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Astro Boy could have been better developed, more fleshed out or EVEN before H.G. Wells’ Time Machine, the man versus science debate has always been the subject of fiction and therefore cinema. Of course, the stories vary in credibility and emotion but some of them are quite sustaining.
Actually director David Bowers has the makings of a cute little story but is not able to get beneath the skin of Astro Boy as for instance in The Lion King or The Little Mermaid. And the voices of Freddie Highmore, Nicholas Cage and Donald Sutherland do not help much. The net result is 90-odd minutes of dull entertainment. The flashes of humour are few and far between. The fact that there are a plethora of animation film releases also goes against Astro Boy. But may be in its defence, it is devoid of those violent games on play station. May be Astro Boy could have been better developed, more fleshed out or the animation more friendly. He always remains one dimension. And so do his escapades. His encounters with the
vagabond kids provides some rare sparks and the Fagin-like Godfather
(voice of Donald Sutherland) flatters only to deceive. Voices,
however, never make up for the full-grown personality, Hence, between
this, that and the other one is lucky to keep awake till the curtain
comes down. But no, Astro Boy is far from entertaining and can
safely be avoided.
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In
Astro Boy, Toby is an inquisitive little scientist’s son who
dies in a lab accident and is recreated by his dad as a smart little
robot that carries memories of his Toby. But it does not take long for
his dad to feel that a robot can be no substitute for the real thing.
So, Astro Boy, the lonely little machine tries to prove that he is
actually human but with mixed success.