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Astro Boy (2009) More at IMDbPro »

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30 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
Amazingly BETTER than expected, 17 October 2009

Author: berrorg from Canada

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!

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16 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
A real surprise!, 13 October 2009

Author: kewlmatto from Queensland, Australia

*** This comment may contain 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.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
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, 2 November 2009

Author: dbborroughs from Glen Cove, New York

*** This comment may contain 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

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8 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Nice family movie, 29 October 2009

Author: (yannigk) from NJ

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.

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8 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Pleasantly Surprised, Kids Loved It, 26 October 2009

Author: Trangor from United States

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.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
an ATOM BOMB of Spectacular Goodness, 13 November 2009

Author: raymund salao from Philippines

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.

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5 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Positive vibes, 28 October 2009

Author: badidosh from Philippines

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.

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Good Family Movie, 13 November 2009

Author: k-doyen from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

A movie all the kids can see while the parents won't be bored. Values like responsibility, friendship, and honor are the main themes here. Bonus is action, humor, and excellent animation style. Set in the future a bright young boy (Toby) dies in an accident and his grieving father (Dr. Tenma) replaces him with the most modern robot (Astro) there is, complete with the memories and feelings of Toby. Tenma then rejects Astro and Astro is attacked by the military. He escapes, meets friends, learns what it's like to "fit in" and when the time comes he must make the "ultimate sacrifice" in order to save the people whom he loves. I enjoyed the plot and the characters were not just stereotypical personalities but real enough to draw you into the story. I brought my daughter and one of her friends. They also liked it.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
The Best Movie I've Seen in 2009, 8 November 2009

Author: Julius Uy from Philippines

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

(Contains some Christian perspective. I sincerely have no intention to offend non-Christians and I'm really sorry if I would offend someone.) It was winter of 1961, a time when the streets of America was covered in a blanket of snow. On January 20 that year, a man who may have been the most popular president in the nation made his way on top of the platform. For the next fourteen minutes, he delivered an inaugural address that is still honored to this very day. At the end of that speech, he made this comment: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." That president, was John F. Kennedy.

I loved that line, until I realized that there's something more we can do to augment that passage. If I would rephrase that line today, I might as well say, "Ask not what your country can do for you - neither ask what you can do for your country - but ask what you and your country, or better, you and the whole world, can do together." Astroboy was a showcase for thinkers. As for me who has been dealing with morality for all I know, find this movie among the most amazing I've ever watched. Some may not care about slavery, power trip, or life's purpose... but I do... and it's my passion.

I sat down the theater expecting little from this movie as people have given it negative remarks. Yet at the end of the show, I was perhaps the most ecstatic who walked out of the big screen.

The animations were great. The voice actors? Just wow! And the sounds? Wonderful. These however, are less concerns for me. For what made me love Astroboy the way it is weren't these although they have obviously contributed somehow. What I loved about Astroboy is the philosophy tied to it mainly: Slavery, Power, and Purpose.

On Slavery, One may not have to think too deep to see how humans in the movie treated the robots. Hasn't it been an issue that the world is trying to wrestle? the fact is that it was, and still is. To treat slaves as nothing more than mindless creation built for the service of the greater is to make a mockery of the sanctity of life. I can see it through the eyes of the makers because we have house-helps here... and I would say that sometimes, they weren't treated as they are supposed to be. We must never forget that any time we discriminate someone because of their race, social status, culture, economic status, or even gender, is an insult to humankind. I can see the robots here that portrays the feelings of the servants who are simply thrown out when they are no longer needed. There was a scene (SPOILER ALERT) in the movie where Astro had a conversation with one of the Robots in a sea of scrap metals called the Surface. "This is what happens to us when they don't need us anymore," shares the robot, who looked like a mechanical zombie. This is saddening as I look at street children abandoned by their parents and old grandparents abandoned by those whom they once had taken care of. Perhaps, this could help us, not open our eyes, but more so, to lift our entire body for action.

On Power, Albeit comically, this has done a great job in portraying the some presidents of the world today. As bad as it may sound, President Stone had been on his own trip for power, bypassing moral judgments with his own ambition to power... and even when his ratings plunges all time low, insisted on maintaining his throne through extra-constitutional means. I've once heard of the saying, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." He who cannot handle power, deserves no right to hold it. The movie portrays what happens when a power monger goes on a power trip and those in position turns a blind eye. Again, this hopefully, can help us move one step forward in an action to keep the sanity of our leaders in check.

On Life's Purpose, Astroboy definitely had a one liner that made me love the whole thing. (SPOILER ALERT) At the end of the movie, a monster suddenly appears that threatens the life of many. Astroboy looked at his dad and prepares to battle the villain. His father asked him, "Son, are you sure you want to do this?" Astroboy, without batting an eyelid, smiled at his dad saying, "Yes dad, this is what I was made for." and flies away.

"This is what I was made for." In regular terms, this doesn't mean a thing. For Christians, this means the whole world. Any Christian who's been serving in the ministry will tell you that those seven words mean so much. Ephesians 2:10 seems to sum it all up. It says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." This is what we are made for. Let's not forget that God has planted a longing for every person to do the right thing because that's exactly what gives life its direction. Every time you do good, you move forward in life. This is what God has made us for. My friends, let us not forget our mission here. This is our purpose.

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Conclusion? I love it. I love Astroboy and if there's one movie that I wanna watch again, there's no doubt, this is the one. I've never made such an extensive review of a film. This just shows how much I loved it. People won't appreciate Astroboy if they are not action oriented and philosophically driven. But if you look for the things you can learn after seeing the movie, Astroboy is one thing you're gonna enjoy.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent movie for kids and adults, 7 November 2009

Author: saggnev from United States

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!

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