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Movies / In Theaters / Astro Boy
Astro Boy

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Astro Boy (2009)

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Reviews Counted:85

Fresh:41

Rotten:44

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.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some action and peril, and brief mild language.

Genre: Childrens

Theatrical Release:Oct 23, 2009 Wide

Box Office: $19,073,382

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... 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 animator Osamu Tezuka’s legendary manga(Japanese comic book) and became an instant icon. He was subsequently featured as the star of his own television series in both black-and white and in color, eventually airing in over 40 countries. Astro Boy created the standard for a new form of animation that has become world famous as anime.

Now for the first time, Astro Boy will be brought to life on the big screen. Created with breathtaking computer animation from Imagi Studios, the film Astro Boy is a thrilling tale of a true hero. The film is set to debut in theaters on October 23, 2009.

Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns toMetro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it means to be a hero. --© Summit [More]

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy, Freddie Highmore

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy, Freddie Highmore, Donald Sutherland, Eugene Levy, Nathan Lane, Matt Lucas, Sterling Beaumon, Madeline Carroll, Charlize Theron

Director: David Bowers

Director: David Bowers
Screenwriter: Timothy Harris, David Bowers
Studio: Summit Entertainment

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Reviews for Astro Boy

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21 - 40 (sorted by date)
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Astro Boy is a blast, a jolt of Japanese anime channeled through British slap-shtick that ends up yet another cool cartoon for both kids and adults.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
10/23/09
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

It may creep some people out -- parents more than children, no doubt.

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
10/23/09
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Parents, don't nap while the kids watch.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment 8 Comments
10/23/09
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The CGI animation is crisp and colorful, the characters have some complexity and there is clever enough writing to keep the parents amused while the kids have fun.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
10/23/09
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

What Astro Boy has in spades are energy, good humor, and the demolition-derby action of a superhero smash-up, reasons enough to recommend it to grade-school boys.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
10/23/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

Osamu Tezuka’s groundbreaking 60s anime series gets a stylish CGI update in this sci-fi animation.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
10/23/09
Andrea Gronvall
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader

Astro Boy ultimately fizzles when it should be flying.

Full Review Source: Sci Fi Wire | comment Comment
10/23/09
Todd Gilchrist
Todd Gilchrist
Sci Fi Wire

Action-packed adventure a fun bet for young superhero fans.

Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | comment Comment
10/23/09
Sandie Angulo Chen
Sandie Angulo Chen
Common Sense Media

It's a totally serviceable reboot for young people who are just discovering the joys of manga, but I can't help but miss the raw animation and even rawer emotional aesthetics of Tezuka's original televised anime series.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment 1 Comment
10/23/09
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Like a lot of movies, Astro Boy has been designed to function on different levels and serve different audiences, but in this case these multiple meanings and points of address have created a confusion of tone.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
10/23/09
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
New York Times

Tenma wisely powers the boy's heart with positive energy, something that spreads to the movie as well.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
10/23/09
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

... the familiarity gives it the elemental power of a fairy tale.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
10/23/09
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

Astro Boy provides all of the elements needed to create a super hero movie, but it lacks soul.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
10/23/09
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

Parental Content Review

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
10/23/09
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

While the film retains some of the DNA of the original TV series, it bears more similarity to such recent fare as Wall-E and Transformers.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
10/23/09
Michael O'Sullivan
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This computer-animated adaptation of the 1950s-created future boy from Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of Japanese manga, is actually a sweet and endearing movie.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
10/23/09
Billy Heller
Billy Heller
New York Post

It's not every kids movie that features the death --nay, vaporization! -- of its protagonist in the first reel, but Astro Boy somehow manages this trick without resulting in massive amounts of juvenile emotional trauma.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
10/23/09
Marc Mohan
Marc Mohan
Oregonian

The animation style is supple and assured. And if the audience includes any precocious kids like Toby, they'll be diverted by references to Isaac Asimov and Immanuel Kant.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
10/23/09
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lacklustre design and rudimentary storytelling sink Astro Boy below the level of the recent hits of Pixar and DreamWorks.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
10/23/09
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
Toronto Star
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

For at least half of its length, it's an Astro Bore.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
10/23/09
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date)
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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 Opens in new window
More...

September 27, 2009: New: View the Brand New Trailer Here. Opens in new window
More...

August 12, 2009: Trailer Bulletin: Astro Boy Opens in new window
The full official trailer for Imagi's anime feature finally arrives. More...

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