Astro Boy (2009)

A lot of fun.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I don't know anything about the original Astro Boy so my review can't compare and see if it is any worse or improved.I did like the movie The animation was absolutely beautiful. I like the style in which it was done, almost reminds one of older animation movies but still of high quality.The story is pretty interesting. It is a great introduction of the kid into the sci fi world. It has a bit of dystopia, robots, the wondering if robots can feel. For an adult watching it with a kid it is also entertaining. The robots used as gladiators and the fight scenes were pretty fun.

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

This movie is by far one of the best I've seen in recent months - and one of the best animated ones I have seen in my entire lifetime. The story was both captivating and endearing, full of sacrifice and friendship, following the tragic death of Toby Tenma. What may have seemed a simple "replacement" for his son turned out to be far more than that; a kind and loving boy that would capture the hearts of many for his selfless acts. I thought this film had excellent voice acting, especially that provided by Freddie Highmore, but most deserve credit for the job they did. The film achieved a great balance of action and adventure. Humour was also present throughout, and I found President Stone (voiced by Donald Sutherland) especially quirky, like an evil genius of sorts... only not a genius.The animations were aesthetically pleasing, especially during the battle scenes which I found especially satisfying. Watching Toby become more adept with his new-found skills was also a fun experience, especially some of the hidden weapons he found available in his arsenal!The only problem I encountered for this film was the ending - a random alien attack? What is all that about? I thought it would have been better to end it before then, unless they plan on making a sequel to this film.All in all, I thought this was an outstanding animated film and, although not quite as good as others in the field such as Wall-E, this is still a great movie for kids and one I would highly recommend watching.

Based on the Manga by Osamu Tezuka, this film tells the story of how Astro Boy was made and how he saved the residents of his home. I'll admit I haven't read the Manga or seen any of the TV series based on it made in the 1960's. It's quite a witty and interesting tale with quite a bit of drama thrown in for good measure. But more of my thoughts later, here's a brief summary first (summary haters and those who don't wish to know anything about the plot please sort out that pile of robot parts over there while I write the next paragraph).NOTE: There is what may be a spoiler to some in this summary… You have been warned! Toby lives in Metro City which floats in the sky above the Earth, which is polluted and not a great place to be. The people there are waited on hand and foot by robots that are the invention of Toby's father, Dr. Tenma. He is working alongside his friend Dr. Elefun on a project for President Stone called Peacemaker, a giant fighting robot. Toby, wanting to see the demonstration goes to the Ministry of Science and sneaks into the testing room. When the demonstration goes wrong the robot goes berserk and Toby is killed. Grief stricken, his father builds a robot that looks like Toby and, using his DNA, gives it all of his memories too. It is brought to life by a special power source that is thought to be only for good. Eventually the robot Toby finds himself down on the Earth's surface where he meets new friends and has some great adventures… I've probably said too much, but that will do for now.There are elements of other films in this one; in particular I found many similarities to Steven Spielberg's 2001 film, A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Having said that, it is quite entertaining and there is a lot of humour both in the dialogue and some great sight gags too. The performances were OK, but it is hard to judge from a voice, so honourable mentions go to the voice talents of; Freddie Highmore as Astro/Toby, Nicolas Cage as Dr. Tenma, Donald Sutherland as President Stone, Bill Nighy as Dr. Elefun/Robotsky and Kristen Bell as Cora.I don't dislike this film; in fact there is a lot to like about it. It asks a lot of its audience and as such I found it quite strange to watch. On one hand it's an animated film aimed at kids, with lots of jokes and plenty of adventure. But on the other hand it has a much darker story about a man losing his child and trying to replace him with a robot. But at the end of the day it's an entertaining watch and so… Recommended.My score: 6.4/10