Tthis CG-animated adaptation of the Japanese comic classic feels derivative but moderately entertaining, particularly in some of the highflying visuals.
Comment
10/23/09
Astro Boy (2009)
48
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:83
Fresh:40
Rotten:43
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: While it isn't terribly original, and it seems to have a political agenda that may rankle some viewers, Astro Boy boasts enough visual thrills to please its target demographic.
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Few characters have made as powerful or as lasting an impression on international popular culture as Astro Boy. The little robot first appeared in 1951 as a character in the celebrated artist and... [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy, Freddie Highmore
Director: David Bowers
Reviews for Astro Boy
Hollywood's attempts to do the anime style never seem to get it ... That Astro Boy gets at least some of the elements right could be seen as some kind of triumph -- just not enough of one to induce us to recommend it.
10/23/09
Strictly for small fry.
10/23/09
The fun and merriment take a backseat to the sci-fi elements, which are probably not what the intended audience is looking for.
10/23/09
Any critic who complained about the lack of story in "Where the Wild Things Are" should be forced to watch the escapades and high jinks of "Astro Boy" on a loop until they realize that activity is not to be confused with actual storytelling.
10/22/09
Summit Entertainment has tried just a little too hard to broaden the appeal of its new computer-animated feature Astro Boy.
10/22/09
If you think it's a good idea to begin a movie for children by killing off a young boy in an industrial accident as his father looks on, raise your hand. Anyone?
10/22/09
The cheap '60s Japanese TV cartoon series... is updated into a cheap and sometimes unsettling computer-animated adventure.
10/22/09
I wish the film version of Astro Boy provided a stronger antidote to mediocrity....the script takes its sweet time establishing its rules and locale, then rolls in one too many subplots.
10/22/09
Although Astro Boy has its moments, in a movie year already crowded with animated successes, it may not have the superhuman strength to stand out.
10/22/09
It's harsh, but it's sweetened by Toby -- he's not a real boy, but he's a classic hero.
10/22/09
A morbidly insensitive insult.
10/22/09
This animated adaptation of the Japanese comics characters and concepts appears to have been cobbled together from parts of other, better movies.
10/22/09
Astro Boy alternately soars and sputters through a story line that’s not quite sure who it’s aimed at.
10/22/09
fails to satisfy on any emotional or intellectual level.
10/22/09
The movie never soars like Astro Boy, but it does rise above the lack of promise that prevails in the early scenes, which is a tough thing for any movie to do.
10/22/09
A muddled film full of one-dimensional characters and insultingly strident politics.
10/22/09
It's creepy, and it's weird, and it's something like a mecha minstrel show, particularly in how the film pretends to a 'robots are people too' theme yet fails itself to treat them as such.
10/22/09
dourly imagined tale whose only real value is in explaining the secret behind that pointy hairdo sported by our hero for all these years
10/22/09
Decked out in snazzy computer-generated animation, but comes across as more rote than exhilarating.
10/22/09
Latest News for Astro Boy
October 22, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Astro Boy Doesn't Quite Soar
This week at the movies, we've got an anime hero (Astro Boy, with voice work from Kristen Bell and Nicolas Cage); a vampire war ( Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant,... More...
October 03, 2009:
Astro Boy: Movie Review, Photos, Trailer, Poster 
More...
September 27, 2009:
New: View the Brand New Trailer Here.
More...
August 12, 2009:
Trailer Bulletin: Astro Boy
The full official trailer for Imagi's anime feature finally arrives. More...
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