Astro Boy Review

Astro Boy

Release Date: 15th October 2009 – Australia

Production Companies

Imagi Animation Studios

Imagi Crystal

Summit Entertainment

Tezuka Productions

Distribution

Hoyts Distribution

Genre: Animation/Family/

Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 94 minutes


Budget: $65,000,000

Box Office Gross: $41,636,243 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Astro Boy is the story of
scientist Dr. Tenma, who
creates a young robot

called Astro Boy to

replace his lost son Toby.

Astro discovers

his incredible powers,

including rocket boosters,

armed laser cannons

and machine guns. Astro

embarks on a journey

when his father rejects

him because he is unlike

his real son. Astro flees

the floating Metro City to

the surface, where he

meets several companions,

including Cora and a dog

named Trashcan.

There is a conflict between
Astro and the Peacekeeper,
who is trying to steal the
energy-wielding Blue Core
from Astro, and they try to
destroy each other in Metro
City, causing much
destruction and mayhem.
Will Astro have what it

takes to bring down the

Peacekeeper with the

assistance of his

companions?

Voice Cast

Freddie Highmore – Astro
Boy/Toby Tenma

Nicolas Cage – Dr. Bill Tenma
Kristen Bell – Cora
Bill Nighy – Dr. Elefun/Robotsky

Donald Sutherland – President Stone
Samuel L. Jackson – Zog

Nathan Lane – Hamegg

Matt Lucas – Sparx

David Bowers – Mike the Fridge
Charlize Theron – 'Our Friends' Narrator
Eugene Levy – Orrin
Dee Bradley Baker – Trashcan
David Alan Grier – Mr. Squirt/

Math Cowboy/Boxer Robot
Alan Tudyk – Mr. Squeegee/Scrapheap

Head/Stinger Two
Newell Alexander – General Heckler
Moises Arias – Zane
Sterling Beaumon – Sludge
Madeline Carroll – Widget
Elle Fanning – Grace
Sofia Bowers – The Little Stinker

Nicole Fletcher – Oh No! Kid

Maryann Garger – Dr. Pigknuckle/

Newscaster (Cameo)

Tiffany Hillkurtz – Bride to Be (Cameo)

David Feiss – Cowboy Robot

Nicholas Guest – French Waiter Robot

Max Burkholder – Billy

Victor Bonavida – Sam

Steve Alterman – Press Secretary

Rif Hutton – Metro City Sergeant

Madeleine Russell – Metro City Girl

Pilar Flynn – Cora's Mom (Cameo)

Tony Matthews – Cora's Dad (Cameo)

Crew

Story/Writer/Director – David Bowers
"Astro Boy" Manga Creator – Osamu Tezuka

Writer – Timothy Harris

Additional Story Material – Colin Brady
Story Consultant – Michael Lachance
Executive Producers – Francis Kao,
Cecil Kramer, Ken Tsumura and Paul Wang

Line Producer – Pilar Flynn
Producer – Maryann Garger
Creative Consultants – Yoshihiro Shimizu
and Macoto Tezuka
Production Designer – Sam Michlap
Art Director – Jake Rowell

Head of Creative and Art – Felix Ip
Character Designer – Luis Grané
Costume Designer – Jane Poole

Head of Story – Kevin Johnson

Production Managers – Sefine Leung,

Tony Matthews and Emerald Wong

Head of Animation – Tim Cheung
Animation Directors – Jakob Hjort Jensen
and Kim Ooi
Supervising Animators – Lai Lok Chau,

Szeto Fai, Grass Cho, Wong Joe,

Kenneth Leung and Phoenix Wong

Director of Photography – Pepe Valencia

Visual Effects Supervisor – Yan Chen

Film Editor – Robert Anich

Additional Editor – John Venzon

Second Editor – Tiffany Hillkurtz

Supervising Sound Editor – Richard L. Anderson

Sound Mixers – James Bolt and

Nerses Gezalyan

Re-Recording Mixer – Elliot Tyson

Music – John Ottman

Review

If I remember correctly, ASTRO BOY was on Cartoon Network, and it made a difference for me to discover it came from Japan. That's how the term "anime" popped into my head. I watched the 80s and 2003 series and became aware of their history when it was the turning point for manga and anime. At 17 years old, I was vacationing in Hervey Bay, Queensland, when I first saw the movie, and it is not like the source material its creator, the late Osamu Tezuka, had conceived decades ago. It is the last animated feature produced by Imagi Animation Studios, and it's a shame that the animation studio won't be able to make another film after ASTRO BOY, which flopped hard financially and may have closed down the studio.

While ASTRO BOY has the heart and action of the manga and anime TV series, the film iteration could have been better in live-action and in the 3D aspect rather than animation. It would have made for a more appealing visual display. It has a lot of charm, albeit with some chuckles. All that is missing in the movie is a soul and an engaging plot, which would make it work. I'm slightly disappointed that the filmmakers had altered Astro's age into a 13-year-old. The CG animation is alright but needs anime-like qualities seen in the Japanese show. The actors Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Bill Nighy and others were well-chosen for the character roles that they were portraying.

The film certainly doesn't come across as loyal to the anime series, but it has its own story rather than an actual adaptation. Overall, it is a good movie for all ages and fans who have grown up watching Astro Boy.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

Back to Home