Astro Boy Fails to Fly
Kejal Vyas
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Life & Leisure
In a year of franchise reboots, creator Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy is given a fresh new start in Computer Generated Images (CGI) . Under director David Bowers, Astro Boy delivers a fun time for the kids, but ultimately fails to entertain older crowds and fans.
After losing his son Toby (Freddie Highmore) to an uncontrollable government robot called "The Peacekeeper" on the floating island Metro City, Dr. Tenma (Nicholas Cage) rebuilds an advanced life-like robotic version of his son. Containing the same memories as his former self, Toby finds himself on the run from the government shortly after discovering what he is capable of. Escaping Metro City to the planet's surface, Toby goes into hiding from the government under the alias of Astro. On the surface Toby struggles with his dual identity as a boy and a robot as he tries to come to terms with his new life.
Suffering from a clichéd good vs. evil plot, Astro Boy brings nothing new to the table when it comes to story. The lack of originality goes as far as utilizing blue and red energy cores to represent positivity and negativity in robots. The characters lack depth and most come across as one-dimensional, making it hard for viewers to attach themselves to any character.
One of the few things the movie has going for it is the beautiful work Imagi Animation Studios has done at creating the animated CGI for the film. The look and feel of the animated character movements create a vibrant and colorful world out of Tezuka's beloved series. Astro's flight sequences, in addition to his fight scenes, are a blast to watch as the action on screen erupts into a series of well choreographed events.
In the end, not even the alluring and elegant animation from Imagi Animation Studios can save Astro Boy's clichéd plot and lack of depth. David Bowers Astro Boy aims high, but fails to reach the stars.
Final Grade - C
After losing his son Toby (Freddie Highmore) to an uncontrollable government robot called "The Peacekeeper" on the floating island Metro City, Dr. Tenma (Nicholas Cage) rebuilds an advanced life-like robotic version of his son. Containing the same memories as his former self, Toby finds himself on the run from the government shortly after discovering what he is capable of. Escaping Metro City to the planet's surface, Toby goes into hiding from the government under the alias of Astro. On the surface Toby struggles with his dual identity as a boy and a robot as he tries to come to terms with his new life.
Suffering from a clichéd good vs. evil plot, Astro Boy brings nothing new to the table when it comes to story. The lack of originality goes as far as utilizing blue and red energy cores to represent positivity and negativity in robots. The characters lack depth and most come across as one-dimensional, making it hard for viewers to attach themselves to any character.
One of the few things the movie has going for it is the beautiful work Imagi Animation Studios has done at creating the animated CGI for the film. The look and feel of the animated character movements create a vibrant and colorful world out of Tezuka's beloved series. Astro's flight sequences, in addition to his fight scenes, are a blast to watch as the action on screen erupts into a series of well choreographed events.
In the end, not even the alluring and elegant animation from Imagi Animation Studios can save Astro Boy's clichéd plot and lack of depth. David Bowers Astro Boy aims high, but fails to reach the stars.
Final Grade - C
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