included as well as appearances of a couple of recognizable characters. And a couple of new additions that fit in for this movie.
Now to list the good and bad thing about this movie. The good thing is this movie remains true to the concept and Astro Boy a like. It still takes place in the future where robots and humans live together. As well as robot civil rights which was a common topic in the previous Astro Boy adaptations on robots being questioned whether they should have the same rights as humans or not.
Bad thing is that the movie could of been a whole lot more if the writers made the movie feel more close to the anime with the addition of more characters or have Dr. Elefun & Daddy Walrus have either bigger parts or have at least have the same feel as their anime counterparts. I also think this movie tried too hard in Americanizing it by adding certain human characters that look like they belong in a different movie or the fact that they were trying to make it look more American by having the characters eat pizza instead of tempura.
The die hard fans of Astro Boy will likely to still enjoy this movie. It's not a mirror copy of it's anime counterpart but doesn't fail in being entertaining. To me it's something that will make popcorn taste better while watching it.
The story for it is rather simple, but doesn't fail in keeping one entertain throughout it's time run. Those who seen the three anime adaptations would already know the origin of Astro Boy's creation. That's still included as well as appearances of a couple of recognizable characters. And a couple of new additions that fit in for this movie.
Now to list the good and bad thing about this movie. The good thing is this movie remains true to the concept and Astro Boy a like. It still takes place in the future where robots and humans live together. As well as robot civil rights which was a common topic in the previous Astro Boy adaptations on robots being questioned whether they should have the same rights as humans or not.
Bad thing is that the movie could of been a whole lot more if the writers made the movie feel more close to the anime with the addition of more characters or have Dr. Elefun & Daddy Walrus have either bigger parts or have at least have the same feel as their anime counterparts. I also think this movie tried too hard in Americanizing it by adding certain human characters that look like they belong in a different movie or the fact that they were trying to make it look more American by having the characters eat pizza instead of tempura.
The die hard fans of Astro Boy will likely to still enjoy this movie. It's not a mirror copy of it's anime counterpart but doesn't fail in being entertaining. To me it's something that will make popcorn taste better while watching it.
Astroboy - A view from a fan of the original
bdl74314 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
To begin with, let us review the history of the franchise. The original Astro Boy was a Japanese anime that appeared in some US markets in the early 60's. Since that time it appeared as a revamped cartoon in the 80's and now a movie.
The character itself has endured in Japan - indeed, the Japanese have put a great deal of effort into building humanoid robots (think Honda's Asimov) partially as a result of the popularity of Astro Boy. So, having said this - how does this compare to the original? Well, frankly, it's disappointing. First the movie is nothing more than an expanded version of the first Astro Boy cartoon. In the original Astro Boy is built to replace a human boy who was killed in an auto accident. He is rejected by his father, and in the original, he winds up in a robot circus. He is given his freedom (along with the rest of the robots) as a result of saving humans when the circus tent catches fire.
In the movie, we see somewhat the same plot. Astro is built, rejected, winds up as a robot gladiator, and then is redeemed when he saves humans from a bad situation.
Where the movie departs from the original is in Astro Boy himself. In the original, Astro is very much aware he is a robot. He has some emotions, mostly loyalty to his fellow robots, and generally doing good. In the movie version, Astro doesn't appear to understand he's a robot. He doesn't have any indications about his ability to fly or his weapon systems for instance. I find this odd and is really a disappointment .
The movie also departs from the original in that it does have strong ecological and peace overtones and messages. These messages were largely absent from the original.
To give the movie credit, it does stay true to the original in key aspects. Professor Elefun is portrayed in a manner similar to the original. There are bits of fun thrown in from time to time – most particular, when the giant evil robot at the end walks up to a microphone, taps it, and asks – "Is this thing on?" And Gourdski makes an appearance – he was a running gag in the original, being a large jug shaped object with pig-like figures who would appear at odd places – in the movie he is on the side of a building at the end.
Overall, then, I find the movie to be disappointing. To be sure, it is directed at juvenile audiences, and for people who are not familiar/interested in the original, it's a reasonable piece of entertainment. And to be sure, the movie underwent a difficult birth if I recall correctly. The concept of the movie changed constantly, with directors coming in and leaving – most notably Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Lab and Samurai Jack), who was associated with the project and then left.
So, I'd recommend this to anyone with kids – but if you're looking for a re-image if the original – sorry, it isn't and you may want to give it a miss.
The character itself has endured in Japan - indeed, the Japanese have put a great deal of effort into building humanoid robots (think Honda's Asimov) partially as a result of the popularity of Astro Boy. So, having said this - how does this compare to the original? Well, frankly, it's disappointing. First the movie is nothing more than an expanded version of the first Astro Boy cartoon. In the original Astro Boy is built to replace a human boy who was killed in an auto accident. He is rejected by his father, and in the original, he winds up in a robot circus. He is given his freedom (along with the rest of the robots) as a result of saving humans when the circus tent catches fire.
In the movie, we see somewhat the same plot. Astro is built, rejected, winds up as a robot gladiator, and then is redeemed when he saves humans from a bad situation.
Where the movie departs from the original is in Astro Boy himself. In the original, Astro is very much aware he is a robot. He has some emotions, mostly loyalty to his fellow robots, and generally doing good. In the movie version, Astro doesn't appear to understand he's a robot. He doesn't have any indications about his ability to fly or his weapon systems for instance. I find this odd and is really a disappointment .
The movie also departs from the original in that it does have strong ecological and peace overtones and messages. These messages were largely absent from the original.
To give the movie credit, it does stay true to the original in key aspects. Professor Elefun is portrayed in a manner similar to the original. There are bits of fun thrown in from time to time – most particular, when the giant evil robot at the end walks up to a microphone, taps it, and asks – "Is this thing on?" And Gourdski makes an appearance – he was a running gag in the original, being a large jug shaped object with pig-like figures who would appear at odd places – in the movie he is on the side of a building at the end.
Overall, then, I find the movie to be disappointing. To be sure, it is directed at juvenile audiences, and for people who are not familiar/interested in the original, it's a reasonable piece of entertainment. And to be sure, the movie underwent a difficult birth if I recall correctly. The concept of the movie changed constantly, with directors coming in and leaving – most notably Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Lab and Samurai Jack), who was associated with the project and then left.
So, I'd recommend this to anyone with kids – but if you're looking for a re-image if the original – sorry, it isn't and you may want to give it a miss.
an ATOM BOMB of Spectacular Goodness
tripxyde13 November 2009
ASTRO BOY is a full-length CGI animated American adaptation of the massively-popular Japanese manga (comic book) and television series fictional character of the same name ASTRO BOY, created by Ozamu Tezuka, who is considered as "the God of Manga". Its manga series was first published in 1952 and its television program first broadcast in Japan in 1963.
Basically the storyline of Astro Boy is a sort of futuristic version of Pinocchio, but is extended by story lines of action, adventure, and pure sci-fi. Astro Boy is a robot boy, who initially has gone through an identity crisis, but later on, serves as more of a superhero who gets into various adventures and is consistently bent on promoting peace in his society wherein robots live side-by-side human beings.
Arguably, Astro Boy is the quintessential children's action hero because he is an ideal mix of pure innocence, a loving heart, and an explosive little dynamite when the going gets tough. Although he shoots lasers, and has weapon turrets from his butt, he is always doing his best to resolve things with a more friendlier approach, and always has that cute optimism that even the darkest of villains may possibly be persuaded do good things instead.
This recent Astro Boy movie is indeed, in my opinion, a good way of reintroducing Astro Boy to a younger generation. Spectacular and fun-filled, the movie is never a waste of time. The eye candy aspect is high; it almost reaches the level of Pixar quality. The action is moderately impressive, on the other hand, it has the best "I can fly" sequence (I'm talking about that sequence when the main character discovers he can fly or do superhuman things and goes out in a self-indulging fun trip) and is superior in comparison to those in movies like Spider-man, Superman and Iron Man. It may be just animation but when Astro Boy is having fun in the sky, his joy radiates unto the audience.
Although this is not all comedy from start to finish, the humor was enough to make the movie enjoyable. There are only a few punchlines placed here and there, but no matter how few they are, they pack a punch of solid laughter. I was really amused at the three robots that referred to themselves as the Robot Liberation Front. They were probably my favorite characters in this entire movie. From their quirkily hilarious character designs up to the overall portrayal of these robots, they easily got me tickled pink.
While voice actors Freddie Highmore as Astro Boy and the rest of the voice cast such as Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, and Eugene Levy were all generically good, it was Nicholas Cage, voicing Dr. Tenma, Astro boy's father, whose voice acting complemented excellently with the animation. It was as if it captured Cage in one of his best acting moments. It would not have been easy to bring the character of Tenma to a full-length movie version without altering it. In the original manga (Japanese comics) version and in the TV series, Tenma is portrayed as more brutal and has certainly a darker character, as he deliberately abandons and sells Astro boy, and in one other interpretation, he goes insane. The Tenma portrayed in this new movie version is a more positive version, as he is still bound by love for his creation, Astro Boy. Inevitably and obviously you expect this Tenma to do the morally upright thing.
The storyline aspect was pretty solid. Simplistic to be family-friendly, yet it has some plot and characterization elements that appeal to adults as well. It ends up as a movie that is both young at heart yet mature in content. Enjoyable for kids, interesting for adults. The story does not treat its audiences like idiots, and manages to tell the story without applying unnecessary restraint that can hinder a writer's creativity. In addition, the writers and the rest of the crew have an enormous pressure to make this project become perfect. That is because Astro Boy is like a national figure in Japan, as much as how Mickey Mouse is towards Americans. And in my opinion, the Americans did deliver a good script for him.
Inevitably, the movie keeps itself faithful with the source material on Astro Boy's origins but there are indeed many little alterations made in order to update this Astro Boy as being this generation's version. Rife with enough heart, humor, and spectacular explosive action, this movie has a storyline that easily pleases its audience. It is indeed worth your time & your money if you are looking for a family-friendly movie this week.
Basically the storyline of Astro Boy is a sort of futuristic version of Pinocchio, but is extended by story lines of action, adventure, and pure sci-fi. Astro Boy is a robot boy, who initially has gone through an identity crisis, but later on, serves as more of a superhero who gets into various adventures and is consistently bent on promoting peace in his society wherein robots live side-by-side human beings.
Arguably, Astro Boy is the quintessential children's action hero because he is an ideal mix of pure innocence, a loving heart, and an explosive little dynamite when the going gets tough. Although he shoots lasers, and has weapon turrets from his butt, he is always doing his best to resolve things with a more friendlier approach, and always has that cute optimism that even the darkest of villains may possibly be persuaded do good things instead.
This recent Astro Boy movie is indeed, in my opinion, a good way of reintroducing Astro Boy to a younger generation. Spectacular and fun-filled, the movie is never a waste of time. The eye candy aspect is high; it almost reaches the level of Pixar quality. The action is moderately impressive, on the other hand, it has the best "I can fly" sequence (I'm talking about that sequence when the main character discovers he can fly or do superhuman things and goes out in a self-indulging fun trip) and is superior in comparison to those in movies like Spider-man, Superman and Iron Man. It may be just animation but when Astro Boy is having fun in the sky, his joy radiates unto the audience.
Although this is not all comedy from start to finish, the humor was enough to make the movie enjoyable. There are only a few punchlines placed here and there, but no matter how few they are, they pack a punch of solid laughter. I was really amused at the three robots that referred to themselves as the Robot Liberation Front. They were probably my favorite characters in this entire movie. From their quirkily hilarious character designs up to the overall portrayal of these robots, they easily got me tickled pink.
While voice actors Freddie Highmore as Astro Boy and the rest of the voice cast such as Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, and Eugene Levy were all generically good, it was Nicholas Cage, voicing Dr. Tenma, Astro boy's father, whose voice acting complemented excellently with the animation. It was as if it captured Cage in one of his best acting moments. It would not have been easy to bring the character of Tenma to a full-length movie version without altering it. In the original manga (Japanese comics) version and in the TV series, Tenma is portrayed as more brutal and has certainly a darker character, as he deliberately abandons and sells Astro boy, and in one other interpretation, he goes insane. The Tenma portrayed in this new movie version is a more positive version, as he is still bound by love for his creation, Astro Boy. Inevitably and obviously you expect this Tenma to do the morally upright thing.
The storyline aspect was pretty solid. Simplistic to be family-friendly, yet it has some plot and characterization elements that appeal to adults as well. It ends up as a movie that is both young at heart yet mature in content. Enjoyable for kids, interesting for adults. The story does not treat its audiences like idiots, and manages to tell the story without applying unnecessary restraint that can hinder a writer's creativity. In addition, the writers and the rest of the crew have an enormous pressure to make this project become perfect. That is because Astro Boy is like a national figure in Japan, as much as how Mickey Mouse is towards Americans. And in my opinion, the Americans did deliver a good script for him.
Inevitably, the movie keeps itself faithful with the source material on Astro Boy's origins but there are indeed many little alterations made in order to update this Astro Boy as being this generation's version. Rife with enough heart, humor, and spectacular explosive action, this movie has a storyline that easily pleases its audience. It is indeed worth your time & your money if you are looking for a family-friendly movie this week.
As a film for kids that don't know the character its an okay film with great bits. For Astro's fans its a misfire with great bits
dbborroughs2 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
What are we to make of the computer animated film of Astro Boy? If one doesn't know the character its an often rip roaring children's film that shows having spent much too much time in the Hollywood pressure cooker that insists on the same cliché's being repeated over and over again. It's the story of a distraught scientist, head of Metro City 's ministry of science, who creates a robot in his son's image after the boy is killed in a military demonstration. The military of course wants the robot and pursues him. He eventually ends up in the trash heap under the city where he makes friends of a bunch of cute kids who takes him to meet their Fagin like protector. Said protector then turns on Astro and forces him to fight in robot gladiatorial games, which are interrupted by the arrival of the military who grab Astro who then attempts to escape only to have to fight the evil military's robot monster.
The film as some really great sequences, Astro's creation is pure magic, Astro flying for the first time has the "Oh Wow" factor in spades, the gladiatorial games are wonderful, the final battle is great and the fade out is the moment Astro is the hero we expect. Also great are the Zog sequences and some of the small character moments. The problem is the cookie cutter approach that ties all the elements together in the story, which was no doubt forced upon the filmmakers. This approach makes the film like any number of bland children's films with the same elements we've see a thousand times before (loving parents, spunky kids as friends, cute pet, military bad guys). The effect on the film is that you have these wonderful soaring moments mired in a story that is less then thrilling and takes the shine off the good stuff.
If you don't know the character it's a serviceable children's film, with some great sequences. I'm sure kids will like the film if not love it. It's the sort of thing that will probably blend into a thousand other similar films down the road with only the odd moments and sequences to make it stand out.
But what if you're an Astro Boy fan from the comics and the TV shows? I think fans of the show are going to be very disappointed.(I should mention I've read all the comics and seen all the TV shows)
Astro's arrival in an American studio has resulted in a radical dumbing down and rewriting of the origin of the character-among other things. Gone is the death of Dr Tenma's son in an auto accident. Gone is the entire issue of Astro's abandonment by his father who sends him off to a circus where he's found and raised as a "normal" boy. Gone is Tokyo of the future(now past). Gone is the notion of robots looking like people and the integration, of sorts, into society.
I could go on, but what would be the point? Basically they took most of Astro's world and flushed it. I wouldn't care but what they replaced it with was everything that Astro was not. They essentially removed anything that has kept the character alive for the better part of 60 years in comics and 50 years on TV. Astro is now just one of any other similar goody goody kids films with cutesy kid characters for Astro to interact with.
Yes there are some great sequence. As I said the first flying sequence, the Zog bits and the arena of death are all sterling bits of animation that pay homage to Tezuka (who is in the film). The problem is that outside of the moments this isn't Astro, even if all the characters are there.
Part of my problem comes from the whole military themed story. I doubt very much Tezuka would have been happy with it. While his works often dealt with military and similar themes I don't think he would have ever thought of his best known character in a tale with an origin like this. Its not where he was going with the tale.Tezuka seemed to want tales about hope and coming together (at least in Astro) and thats not really the case here. It's a radical rethink of the character that doesn't really work.(and it shows misunderstanding of most of the characters). It's the PC police tampering in order not to have events that either kids can duplicate or which will truly frighten them- give an outside enemy and no one will get upset.
I'm not against rethinking Astro. The recent manga series Pluto, which retells the Tezuka story The Greatest Robot in the World (and which echoes in this film) is a rethink that is both new and faithful to the old. This film is just the characters and some of the elements thrown in a blender.
In my humble opinion as a real Astro Boy story it's a misfire. It doesn't work. Its got moments, but as a whole it doesn't work. Astro will of course survive this, but I think this film will mostly end up forgotten.
Over all fans should wait for cable. Non-fans may want to go to a bargain matinée
The film as some really great sequences, Astro's creation is pure magic, Astro flying for the first time has the "Oh Wow" factor in spades, the gladiatorial games are wonderful, the final battle is great and the fade out is the moment Astro is the hero we expect. Also great are the Zog sequences and some of the small character moments. The problem is the cookie cutter approach that ties all the elements together in the story, which was no doubt forced upon the filmmakers. This approach makes the film like any number of bland children's films with the same elements we've see a thousand times before (loving parents, spunky kids as friends, cute pet, military bad guys). The effect on the film is that you have these wonderful soaring moments mired in a story that is less then thrilling and takes the shine off the good stuff.
If you don't know the character it's a serviceable children's film, with some great sequences. I'm sure kids will like the film if not love it. It's the sort of thing that will probably blend into a thousand other similar films down the road with only the odd moments and sequences to make it stand out.
But what if you're an Astro Boy fan from the comics and the TV shows? I think fans of the show are going to be very disappointed.(I should mention I've read all the comics and seen all the TV shows)
Astro's arrival in an American studio has resulted in a radical dumbing down and rewriting of the origin of the character-among other things. Gone is the death of Dr Tenma's son in an auto accident. Gone is the entire issue of Astro's abandonment by his father who sends him off to a circus where he's found and raised as a "normal" boy. Gone is Tokyo of the future(now past). Gone is the notion of robots looking like people and the integration, of sorts, into society.
I could go on, but what would be the point? Basically they took most of Astro's world and flushed it. I wouldn't care but what they replaced it with was everything that Astro was not. They essentially removed anything that has kept the character alive for the better part of 60 years in comics and 50 years on TV. Astro is now just one of any other similar goody goody kids films with cutesy kid characters for Astro to interact with.
Yes there are some great sequence. As I said the first flying sequence, the Zog bits and the arena of death are all sterling bits of animation that pay homage to Tezuka (who is in the film). The problem is that outside of the moments this isn't Astro, even if all the characters are there.
Part of my problem comes from the whole military themed story. I doubt very much Tezuka would have been happy with it. While his works often dealt with military and similar themes I don't think he would have ever thought of his best known character in a tale with an origin like this. Its not where he was going with the tale.Tezuka seemed to want tales about hope and coming together (at least in Astro) and thats not really the case here. It's a radical rethink of the character that doesn't really work.(and it shows misunderstanding of most of the characters). It's the PC police tampering in order not to have events that either kids can duplicate or which will truly frighten them- give an outside enemy and no one will get upset.
I'm not against rethinking Astro. The recent manga series Pluto, which retells the Tezuka story The Greatest Robot in the World (and which echoes in this film) is a rethink that is both new and faithful to the old. This film is just the characters and some of the elements thrown in a blender.
In my humble opinion as a real Astro Boy story it's a misfire. It doesn't work. Its got moments, but as a whole it doesn't work. Astro will of course survive this, but I think this film will mostly end up forgotten.
Over all fans should wait for cable. Non-fans may want to go to a bargain matinée
Charming story and visuals, give it a try.
Davidon8015 January 2010
For some reason my expectations were not high for this movie, the IMDb rating was pretty average and there was not much hype surrounding it's release. It seems any computer animated movie that is neither Pixar nor Shrek has a difficult time getting noticed. Having seen this movie now I can whole heartedly say that this movie is as fun and action packed as any movie from the Pixar stable.
The visuals are excellent and on a par with the latest computer generated movies, the story is heart warming and touches on philosophical themes often related to more adult titles like Blade Runner or even Ghost in the Shell, the action is well handled and true to the cartoon origins of the title and ultimately there is enough depth and charm in this movie to satisfy both kids and adults. The only drawback I feel this movie has is the somewhat out of place voice acting of some of the main characters, it seems that the producers wanted the film to be attached to some big name actors rather then finding voice actors that would suit the specific characters,specifically I felt that Bill Nighy voice was out of place as the Professor and perhaps Nic Cage could have brought more energy to the role. It did feel as though the voice work was done after visuals and not vice versa which led to a somewhat flat performance by some actors. That, however is just me being ultra critical, overall this is a top draw movie and worth a look. Give it a try.
The visuals are excellent and on a par with the latest computer generated movies, the story is heart warming and touches on philosophical themes often related to more adult titles like Blade Runner or even Ghost in the Shell, the action is well handled and true to the cartoon origins of the title and ultimately there is enough depth and charm in this movie to satisfy both kids and adults. The only drawback I feel this movie has is the somewhat out of place voice acting of some of the main characters, it seems that the producers wanted the film to be attached to some big name actors rather then finding voice actors that would suit the specific characters,specifically I felt that Bill Nighy voice was out of place as the Professor and perhaps Nic Cage could have brought more energy to the role. It did feel as though the voice work was done after visuals and not vice versa which led to a somewhat flat performance by some actors. That, however is just me being ultra critical, overall this is a top draw movie and worth a look. Give it a try.
Disturbing, B-Style, Still Interesting
BabelAlexandria14 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
There were a lot of surprisingly disturbing themes in this movie which belie Astro-Boy's cheerful, can-do attitude, which seems to be a younger version of his father's belief in corporate/government funded technological progress. While a boy ignored by his busy, egocentric father (voiced by Nicholas Cage, who I can't take seriously anymore) is hardly unique in film, the fact that this broken relationship leads to his death by vaporization when he disobeys him is shocking. Perhaps even more shocking is the father's attempt to "upload" his son's memories into a specially fashioned robot; that much is like Pinocchio with contemporary themes. But most shocking was the father's fast rejection of this son/robot when he correctly notes that he is not the same as his son.
These themes are worthy of reflection, but get swept under the rug by the more prosaic (even if futuristic) story of clashing humans and robots. The animation is interesting, from a (now defunct) studio which we hadn't encountered before; and now I have an interest in watching the 1960s Japanese animae, which is apparently very different from the movie.
These themes are worthy of reflection, but get swept under the rug by the more prosaic (even if futuristic) story of clashing humans and robots. The animation is interesting, from a (now defunct) studio which we hadn't encountered before; and now I have an interest in watching the 1960s Japanese animae, which is apparently very different from the movie.
something is missing
taupo194 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The first thing that struck me about this film was the terrible voice casting. Nicholas Cage doesn't have an acting bone in his body and yet he plays the emotional part of a father who loses his son (and then rejects another). Bill Nighy plays a strangely muted part and the voice of Donald Sutherland as President Stone is too old for the character and lifeless.
The animation is acceptable but the story nonsense. A new mega-powerful source of energy has been discovered and divided into blue and red, good/bad. The blue (promising the Green lobby unlimited clean power) is going to be put into a new robot design but the president decides on the red (Bad) instead creating a monster - of course. In the battle with the now monstered robot Cage's son is killed. His reaction to this is summarised by a completely inadequate "Oh, no! My son has been killed - I can rebuild him. I won't sleep or eat until it's done"! Back of hand on forehead - Oh woe is me kind of thing. Awful, Awful, Awful. He then rejects his rebuilt son - without almost any angst at all. Did they tailor this plot to the cast's acting abilities?
The inevitable story unfolds - with the evil president chasing the boy for his power source and the boy joining a "rebel" group on the polluted earth, lots of meaningless battles, big boss battle to end and so on blah, blah, blah.
Essentially anything with Mr Cage in it gets a leery reaction from me but I'm always ready to try. This film is a lifeless waste of animators time and I'm sure most of the actors hurried away from it to do better things.
Don't bother with it...
The animation is acceptable but the story nonsense. A new mega-powerful source of energy has been discovered and divided into blue and red, good/bad. The blue (promising the Green lobby unlimited clean power) is going to be put into a new robot design but the president decides on the red (Bad) instead creating a monster - of course. In the battle with the now monstered robot Cage's son is killed. His reaction to this is summarised by a completely inadequate "Oh, no! My son has been killed - I can rebuild him. I won't sleep or eat until it's done"! Back of hand on forehead - Oh woe is me kind of thing. Awful, Awful, Awful. He then rejects his rebuilt son - without almost any angst at all. Did they tailor this plot to the cast's acting abilities?
The inevitable story unfolds - with the evil president chasing the boy for his power source and the boy joining a "rebel" group on the polluted earth, lots of meaningless battles, big boss battle to end and so on blah, blah, blah.
Essentially anything with Mr Cage in it gets a leery reaction from me but I'm always ready to try. This film is a lifeless waste of animators time and I'm sure most of the actors hurried away from it to do better things.
Don't bother with it...
Amazingly BETTER than expected
berrorg17 October 2009
I just came from an advance screening of Astroboy where I dutifully took my kids at 10 am to watch "this" thinking that if I was lucky I would be able to doze off for a few minutes during the movie. Boy, I couldn't! The story was captivating from the beginning. Yes, it was very directed at kids, you know, the far off humour and such, but when I saw Toby, the genius' "kid", I felt that the movie was after all NOT just a Pinocchio rip-off where an old man made a robot-boy because he was bored or lonely... the reasons behind the creation of Astroboy were tragic and even mature. Of course, if you are a manga aficionado, you may be thinking "duh! that's how's supposed to be", but I am NOT. I barely watched a show now and then when I was a kid (I'm 36 years old... too young for Astroboy), so I wasn't really aware of the story. So I thought, well, this development has to be a fluke inherited from the original story, from then on it should go downhill... but it did NOT. The story is full of tragedy, though decisions that if you think them through you can even understand (like a father understanding that memories cannot truly replace his son), and redemption that may be obvious to superheroes experts, but are very well exposed to a new generation of kids that will witness a clear fight between good and evil (positive and negative forces) adorned with an excellent and adequate portion of comedy. Not just a kid's movie, but a movie that I will surely watch again when my kids "force" me to buy it and to watch it with them dozens of times. Go, Astro!
Not as bad as some make it out to be
rorymacveigh19 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Since I had watched all of the animated classics of this character, it seemed only fair that I should watch the 3D CGI movie that was created in 2009. I seem to remember the build up for this first feature length film starring the famous Speedo wearing hero was astronomical, fans everywhere were going ballistic, and judging by the trailers and other promotional activity, I wasn't surprised. This also made me rather curious as to what the outcome would be, and surprisingly, I wasn't really disappointed in what I saw. As a non-fan but general viewer, I saw the film as quite a quirky and enjoyable little film which did seem quite close to the story that I had observed in the original shows. Usually, films with large amounts of promotion often end in tragedy at the box office, washing up with a Commercial Success, but a Critical Failure. The all star voice acting cast was fantastic, including Nicholas Cage as the grief stricken Dr Tenma and Donald Sutherland as the power crazy President. It managed also to combine an interesting story between relations between robots and humans without treading too deeply into the more morose and prejudice side of things. Many fans I knew were quite disappointed with this film mainly because of the fact that Toby Tenma wasn't killed in a traffic accident but instead was killed by a killer robot and that during battle his clothes weren't ripped off like in the original series. And to be honest, that's something I wasn't exactly in the mood to see because I'm not some kind of pervert who likes to see little boy's clothes ripped off, even if he is still wearing Speedos. But at least they kept the Butt Cannon's, which I'm sure they just about got away with when it comes to British and American Censors. Apart from those few trivial points, I think this film is quite an enjoyable little treat for any one who is or isn't a fan of the show. I'd recommend it to children just as much as I would to adults!
Great for small kids, but vapid for the rest.
letuotter24 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I had decent hopes going in. The movie was a tribute to a legend of cinema, especially in Japan. The cast was at least an 8 out of 10 for star power. Animation looked solid and well-toned. The plucky action-girl cliché character was mildly cute. How could they really screw it up, yeah?
Sadly, the movie failed to deliver. And yes, up front, I know that as a 25 year-old I'm too young to have loved the classic and too old to be the target audience, but I haven't felt this alienated by a film since the stink bomb that was Legend of Despereaux.
First beef: the plot/writing. Kitschy and predictable, standard Saturday-morning stuff, as others have said. Pinnochio, Oliver Twist, Isaac Asimov; all the classics get the rip-off treatment. The instant I saw a room full of rowdy kids searching for waste, I thought, "great, Nathan Lane's the evil Fagan clone". Even Robin Williams was an engaging portmanteau of the man in August Rush. I know there aren't many original ideas left in Hollywood, but this was a poor effort. The character motivations are missing almost entirely. Everyone in the movie is a one-dimensional cardboard cutout just following the plot out of sheer bloody stubbornness. The president wants to start a war to get re-elected?! This is political satire too crude and off-target for Mad TV. A devotion to being a complete jerk is NOT good character motivation. Evil for evil's own sake is the sign of poor writers. The movie wasn't even an hour and forty for crying out loud, you could have squeezed in some kind of development.
Second; the voice acting. I mean, the plot could have been forgivable if the movie had any immersion value to lose yourself in, but every time I wanted to enjoy the experience, Mr. Cage's horrific voice acting kicked me right back out (and no, I don't have much respect for him as an actor aside from some of his early stuff). Sadly, for the legend he is, Donald Sutherland was hardly better. The two main pro/an-tagonist characters go back and forth like they're in a 2am TBS sitcom. Kristen Bell and Freddie Highmore were pretty good, though.
Finally, the direction. David Bowers was the man who brought the genius that was Flushed Away to us, and clearly, the bar was set too high. There are flashes of the same brilliance in a few of the throwaway jokes, but overall, there's just no humor for anyone over the age of 10. Most of the jokes were just weak. The pacing was off, with some of the character development slots getting little to no screen time. The movie just tried to go too big, too fast with nothing to lift it.
Conclusion: save your money. It's flash and sparkle with the depth of a spoon. I'm sorry I paid to see it, but that's what "caveat emptor" means after all.
Sadly, the movie failed to deliver. And yes, up front, I know that as a 25 year-old I'm too young to have loved the classic and too old to be the target audience, but I haven't felt this alienated by a film since the stink bomb that was Legend of Despereaux.
First beef: the plot/writing. Kitschy and predictable, standard Saturday-morning stuff, as others have said. Pinnochio, Oliver Twist, Isaac Asimov; all the classics get the rip-off treatment. The instant I saw a room full of rowdy kids searching for waste, I thought, "great, Nathan Lane's the evil Fagan clone". Even Robin Williams was an engaging portmanteau of the man in August Rush. I know there aren't many original ideas left in Hollywood, but this was a poor effort. The character motivations are missing almost entirely. Everyone in the movie is a one-dimensional cardboard cutout just following the plot out of sheer bloody stubbornness. The president wants to start a war to get re-elected?! This is political satire too crude and off-target for Mad TV. A devotion to being a complete jerk is NOT good character motivation. Evil for evil's own sake is the sign of poor writers. The movie wasn't even an hour and forty for crying out loud, you could have squeezed in some kind of development.
Second; the voice acting. I mean, the plot could have been forgivable if the movie had any immersion value to lose yourself in, but every time I wanted to enjoy the experience, Mr. Cage's horrific voice acting kicked me right back out (and no, I don't have much respect for him as an actor aside from some of his early stuff). Sadly, for the legend he is, Donald Sutherland was hardly better. The two main pro/an-tagonist characters go back and forth like they're in a 2am TBS sitcom. Kristen Bell and Freddie Highmore were pretty good, though.
Finally, the direction. David Bowers was the man who brought the genius that was Flushed Away to us, and clearly, the bar was set too high. There are flashes of the same brilliance in a few of the throwaway jokes, but overall, there's just no humor for anyone over the age of 10. Most of the jokes were just weak. The pacing was off, with some of the character development slots getting little to no screen time. The movie just tried to go too big, too fast with nothing to lift it.
Conclusion: save your money. It's flash and sparkle with the depth of a spoon. I'm sorry I paid to see it, but that's what "caveat emptor" means after all.
Astro
0U8 March 2020
Super-surreal cartoon about a little boy who's love for science took him further than he could ever use in his young imagination. His father serving as a current head of the "Ministry of Science" in the mystical island of Metro City is coerced into utilizing the spheres of energy for political gain. During the experiment the little boy gets caught in the experiment and winds up being an unfortunate casualty. Out of his grief, the father decides to re-create a replica of his lost son in the form of a robot with powers and ability way beyond the expectations of himself and the whims of the politician. This is an incredible journey that you would not want to miss! Please see this!
A good science fiction animated movie, but had potential to be much more
KineticSeoul8 November 2009
Now I wouldn't say this movie beat my expectations, but it fit my expectations quite nicely. The beginning to this movie was captivating, but after a while it starts to lose it's flair. However Astro Boy's flight and fight sequences were actually well done and was fun to watch. I just really wished this movie was in 3D and it would have been one heck of a thrill ride, after finishing this movie it felt like it was made to be 3D which was a disappointment cause it was not...Bummer, oh well maybe in part 2 or part 3 where they might title it "Astro Boy 3D". But since this movie has a lot of action in it, Kids will most likely have a blast and adults will probably enjoy it. But it's just generic, which is fine but the outcome in every scene felt a bit flat because of it, like if you seen the trailer you will probably get the whole story down, but some of the sequences while being predictable was cool to watch, so it's sort of forgivable. The animation seemed a bit weak even if it's based on a science fiction anime, but the musical score was awesome to listen to while Astro Boy does his thing. I have no ideas why they would get some expensive actors and actresses to do the voice overs, when they could have gotten legit voice actors/actresses for less money and spend more on the animation of "Astro Boy". The movie had it's moments but as a whole, it was not that satisfying when it was finished. It was good effort but had the potential to be much more.
7/10
7/10
disappointing reimagining
it_lives10 October 2009
I loved the 1982 TV series, and I should point out that I was a teenager (15) when that came to Australia. It was one of the seminal influences that helped my own development as an animator. I've never seen the original 60s B&W show, but I understand it is more or less the same story line.
My problem with the new movie is that it not only takes great liberties with the story. No longer taking place in Tokyo, but in a bizarre floating island/city called 'Metro-city' (Inspector Gadget?) that cruises above the trash strewn surface-world. The story has been 'kiddified' it to an extent that I don't think Tezuka would have liked.
While Astroboy has always appealed to young kids it has also maintained a maturity that ensures longevity and resonance, this version is more difficult for an adult or older teen audience to connect with, which is disappointing to say the least. If I had encountered this at the age of 15 I would not have had too much regard for it other than a throwaway bit of animation to tide me over till the next Pixar release.
Which is how I feel about it now I guess.
Sure there are some cool moments, but not enough of them. And designwise, there's one robot in particular who seems to be far more influenced by the work of Miyazaki than Tezuka. As a background throwaway reference that's fine, but this character is integral to the movie.
The modelling and animation is competent, not in the same class as Pixar, but not bad. It's a pity the work seems to have been outsourced to China, I didn't see one Japanese name in the animation credits, which seems like a pity.
My problem with the new movie is that it not only takes great liberties with the story. No longer taking place in Tokyo, but in a bizarre floating island/city called 'Metro-city' (Inspector Gadget?) that cruises above the trash strewn surface-world. The story has been 'kiddified' it to an extent that I don't think Tezuka would have liked.
While Astroboy has always appealed to young kids it has also maintained a maturity that ensures longevity and resonance, this version is more difficult for an adult or older teen audience to connect with, which is disappointing to say the least. If I had encountered this at the age of 15 I would not have had too much regard for it other than a throwaway bit of animation to tide me over till the next Pixar release.
Which is how I feel about it now I guess.
Sure there are some cool moments, but not enough of them. And designwise, there's one robot in particular who seems to be far more influenced by the work of Miyazaki than Tezuka. As a background throwaway reference that's fine, but this character is integral to the movie.
The modelling and animation is competent, not in the same class as Pixar, but not bad. It's a pity the work seems to have been outsourced to China, I didn't see one Japanese name in the animation credits, which seems like a pity.
Positive vibes
Jay_Exiomo28 October 2009
Unike its titular child android, "Astro Boy"'s oh-so earnest zing is somewhat attenuated by the lack of a definitive soul to make it stand out. Which isn't to say that David Bowers' 3-D animated sci-fi is a screwed-up experience -- thanks largely to its amusing one-liners and side characters -- but its theme of a boy trying to fit in among those who are different from him fail to stand up to the likes of, say, "Pinocchio," and "Iron Giant."
In the lustrously hi-tech Metro, a city floating above piles and piles of metal scraps, humans are served by robots that are guided by the late Isaac Asimov's robotic laws. Metro resident Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore) is seeking to follow in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage), who created most of the city's machines. However, an accident that leads to Toby's death prompts the sorrowing dad to create a robot in Toby's image in a bid to replace his son. Astro, as the mechanical Toby eventually becomes known, is shattered after Dr. Tenma rejects him for not being able to live up to his human counterpart, and realizing that he's not who he thinks he is, Astro leaves the Metro in search of a place where he feels he'll belong.
Bowers' cinematic translation of a 1951 manga by Osamu Tezuka is an uneven -- albeit beaming -- trip, typified by the likes of Cage and Bill Nighy who sound bored, even if Donald Sutherland and Kristen Bell feel game for their roles. But it succeeds in creating an allegory on the rift between different classes, even if they are frustratingly glossed over in service of a predictable story and a few humdrum action. Despite its shortcomings, "Astro Boy" still proves humorously compelling when its hero spreads kindness courtesy of his cant-do-bad heart.
In the lustrously hi-tech Metro, a city floating above piles and piles of metal scraps, humans are served by robots that are guided by the late Isaac Asimov's robotic laws. Metro resident Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore) is seeking to follow in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage), who created most of the city's machines. However, an accident that leads to Toby's death prompts the sorrowing dad to create a robot in Toby's image in a bid to replace his son. Astro, as the mechanical Toby eventually becomes known, is shattered after Dr. Tenma rejects him for not being able to live up to his human counterpart, and realizing that he's not who he thinks he is, Astro leaves the Metro in search of a place where he feels he'll belong.
Bowers' cinematic translation of a 1951 manga by Osamu Tezuka is an uneven -- albeit beaming -- trip, typified by the likes of Cage and Bill Nighy who sound bored, even if Donald Sutherland and Kristen Bell feel game for their roles. But it succeeds in creating an allegory on the rift between different classes, even if they are frustratingly glossed over in service of a predictable story and a few humdrum action. Despite its shortcomings, "Astro Boy" still proves humorously compelling when its hero spreads kindness courtesy of his cant-do-bad heart.
Omg!! Tezuka would roll over in his grave...
iwanttoonz28 October 2009
What the hell happened?!! Imagi's work is top notch but what happened to the story? the origin is ALL wrong and there are barely any characters from the manga or TV show in it. I've just recently read the astroboy manga's and I see none of Tezuka's genius it this film, what waste!
where was Atlus? Pook? Inspector Tawashi? or Deadcross? who btw would have made a better villain. I don't mind re-imagining something but the idea is to make it better not worse!!
In truth I figured it would head this way when I read the director had no clue about Astro before he started production. It would have been nice if he had at least watched one of the TV series. Movies like iron and and spider-man did well cuz all the basic's that made the character popular all these years were retained.
Folks seem to like this film but then I've heard that IQ's have been dropping so that might say something as well. I am also sad cuz I want Imagi to do well, I like their company mission statement.
where was Atlus? Pook? Inspector Tawashi? or Deadcross? who btw would have made a better villain. I don't mind re-imagining something but the idea is to make it better not worse!!
In truth I figured it would head this way when I read the director had no clue about Astro before he started production. It would have been nice if he had at least watched one of the TV series. Movies like iron and and spider-man did well cuz all the basic's that made the character popular all these years were retained.
Folks seem to like this film but then I've heard that IQ's have been dropping so that might say something as well. I am also sad cuz I want Imagi to do well, I like their company mission statement.
Simply Awesome
mongomauler-16 March 2010
I don't know who said they thought this was a Rip-Off of Pinnochio but it isn't and never was. I don't know why people insist on taking movies and trying to find other movies "they ripped off". For me as a kid it was one of my favorites and every time my 11 year old grandson comes over we watch one of the old B&W episodes I have on DVD. I took him to the theatre to see this just me and him and we were both like a couple of kids.(I'm 55) I'm not going to spoil it for anyone that has not seen it but I believe it is a great family movie, or at least one you can let your child watch without supervision. I enjoyed it a lot. My Grandson looks forward to our weekly viewings now with his Grandpa. As a long time ASTROBOY Fan I wish we could figure out if it is one word or two ? All my old stuff the ASTROBOY runs together. Anyway I believe this is a fun entertaining movie and not for all, but give it a try for your kids and grandkids. I think they will enjoy it.
An educational and entertaining fusion of American and Japanese animation standards.
toqtaqiya28 January 2013
Like many anime this film, which is loosely based on the Astro Boy manga, has dark themes but it's still a good entertaining release by director David Bowers. The computer animation has a polished vibrant look which fits the science-fiction story well. Astro Boy is a story about finding oneself and doing good. Its message is that if you do good you will be rewarded for it. And it's a good message, especially for children. This, along with other lessons, makes Astro Boy an excellent film for children. It features the voices of Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Eugene Levy, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Charlize Theron and Nicolas Cage. Some adults may find the film simple but it doesn't cease to entertain so sitting through it is definitely not a chore. Just don't expect a great animated film. The animation here is often gorgeous and the action, which features fights between robots, is exciting. There's also a fair amount of comedy. When Astro Boy was released in 2009 I didn't go to see it in a movie theater. But I should have. This film has heart, or rather a glowing blue core of positive energy. I recommend seeing it.
He Was Made Ready (And, Hey! That Ain't All!)
strong-122-47888521 September 2013
*Possible Spoilers*
With its emphasis on recyclable cuteness, reusable cleverness, and regenerated CG wizardry, I would never go so far as to say that I hated Astro Boy - But, then again, I could never, ever say that I loved it, either.
If you were to actually take the time to watch the original, 2-D Astro Boy cartoons from the mid-1960s, I'm sure, like myself, that you'd most likely find them to be much more entertaining and, yes, even more thoughtful then this senseless rehashing of the tale of a wide-eyed, pointy-haired, robot boy who (under the surface of his apparent innocence) was essentially a lethal, all-powerful, one-man, destructo-machine that was not to be challenged or provoked into action.
It really made no sense to me why, after the real Toby Tenma was killed (due partly to his dad's own inability to protect him), Toby's father, the master scientist, Dr. Tenma, in wanting to re-create his now-dead son, decided to add all of the elaborately designed, over-the-top weaponry, and such, to this pint-sized, mechanical boy.
And, after Dr. Tenma got his beloved boy back (thanks to Blue Core radiation), he then wastes no time in rejecting this fabulous creation of his as though it were nothing but a piece of disposable trash.
Amongst all of the many explosions and scenes of mass destruction that took place in this pretentiously innocent, little movie it, pretty much, contained every robot/superhero movie-cliché in the book, and then some.
On top of that, I found Astro Boy's story borrowed heavily from the basic themes of other films such as - Wall-E, The Iron Giant, David & Goliath, Peter Pan, Frankenstein, Transformers, and The Incredibles - to name but a few.
And, so, when you take all of this apparent lifting of ideas into consideration, there was virtually nothing new or original to be found in the entirety of Astro Boy's recycled and predictable story.
This film reached the absolute nadir of its intended humor when, in the middle of battle, Astro Boy bent over, forwards, only to find, to his astonishment (and my puzzlement) two miniature-sized, retracting machine guns projecting from out of his butt.
Ho-Hum! Like, give me a break, already!
Was Toby's crackpot, scientist father really that much of a major moron as to make his replicated son's butt cheeks lethal weapons? I mean, that, to me, was just so unfunny and moronic that it managed to reduce Astro Boy to the level of being nothing but a big cannon for stupid fart jokes.
And, finally - I found it really irksome that the pointy-ness of Astro Boy's hair kept changing sides on his head whenever he appeared in another scene.
With its emphasis on recyclable cuteness, reusable cleverness, and regenerated CG wizardry, I would never go so far as to say that I hated Astro Boy - But, then again, I could never, ever say that I loved it, either.
If you were to actually take the time to watch the original, 2-D Astro Boy cartoons from the mid-1960s, I'm sure, like myself, that you'd most likely find them to be much more entertaining and, yes, even more thoughtful then this senseless rehashing of the tale of a wide-eyed, pointy-haired, robot boy who (under the surface of his apparent innocence) was essentially a lethal, all-powerful, one-man, destructo-machine that was not to be challenged or provoked into action.
It really made no sense to me why, after the real Toby Tenma was killed (due partly to his dad's own inability to protect him), Toby's father, the master scientist, Dr. Tenma, in wanting to re-create his now-dead son, decided to add all of the elaborately designed, over-the-top weaponry, and such, to this pint-sized, mechanical boy.
And, after Dr. Tenma got his beloved boy back (thanks to Blue Core radiation), he then wastes no time in rejecting this fabulous creation of his as though it were nothing but a piece of disposable trash.
Amongst all of the many explosions and scenes of mass destruction that took place in this pretentiously innocent, little movie it, pretty much, contained every robot/superhero movie-cliché in the book, and then some.
On top of that, I found Astro Boy's story borrowed heavily from the basic themes of other films such as - Wall-E, The Iron Giant, David & Goliath, Peter Pan, Frankenstein, Transformers, and The Incredibles - to name but a few.
And, so, when you take all of this apparent lifting of ideas into consideration, there was virtually nothing new or original to be found in the entirety of Astro Boy's recycled and predictable story.
This film reached the absolute nadir of its intended humor when, in the middle of battle, Astro Boy bent over, forwards, only to find, to his astonishment (and my puzzlement) two miniature-sized, retracting machine guns projecting from out of his butt.
Ho-Hum! Like, give me a break, already!
Was Toby's crackpot, scientist father really that much of a major moron as to make his replicated son's butt cheeks lethal weapons? I mean, that, to me, was just so unfunny and moronic that it managed to reduce Astro Boy to the level of being nothing but a big cannon for stupid fart jokes.
And, finally - I found it really irksome that the pointy-ness of Astro Boy's hair kept changing sides on his head whenever he appeared in another scene.
Pleasantly Surprised, Kids Loved It
Trangor26 October 2009
Unlike many of the other reviews(it seems), I don't have an ax to grind. I vaguely remembered the character and actually thought it was a French cartoon. If it was on TV, I never saw it.
As such, my expectations were fairly plebeian - just a family film with good production values and some entertainment value. Well, Astroboy IS well produced and IS very entertaining. There was plenty of comedy to keep the film light and lots of action to keep things moving.
I might agree with those who think the portrayal of Toby's(Astroboy's) father was rather cold. However, it fits with the sequence of events and one assumes that the producers were following the original story (I'm not going to read the comic book to find out).
There are many endearing characters in the film and interesting villains to boot. The animation varied from good to excellent and the pacing avoided any significant lulls. All in all, well and cleverly done. Good job, Imagi, and all the talented people who contributed.
I recommend this to anyone who wants some light-hearted entertainment. My family loved it.
As such, my expectations were fairly plebeian - just a family film with good production values and some entertainment value. Well, Astroboy IS well produced and IS very entertaining. There was plenty of comedy to keep the film light and lots of action to keep things moving.
I might agree with those who think the portrayal of Toby's(Astroboy's) father was rather cold. However, it fits with the sequence of events and one assumes that the producers were following the original story (I'm not going to read the comic book to find out).
There are many endearing characters in the film and interesting villains to boot. The animation varied from good to excellent and the pacing avoided any significant lulls. All in all, well and cleverly done. Good job, Imagi, and all the talented people who contributed.
I recommend this to anyone who wants some light-hearted entertainment. My family loved it.
The Good, the Bad, and the very Ugly about Astro Boy
greenbeavervideo26 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I was really looking forward to this movie. I grew up watching Astro Boy on TV. I hadn't seen it in a few decades, so I was eager to see an updated version. In addition, I now have a young son who had never seen anything Astro Boy related. Here are my thoughts on the movie.
The Good: Visually, the movie is great. There's a lot of good action. I liked the story (well, at least 1/3 of it). My kid liked it and I think most kids will like it too. The main character is very likable. They incorporated some elements from the TV show, including some shots from the opening.
The Bad: After a particular point (there's a big fade to black), the story goes south and the movie becomes ordinary (hence you see a lot of people comparing it to many other movies). The villain is very one-dimensional. Every movie has a "shape shifter" (a character that is perceived by the audience as being bad and then turns out to be good, or vice versa). In this movie, the "shape shifter" is extremely obvious, no surprise there!
The Ugly: This movie is used as blatant propaganda for the left. I don't know if it's as obvious for people outside America. I had to check the credits to see if Michael Moore was involved with the movie. Before you label me as over reacting or even "paranoid", hear me out. At the center of the story, there's a conflict between good and evil, represented by red (negative) energy versus blue (positive) energy. In American Presidential elections, the color red represents conservatives and the color blue represents liberals. As it so happens, there's a Presidential election going on this movie. The villain of the movie is the sitting President, named Stone; he's running for re-election. Through out the movie, liberal causes and the candidate running against the President (named Logan) are connected to the color blue. The President mocks the blue energy as being all about "save the dolphins, give peace a chance". The audience is told blue energy is going to restore the forests and undo the damage caused by years of pollution. We see a billboard for Logan showing him holding a white dove and he happens to be wearing a large blue pin on his lapel. It says nothing on it, just solid blue color (strange, isn't it?). Tell me if this reminds you of anyone, the President, who is very adamant about using the red energy instead of the blue one, says "how can my approval ratings be so low", "I've cut taxes for a lot of very influential friends" and goes to refer to Logan as a "darn dirty hippie". In addition, in two separate occasions, the President states that he wants to start a war because "That's bound to get me re-elected". Gee, who could they be trying to make Stone represent? (LOL). Still not convinced? What is Logan's campaign slogan? "Prosperity and Peace". What is Stone's slogan? Well wait for it wait for it "It's not time for change". If you are still in denial, I think you just lost your credibility. And, I haven't even said anything about the Lenin worshipping robots in this movie (they help the good guy of course). The political bias was even worst than Wall-E. I should have known as soon as I saw Nicholas Cage on the credits. He's also in the cast for a movie that uses an ant colony to represent a Communist utopia, called "The Ant Bullie".
Maybe you are OK with your kids being indoctrinated at an early age, but some of us, regardless of our own political views, we rather keep political messages out of kid's movies.
The Good: Visually, the movie is great. There's a lot of good action. I liked the story (well, at least 1/3 of it). My kid liked it and I think most kids will like it too. The main character is very likable. They incorporated some elements from the TV show, including some shots from the opening.
The Bad: After a particular point (there's a big fade to black), the story goes south and the movie becomes ordinary (hence you see a lot of people comparing it to many other movies). The villain is very one-dimensional. Every movie has a "shape shifter" (a character that is perceived by the audience as being bad and then turns out to be good, or vice versa). In this movie, the "shape shifter" is extremely obvious, no surprise there!
The Ugly: This movie is used as blatant propaganda for the left. I don't know if it's as obvious for people outside America. I had to check the credits to see if Michael Moore was involved with the movie. Before you label me as over reacting or even "paranoid", hear me out. At the center of the story, there's a conflict between good and evil, represented by red (negative) energy versus blue (positive) energy. In American Presidential elections, the color red represents conservatives and the color blue represents liberals. As it so happens, there's a Presidential election going on this movie. The villain of the movie is the sitting President, named Stone; he's running for re-election. Through out the movie, liberal causes and the candidate running against the President (named Logan) are connected to the color blue. The President mocks the blue energy as being all about "save the dolphins, give peace a chance". The audience is told blue energy is going to restore the forests and undo the damage caused by years of pollution. We see a billboard for Logan showing him holding a white dove and he happens to be wearing a large blue pin on his lapel. It says nothing on it, just solid blue color (strange, isn't it?). Tell me if this reminds you of anyone, the President, who is very adamant about using the red energy instead of the blue one, says "how can my approval ratings be so low", "I've cut taxes for a lot of very influential friends" and goes to refer to Logan as a "darn dirty hippie". In addition, in two separate occasions, the President states that he wants to start a war because "That's bound to get me re-elected". Gee, who could they be trying to make Stone represent? (LOL). Still not convinced? What is Logan's campaign slogan? "Prosperity and Peace". What is Stone's slogan? Well wait for it wait for it "It's not time for change". If you are still in denial, I think you just lost your credibility. And, I haven't even said anything about the Lenin worshipping robots in this movie (they help the good guy of course). The political bias was even worst than Wall-E. I should have known as soon as I saw Nicholas Cage on the credits. He's also in the cast for a movie that uses an ant colony to represent a Communist utopia, called "The Ant Bullie".
Maybe you are OK with your kids being indoctrinated at an early age, but some of us, regardless of our own political views, we rather keep political messages out of kid's movies.
Mild, Mindless Entertainment, Easily Forgettable
RichardSRussell-129 October 2009
Astro Boy (PG, 1:34) — Fantasy: Comics & Pulps, 2nd string, crossover
I'm not a fan of anime, but I always appreciate good work regardless of subgenre. Thus I am much enamored of Hayao Miyazaki's films. This is not one of those.
Astro Boy is a relatively straightforward origin story of the eponymous robot, the spitting image of the recently deceased Toby (Tobio in Japanese, voiced by Freddie Highmore), created by his father, the genius scientist Dr. Bill Tenma (Nicolas Cage). The robot boy thinks he's the real thing, but his bereaved and still grieving father isn't able to work up the warmth he felt toward his original son and gradually distances himself from Astro.
After this premise has run its course in about 20 minutes, Astro is exiled from his floating island city, Metro City, and has to scrounge for himself on the land below, a junkscape littered with the literal droppings of the aerial metropolis overhead. Here he encounters:
comedy-relief robots from the Robot Revolutionary Front
the girl Cora and her band of plucky orphans
carny showman Hamegg, who provides a refuge for newcomers
simple-minded giant construction robot Zog
Trashcan, a doglike robotic, uh, trash can
Hamegg (Nathan Lane), while not exactly villainous, thinks that robots are simply machines and has no moral objections to pitting them against each other in fights to the death, as a form of mass amusement. He doesn't think any differently about Astro.
Then Metro City gets attacked by a giant robot powered by the red mcguffin, ah, stellar core, and it can only be countered by another creature powered by the blue mcguffin. That would be Astro Boy.
Astro's head is perfectly round, but he has 2 big points of black hair sticking off of it. Sometimes there's one pointing up and left and a 2nd one pointing back and right; other times left and right are switched. I spent way too much of the movie paying attention to this ludicrously insignificant detail, which to me is a sign that the director should have just picked one hairstyle and stayed with it.
There is a passing nod to Asimov's Laws of Robotics, which always earns a point in my book, and there's not much meanness on display. No effort whatsoever is invested in explanations as to why a little-boy substitute would have machines guns built into his anatomy, and generally it seems that the filmmakers didn't expect the audience to spend a lot of time thinking.
They got the result you'd expect: mild, mindless entertainment, not bad if you like that kind of thing, certainly not awful, but nothing you'll remember even a week or so later.
I'm not a fan of anime, but I always appreciate good work regardless of subgenre. Thus I am much enamored of Hayao Miyazaki's films. This is not one of those.
Astro Boy is a relatively straightforward origin story of the eponymous robot, the spitting image of the recently deceased Toby (Tobio in Japanese, voiced by Freddie Highmore), created by his father, the genius scientist Dr. Bill Tenma (Nicolas Cage). The robot boy thinks he's the real thing, but his bereaved and still grieving father isn't able to work up the warmth he felt toward his original son and gradually distances himself from Astro.
After this premise has run its course in about 20 minutes, Astro is exiled from his floating island city, Metro City, and has to scrounge for himself on the land below, a junkscape littered with the literal droppings of the aerial metropolis overhead. Here he encounters:
comedy-relief robots from the Robot Revolutionary Front
the girl Cora and her band of plucky orphans
carny showman Hamegg, who provides a refuge for newcomers
simple-minded giant construction robot Zog
Trashcan, a doglike robotic, uh, trash can
Hamegg (Nathan Lane), while not exactly villainous, thinks that robots are simply machines and has no moral objections to pitting them against each other in fights to the death, as a form of mass amusement. He doesn't think any differently about Astro.
Then Metro City gets attacked by a giant robot powered by the red mcguffin, ah, stellar core, and it can only be countered by another creature powered by the blue mcguffin. That would be Astro Boy.
Astro's head is perfectly round, but he has 2 big points of black hair sticking off of it. Sometimes there's one pointing up and left and a 2nd one pointing back and right; other times left and right are switched. I spent way too much of the movie paying attention to this ludicrously insignificant detail, which to me is a sign that the director should have just picked one hairstyle and stayed with it.
There is a passing nod to Asimov's Laws of Robotics, which always earns a point in my book, and there's not much meanness on display. No effort whatsoever is invested in explanations as to why a little-boy substitute would have machines guns built into his anatomy, and generally it seems that the filmmakers didn't expect the audience to spend a lot of time thinking.
They got the result you'd expect: mild, mindless entertainment, not bad if you like that kind of thing, certainly not awful, but nothing you'll remember even a week or so later.
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