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!
88 Reviews
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.
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!
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.
Sweet-natured, colourful and fun- a good animated film that could have been more
TheLittleSongbird7 August 2013
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
Nice family movie
yannigk29 October 2009
I never expected to see some high-art film when I saw the trailer for the movie. It's Astro Boy, the kid fighting evil aliens or robots on Saturday mornings. I expect it to be just a movie about a young super kid fighting.. well.. robots and aliens.
So when I walked into the movie I was pleasantly surprised that there are more than fighting in the movie. I was touched in many places where the father (Dr. Tenma) and son (Toby/ Astro)'s bittersweet relationship is shown. The acting is GREAT! Both by the actors (Nicholas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, they're all great) and by the animators in Hong Kong.
There are also many funny moments, although not enough time was given to laugh at them. I wish the pacing was a bit slower at the start of the movie (but I read many people were bored at the start of the movie). Well.. the problem is that they need to zip in all the story about the beginning of Astroboy, in about 15-20 minutes time.
I love the little robots like Trash Can and the RRF. They are such relief makers in the movie. Most of the funny moments came from them.
I read reviews about certain political agendas etc, in the movie. But i disagree. Those statements are only made to support the story, and shouldn't be looked at with too much thought. Remember this is a kid's movie, and should be taken lightly as an entertainment source, don't think too much about it.
I don't really get why the box office for this movie is so bad. I mean, this is WAY BETTER THAN Bee Movie, or Space Chimps, or Open Season 2... SERIOUSLY. It deserves better.
I went to see this movie on a Saturday and there were a lot of parents with kids in the cinema. When the movie finished the kids were happy and thrilled and said "That was awesome!" Take your kids to this movie. They'll love it.
So when I walked into the movie I was pleasantly surprised that there are more than fighting in the movie. I was touched in many places where the father (Dr. Tenma) and son (Toby/ Astro)'s bittersweet relationship is shown. The acting is GREAT! Both by the actors (Nicholas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, they're all great) and by the animators in Hong Kong.
There are also many funny moments, although not enough time was given to laugh at them. I wish the pacing was a bit slower at the start of the movie (but I read many people were bored at the start of the movie). Well.. the problem is that they need to zip in all the story about the beginning of Astroboy, in about 15-20 minutes time.
I love the little robots like Trash Can and the RRF. They are such relief makers in the movie. Most of the funny moments came from them.
I read reviews about certain political agendas etc, in the movie. But i disagree. Those statements are only made to support the story, and shouldn't be looked at with too much thought. Remember this is a kid's movie, and should be taken lightly as an entertainment source, don't think too much about it.
I don't really get why the box office for this movie is so bad. I mean, this is WAY BETTER THAN Bee Movie, or Space Chimps, or Open Season 2... SERIOUSLY. It deserves better.
I went to see this movie on a Saturday and there were a lot of parents with kids in the cinema. When the movie finished the kids were happy and thrilled and said "That was awesome!" Take your kids to this movie. They'll love it.
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.
Excellent movie for kids and adults
saggnev7 November 2009
Before going to see Astro Boy I decided to read some of the comments that were posted here. I read reviews by some who liked the movie as well as by some who did not like the movie. With an average score of 6.4 I went to see the movie with relatively low expectations although I got the feeling that those who did not like the movie were mostly upset about the movie not being "true" to the original TV series and were having some issues with certain characters reminding them of other characters such as Pinocchio. Well, I did not see the original TV series so I did not care whether or not the movie and the TV series were similar enough. I also did not mind that some of the side kicks may have had some resemblance to characters from other movies. The bottom line is that my 5.5 year old and I loved Astro Boy!
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!
Lots of fun
wliia27 October 2009
This was a really good movie. I really enjoyed this. Granted I'm not a fan of Astro Boy, but I still enjoyed this film. The voice actors delivered great performances. Nathan Lane was brilliant as Ham Egg, as was Kristen Bell as Cora. Freddie Highmore did great as Astro, and as much as everyone groans whenever Nicolas Cage is mentioned, he did a wonderful job as Dr. Tenma. The action in this film was great. I was never bored during the film. It had a lot of great stuff, and some funny moments. It's a great animated film that delivers on action, great performances and awesome sequences. I had a great time with Astro Boy. I hope it does for you too.
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.
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
Far from awful... but something's missing
Wizard-813 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I must confess I am not an expert when it comes to the "Astro Boy" universe - I've only seen a few episodes of the animated television show, and I have only looked at a few pages of the original manga. So I don't know how close this movie is to the original creation of "Astro Boy". Anyway, I'll start with what I found positive about this movie. First, the animation is pretty good. Maybe not up to Pixar, but it's bright, colorful, and catches your eye. Also, the movie moves along at a brisk clip, never becoming boring at any moment.
But at the same time, I felt something was lacking with this movie. I thought about why this was for some time, and I came up with two possible reasons. First, when it comes to the HUMAN side of the movie, often the movie comes short. For example, the death of a key character in the beginning of the movie does not provoke the appropriate emotional response from others. Elsewhere, there were plenty of moments when the characters didn't seem fleshed out enough. The second problem was that the movie doesn't seem to have one clear vision. This probably comes from the fact that the movie was a Hong Kong-Japan-USA co-production. Often, as a result of so many cooks on this project, the movie seems a mix of different sensibilities.
If you're interested in computer animation, and/or you're a kid, you'll probably find enough here to entertain you. If you're not, you should probably not go out of your way to watch this. It's not an awful movie, but you will see it could have been a lot better.
But at the same time, I felt something was lacking with this movie. I thought about why this was for some time, and I came up with two possible reasons. First, when it comes to the HUMAN side of the movie, often the movie comes short. For example, the death of a key character in the beginning of the movie does not provoke the appropriate emotional response from others. Elsewhere, there were plenty of moments when the characters didn't seem fleshed out enough. The second problem was that the movie doesn't seem to have one clear vision. This probably comes from the fact that the movie was a Hong Kong-Japan-USA co-production. Often, as a result of so many cooks on this project, the movie seems a mix of different sensibilities.
If you're interested in computer animation, and/or you're a kid, you'll probably find enough here to entertain you. If you're not, you should probably not go out of your way to watch this. It's not an awful movie, but you will see it could have been a lot better.
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.
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.
Astro Boy: A Superpowered Pinocchio
DarkVulcan2928 October 2009
Well that was probably the idea when Japan created the character back in the 50's. The character keeps getting brought through the 60's to the 80's, and now it's 2009.
Set in the future, a scientist(voiced by Nicolas Cage) is drowning in sadness, cause he lost his son(voiced by Freddie Highmore) in a laboratory accident, almost a year later he builds a robotic replica of his son(also Freddie Highmore). But when he turns out to smart for his own, The scientists starts to feel guilty for trying to play god, and demands he be taking away. But the boy discovers he is not quite like other boys. He hears what they said, and he quickly runs away. And tries to get used to being a robot, during that he comes some outcast kids at a junk yard, he soon becomes apart of there family, but does not tell them he's a robot, cause he doesn't want to feel like a freak. He also gets the name Astro. But what happens when an evil pollition(voiced by Donald Sutherland) slowly closes in on him?
Awesome animation, since The Incredibles and Meet the Robinsons. And such great actors doing awesome voice over. Astro Boy is really a must see for kids and adults.
Set in the future, a scientist(voiced by Nicolas Cage) is drowning in sadness, cause he lost his son(voiced by Freddie Highmore) in a laboratory accident, almost a year later he builds a robotic replica of his son(also Freddie Highmore). But when he turns out to smart for his own, The scientists starts to feel guilty for trying to play god, and demands he be taking away. But the boy discovers he is not quite like other boys. He hears what they said, and he quickly runs away. And tries to get used to being a robot, during that he comes some outcast kids at a junk yard, he soon becomes apart of there family, but does not tell them he's a robot, cause he doesn't want to feel like a freak. He also gets the name Astro. But what happens when an evil pollition(voiced by Donald Sutherland) slowly closes in on him?
Awesome animation, since The Incredibles and Meet the Robinsons. And such great actors doing awesome voice over. Astro Boy is really a must see for kids and adults.
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.
Refreshing Change
qfanatiq29 January 2010
This tackles animation in a different way from a lot of the past recent animated films.
It is a beautifully crafted piece with a great and crisp finish to the feel, movement and enjoyment of the film.
Touching in places with good characters. More of a serious cartoon with fewer laughs than found in typical animated films.
It is a good light introduction to Manga although there are many types of Manga animation styles. This is built up using a multitude of emotions, felt by all the main characters and filtering a few layers down giving it a very real world feel despite it being shown in the future.
It is not hard to imagine this almost being a real possibility for the future. However, you can still feel the fantasy of it. With that you can draw between the lines and see how this could have been done on the flip side, turning it into a bright, fun, funny and cutesy too feel good extended cartoon.
Good for all ages and fans of animation. A big screen treat. I will am very much looking forward to the BluRay release.
It is a beautifully crafted piece with a great and crisp finish to the feel, movement and enjoyment of the film.
Touching in places with good characters. More of a serious cartoon with fewer laughs than found in typical animated films.
It is a good light introduction to Manga although there are many types of Manga animation styles. This is built up using a multitude of emotions, felt by all the main characters and filtering a few layers down giving it a very real world feel despite it being shown in the future.
It is not hard to imagine this almost being a real possibility for the future. However, you can still feel the fantasy of it. With that you can draw between the lines and see how this could have been done on the flip side, turning it into a bright, fun, funny and cutesy too feel good extended cartoon.
Good for all ages and fans of animation. A big screen treat. I will am very much looking forward to the BluRay release.
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.
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.
Why is it so dark ?
ebiros216 October 2011
Based on a manga by the late Osamu Tezuka, this US version of Astro Boy only takes cursory hint from the original story, and reinvents the entire story.
Dr. Tenma loses his son Tobi, and to substitute for the loss, creates the robot Astro Boy in the image of his late son.
First, the image of this movie is very dark. I see this frequently in 3D animation. I guess it's to hide some weakness that's yet to be overcome in this technology, but this makes things look creepy. A movie that's targeted (I believe) for young audience looks like horror movie in its visuals. Second, the charm that was there in the original Astro Boy saga has been totally stripped away in this Hollywood version. It's increased "reality" is in the wrong direction, and slowed the story down considerably. This often happens in movies translated from original comics (Like Marvel's Fantastic Four). The original manga had lot more speed, and brilliance to the story.
It's recommended that Tezuka's manga be read, and '60s TV anime series seen before seeing this movie. '60s anime series was supervised by Tezuka himself, and there were lot more emotion, and action to Astro Boy's character. People surrounding Astro Boy were lot more "human" as well. Even the more recent TV anime series had better pace than this movie.
So not a very good translation from the original material, and is not recommended for viewing.
Dr. Tenma loses his son Tobi, and to substitute for the loss, creates the robot Astro Boy in the image of his late son.
First, the image of this movie is very dark. I see this frequently in 3D animation. I guess it's to hide some weakness that's yet to be overcome in this technology, but this makes things look creepy. A movie that's targeted (I believe) for young audience looks like horror movie in its visuals. Second, the charm that was there in the original Astro Boy saga has been totally stripped away in this Hollywood version. It's increased "reality" is in the wrong direction, and slowed the story down considerably. This often happens in movies translated from original comics (Like Marvel's Fantastic Four). The original manga had lot more speed, and brilliance to the story.
It's recommended that Tezuka's manga be read, and '60s TV anime series seen before seeing this movie. '60s anime series was supervised by Tezuka himself, and there were lot more emotion, and action to Astro Boy's character. People surrounding Astro Boy were lot more "human" as well. Even the more recent TV anime series had better pace than this movie.
So not a very good translation from the original material, and is not recommended for viewing.
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.
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.
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...
Corrupt Message
srivett-1675710 November 2018
I watched the first half of this movie on the laptop and then browsed the internet while the second half played on without me.
You will find that the beginning of the movie does not match the 1980s story development...I have not watched the 1963 series to see if there are any differences between the series.
I really did not appreciate the "joke" about one of the characters committing suicide. One of the Ice Age movies had characters yelling "jump!, jump!" in it too which led to me turning it off in the first 5 minutes. I thought cartoons of this era were always supposed to have an overlying message the watcher was supposed to look for and then it is confirmed at the end of the story.
To continue with the corrupt message, the whole plot was to stop robots for being destroyed. There was one scene where they destroyed a robot and it was made in to a total joke. Then there was a long scene where Astro Boy is killing robots left, right, and centre in some sort of attempt to stop robots from being killed? I didn't get it. Perhaps the intent was to be mindless entertainment but that was not mission of the cartoon I grew up with.
You will find that the beginning of the movie does not match the 1980s story development...I have not watched the 1963 series to see if there are any differences between the series.
I really did not appreciate the "joke" about one of the characters committing suicide. One of the Ice Age movies had characters yelling "jump!, jump!" in it too which led to me turning it off in the first 5 minutes. I thought cartoons of this era were always supposed to have an overlying message the watcher was supposed to look for and then it is confirmed at the end of the story.
To continue with the corrupt message, the whole plot was to stop robots for being destroyed. There was one scene where they destroyed a robot and it was made in to a total joke. Then there was a long scene where Astro Boy is killing robots left, right, and centre in some sort of attempt to stop robots from being killed? I didn't get it. Perhaps the intent was to be mindless entertainment but that was not mission of the cartoon I grew up with.
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