Review of Astro Boy (2009) by Dave C — 13 Apr 2010

There are always two crowds who will potentially see a big screen adaptation of a popular classic t.v. show. The firt are the new viewers who are being introduced to the characters for the first time. The second are those who come with memories and personal experience in tow. Seeing as I am in the second group, part of the success of Astro Boy for me certainly hinges on whether it lives up to expectations. And in short, my verdict is that for the most part it did.

Ever since I saw the trailer I had real fears about the voice casting, primarily of Astro himself. After seeing the movie I actually didn't find the different voice that difficult to get past. And seeing as that was one of the key elements for sustaining my child hood experience, I was able to allow myself to be transported back to those emotions.

The origins story is kept fairly intact, and by nature it helps the overall tone and themes of the film to reach beyond the surface. The story of a fathers death and an unwanted orphan robot is actually fairly dark. The film veers off eventually and starts to cater to some more kid friendly fare. And to that end it feels somewhat conflicted. But nevertheless, I found myself watching it in entirety with a big smile on my face, and certainly managed to be entertained. Of note is the subtle humor which refrains from being cheesy and over the top, but is actually quite funny.

It's not perfect. I would have liked to have seen more of the professor and for it to take a few more risks story wise. But it is suprisingly fun, even as kid friendly fare, and overall I enjoyed it.