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Astro Boy – PG
Review by David Adams
- 11/2/2009
The Story
In this computer-animated adventure, MetroCity orbits Earth.The space island's inhabitants lack for nothing, thanks to robots.MetroCity dumps its used robots onto huge trash heaps that pollute Earth.On MetroCity, Dr. Tenma (voice of Nicolas Cage), inventor of the robots, mourns the death of his son Toby (Freddie Highmore), a brilliant but willful child.In his grief, Tenma creates a robotic clone of his son, powered by a core of positive but unpredictable blue energy.MetroCity’s ambitious Mayor Stone (Donald Sutherland) wants blue energy for himself and, when Tenma rejects Toby’s clone because he’s unlike his beloved son, robot Toby escapes to Earth.There, he joins Cora (Kristen Bell) and a rag-tag group of orphaned children who work for Ham Egg (Nathan Lane), a showman who rebuilds robots to fight in the arena.Robot Toby renames himself “Astro” because he comes from the skies.
Will Mayor Stone capture Astro and start a war between MetroCity and Earth?Does Astro reveal his secret to Cora?Can Toby/Astro and his father reunite?“Astro Boy” has the answers.
The Actors
Voice-actor Nicolas Cage sleepwalks (sleep-talks?) the role of conflicted father/inventor Dr. Tenma, but young Freddie Highmore is high-spirited as smarty-pants robotic son Toby/Astro.He’s delighted to discover he can fly.And he’s got rockets in his feet and cannons in his chest and butt.What’s not to like?Donald Sutherland is the voice of Mayor Stone who wants to control MetroCity and Earth.Kristen Bell is young earthling Cora who likes Astro but doesn’t know his secret.Nathan Lane is duplicitous, Fagin-like Ham Egg.
Others in the cast include Samuel L. Jackson as Zog the giant construction robot, Bill Nighy as Dr. Elefun, Einstein-like scientist, Eugene Levy as Orrin, and Charlize Theron as the narrator.
Other Comments
“Astro Boy” is a manga-inspired, computer-animated action adventure.David Bowers directs, from a script he and Timothy Harris wrote.Japanese cartoonist Osamu Tezuka created “Astro Boy” in 1951.(Japan has a slightly altered version of the film.)The father-son alienation plot might be too heavy for small fry, but older kids will enjoy the colorful action adventure, played for thrills rather than laughs.Adults will catch references to a dozen other films including “Pinocchio,” “A.I.,” “Star Wars,” “Transformers,” “WALL-E,” “Harry Potter,” and “I, Robot.”Adults will also note that Astro comes from the sky, has remarkable powers, and comes back from apparent death.
Rated PG for action, peril and brief mild language.“Astro Boy” runs 94 minutes.
Final Words
“Astro Boy’s” robotic,
Human – half and half –
Computer animation,
Action, more than laughs.
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