Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell

Astro Boy follows the adventures of a young-yet-powerful robot who, in the hopes of winning his inventor-father’s heart, sets off on a quest to rid the world of evil. However, he soon discovers...( read more  read more... ) that his home, Metro City, stands on the brink of destruction, and it is up to him to save the day as well as his friends and family.

Flixster Users

59% liked it

4,944 ratings

Critics

48% liked it

82 critics

PG, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: David Bowers

Release Date: October 23, 2009

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Stats: 2,764 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,764)


  • October 30, 2009
    Picture
    If you're a fan of sleek computer animated fare the likes of which Pixar is known for: spot-on casting; impeccable animation; and a powerful, nearly perfect plot--then you've come to see the wrong movie. Astro Boy is nowhere near the level of a Pixar film, but you already...( read more) knew that. Just look at the film's trailer and yuo will notice the more crude style of animation and the atypical voice cast including--Nic Cage?

    But, then again, it's never Astro Boy's intention to compete with its upper crust superiors. It simply exists to appease the appetite of fanboys who have been following the Astro Boy saga for decades. It is a film tailor-made for people who appreciate nostalgia over substance--and even over style. That's not to say that this movie is bad, by any stretch.

    After a brush with tragedy, Astro Boy is reconstructed and shaped to be a stronger, more agile version of a boy whose father is blindly seeking to replace. But soon, things take a turn into the fantastical realm of adventure as the boy finds out that he's capable of being much more than just a "good boy." He can fly, scale building and use his jet propulsion to ward off the enemy (in this case voiced by a malevolent version of Donal Sutherland.)

    The movie is campy; not very well-animated and still a pleasure to watch. It's not really important in which medium the story is told--but that it's being told to begin with. And, although the story may be somewhat predictable and done a million times before, the film is evidently a labor of love by those who were dedicated to its creation. It's nothing to be ashamed of by any means.

    So, while some fans may not appreciate its levels of execution, the die-hards will surely feel appeased and may even go as far as saying they enjoyed it. I have never really been a fan; but I found myself having a good time (once I got over any preconceived notions of what I was going to watch.) It's good family fun with a nod to the kids who grew up wondering what it would be like to be a boy with such power. To those who may still be wondering, all you have to do is step into the world of Astro Boy and find out for youself.
  • October 28, 2009
    nicky cage and donny sutherland endeavor mightily but cannot save this from tired mediocre writing...
  • October 25, 2009
    what a fun movie. the flick contained a few logical flaws in the script and nicholas cage's voice didnt fit his character all that well, but i liked every other thing about this film quite a bit. the movie was fun, the script was concieved well, and the characters all fit into ...( read more)the story well. this is about as good as one can expect from an animated film.
  • October 25, 2009
    Astro: [excited] I got machine guns...in my butt!

    A poorly made CG film adaptation of the classic manga/anime Astro Boy. There are some nice looking action sequences, but for a premise which deals with a lot of dark material and complex themes, this film misses every single dr...( read more)amatic note that would be required to have an effective story.

    Set in a future time, where the main part of society now exists on Metro City, a city floating in earth's sky, the story follows Toby, a brilliant little boy, who's father, Dr. Tenma (voiced by Nic Cage), is a top scientist working on some top secret stuff for military funding. During a demonstration, a freak accident ends in the death of Toby.

    Faster than you can say emotional story beat, Dr. Tenma goes seemingly mad with grief and builds a robot replica of his son, with all the same memories and powered by powerful blue energy core that stands for good. However, Dr. Tenma doesn't feel anything for this robot copy and rejects Toby.

    Toby is eventually chased by the military, hoping to harness his core power, eventually resulting in Toby's fleeing to the earth's surface, where he meets some new friends his age and seeks to find his true meaning in his new life as a powerful robot.

    There is potential for so many different story arcs and themes to be explored deeper, but the movie does not want to take advantage of any of that. Instead, there are a lot fast-paced plot switches and action scenes, which may look nice but don't a good movie make. And it's not fair to say that as a kid's movie this shouldn't be a problem, because there are plenty of films geared towards children that do address story elements to enhance the the drama and characters, opposed to action.

    So what's left to say...its colorful, there is action, some good voice work, but nothing handled well enough for a compelling story, save for very few elements.

    Ham Egg: Wait, robots aren't aloud to harm humans. Its a 50 year old law.
    Zog: I'm old school.
  • November 3, 2009
    CGI cartoons have too quickly become standardized. When it became popular, every one that came out was magnificent, or at least the effort could be observed. AstroBoy is more like a TV cartoon that was drawn out. There is no grand sense of story. Events were just placed to be the...( read more)re to keep the story going. It didn't have me intently watching to see where it went. It was more just passing time. If I had to go to the bathrrom I would not have hesitated.

    The voices were good, but they were given to a lame movie. There were lots of recognizable voices. How the director could go from Flushed Away to this, I'll never know.

    Nothing creative or unique was done from the story to the action to the animation. It's not an offensive, upsetting, or poor movie. It's just nothing that was going to keep my attention. It was lame.

    The kids were entertained. The few who were in there weren't yelling or didn't seem to get restless. It was a morning show, so there weren't too many people.

    If your kids were wanting to see it, maybe you could rent it, but it's not going to be anything you'll be interested in watching.
  • November 11, 2009
    Recordar es volver a vivir... :D muy buena realizacion, pude reconocer los personajes principales... no recuerdo la historia de Astro boy asi que esta version es bastante aceptable
  • November 11, 2009
    yesssssssss yesssssssss
  • November 11, 2009
    astro boy, we love u...
  • November 10, 2009
    Great movie, followed along well with the old cartoon, But what was with the aliens??
  • November 10, 2009
    Cute movie for little kids......

Critic Reviews


October 26, 2009
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

I just felt like this was a mistranslation -- almost trying to combine the slightly sinister, cold world of Japanese anime with the warm, sentimental, fuzzy, bouncy world of Hollywood kid animation. full review

October 23, 2009
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Awesome. Truly. full review

October 23, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Tthis CG-animated adaptation of the Japanese comic classic feels derivative but moderately entertaining, particularly in some of the highflying visuals. full review

October 22, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Astro Boy alternately soars and sputters through a story line that's not quite sure who it's aimed at. full review

October 22, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Astro Boy is better than most of its recent competitors, such as Monsters vs. Aliens and Kung Fu Panda. full review

October 21, 2009
Nick Schager, Time Out New York

In its best moments, the film exudes an almost Miyazakian love of flight, notably during the hero's maiden soar through the clouds. full review

View more Astro Boy (AstroBoy) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • omarabs
    October 23, 2009
    it is very nice movie
  • Rosepetal75
    January 14, 2009
    http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/astroboy/index.html

    http://www.astroboy-themovie.com/

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