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Astro Boy (2009)

Director: David Bowers

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3 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

David Bowers’s fond retooling of ‘Astro Boy’, the seminal boy-bot creation of late Manga godhead Osamu Tezuka, is about as innocuous as family toons get. Set in the floating future world of Metro City, it’s the story of a young boy (Freddie Highmore) accidentally vaporised in an industrial accident, only to be rebuilt as a miniature robot gunship by his scientist father (Nicolas Cage). Donald Sutherland lends his voice to ultra-right-wing demagogue President Stone, who lusts for state-of-the-art firepower while spouting militarist buzzwords and allowing the audience to ally with the now-shunned Astro Boy and his new cadre of plucky outcasts. While far from an unmitigated disaster, Bowers’s play-it-straight attitude towards the material combined with the crisp, if unspectacular, animation doesn’t allow ‘Astro Boy’ a moment to bob its head above the ever-swelling digimation pack. Though it may pass muster with the very wee ones.

Author: David Jenkins

Time Out London Issue 2059: 4 - 10 February, 2010

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User reviews of this film

pjf said...

Posted on Apr 14 2010 23:05 my girls loved it (5,and 6). great film, made , i think, genuinely and especially for kids, no subtley embedded sexual inuendo , or clever , in, adult humour, which was refreshing, but still enough depth and story to keep me, a 35 year old grumpy mid-lifer happy for an hour and a bit. simple well done hero story, engaging characters, fine visuals, nice soundtrack, what else do you want???

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qsim said...

Posted on Feb 17 2010 16:30 itz unkool

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Rv said...

Posted on Feb 02 2010 15:02 We thought it was brilliant. Great for kids AND adults, and a great intro to the manga.

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