Post by BIGFANBOY on Oct 22, 2009 2:34:58 GMT -5
ASTRO BOY
Review by Gary Dean Murray
Astro Boy wasn't anything that interested me when I was a kid. I had seen the classic character in the background of my young life, but it was never something that left any kind of impression. So I came into the newest re-boot of the franchise with no preconceived notions about what to expect.
The story starts with an introduction to the future world of this society, told via some very two dimensional drawings. Metro City is a land in the clouds, a city moved in the air to avoid all the pollution on the surface. The look when we finally see the computer generated images, is something between Metropolis and Star Wars Cloud City. All of the work of Metro City is done by robots, giving the flesh and bone creations a chance to be a part of the leisure class. The inhabitants have no problem with dumping the over-used metal men down to the ground.
A kid Toby (Freddy Highmore) and his father Tenma (Nicolas Cage) are residents of Metro City. The boy is a genius, showing the same promise as a scientist that his father did as a youngster. Dad is a scientist for the Ministry of Science which is working on something new. They have harvested off-planet energy down to a pure form with a red negative energy and a blue positive energy.
General Stone (Donald Sutherland) is a politician itching for a war with the surface creatures, and figures that the power source is just the perfect weapon. Dr Elefun (Bill Nighy) sees this as the element source that will help rebuild the surface below. Our General decides against the recommendations of the scientists and places the red energy into a robot, causing an explosion that kills Toby. Distraught over the death, Tenma decides to use a single hair from Toby and build a new son. Can we say Frankenstein?
After he 'awakes', Toby realizes that something is wrong with him. All the robots treat him in a different manner. Soon, he finds that he can fly and has unnatural strength. Can we say Superman story? Or maybe Iron Man story?
The General invisions Toby as a weapon that can be used on the planned conflict. After Tenma turns his back on his new son, Dr. Elefun tells the confused robot about his creation. Toby must find his destiny and save mankind. Can we say "Christ" story?
Toby falls to the surface and finds that he has not been told the exact truth about what resides there. The place is not a barren Wall-E wasteland but a thriving community, full of struggling robots who believe in the words of Lenin and Marx. They dream of liberating their brothers and realize that Toby is that messiah. Toby also discovers other people who inhabit the surface, mostly kids abandoned by the floating city - Cora (Kristen Bell) and Ham Egg (Nathan Lane) are both from Metro City and both have back stories that will tie into Toby becoming Astro Boy.
The rest of the film is Toby discovering that either world could benefit from the other. Toby/Astro Boy has to make the decision between being a fighter and committed pacifist. It is definitely an 'origins' story because there should be further adventures of this version of Astro Boy.
The animation is just superb from the first frame. The colors are subtle but stunning in a Manet palate. The people who populate the computers of modern animation have perfected the color schemes, and this work is state of the art. The flying and explosions just jump off the screen and into the eyes. All of the voice character actors were strong, with Nathan Lane as Ham Egg showing the most range.
There was one aspect of the film that just didn't jibe. Astro Boy says that he will not fight against robots for sport but when his hand is forced, he pummels his metal brothers. It is a violent change that just doesn't fit with the character established up to that point. The exercise is played for drama, but there was this A.I. feeling of sadness over the proceeding robot fights.
That little bit of nitpicking aside, Astro Boy is a joy to behold. It has wonderful action sequences coupled with a moral lesson of acceptance. I wasn't expecting much but the final film delivered. It is another example of how animated films have eclipsed live action flicks.
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