Thoughts on the Film
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:49 pm
Recently I saw the 2009 CGI adaptation of Tezuka's classic Astro Boy. Personally, I thought that this film was adequate and generally fitting for its intended audience (being children). However I can't help but wonder if aiming the film at youngsters wasn't unfair to the older anime buffs who grew up with titles like Astro Boy. The film was not painfully childish, but rather reserved and predictable. Though there are multiple action sequences, the film avoids any real "violence". There is never blood, and rarely is there ever any real danger opposing any characters apart from the little superhuman himself. In this sense, the filmmakers really babied the audience with this one, never allowing for the characters to display any deep emotion. Even as Doctor Tenma watches his own son get vaporized, there is hardly anything there. With little emotional buildup, the audience (for the most part) essentially watches the entire film without feeling a thing for any of the characters apart from Tobi, the titular character.
Though I generally liked it, What frustrated me most about the film was that it had so much potential which it simply did not live up to. The back story itself is heavy enough material to make for an excellent dramatic feature, and many scenarios and elements of the film provide an excellent stage for this, such as the emotional tension between Tenma and Astro, whom he has constructed to replace his son. There are many moments in the film, including one in which Tenma must deactivate Astro by removing the blue core (his power source) from him. Tobi/Astro gives an expression in this scene which tugged a few heartstrings. The moment could have been truly powerful if it had only been more elaborated; instead it passes by quickly and (with no noticeable deliberation) Tenma changes his mind literally seconds later and reactivates Astro. Again, the film had the potential to be fantastic, but was instead dulled for a younger audience and suffered for this.
There are also many pointless moments in this film which could have easily been removed and replaced with substance, such as the Robot Resistance trio, which served no real purpose (other than suggesting that Tobi change his name to Astro) or the Spay Bottle and Squeegee Robots, also pointless and slightly annoying. Frivolities such as these used wasted valuable time in the film which could have been used to flesh out the more principle characters like Cora, Stone, or even the relationship between Tenma and his son. And I did the film have to end exactly like The Incredibles with the appearance of an anonymous new antagonist. Personally I wish the film had ended a bit more like Metropolis, though that may have been too realistic or depressing for a younger audience...
What saved this movie for me was the titular character himself. Frankly, Tobi/Astro was adorable, charismatic, and genuinely likable. Voiced perfectly by (you'd never guess) Freddie Highmore (the British kid from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Spiderwick Chronicles) Tobi was cute, relatable, and surprisingly realistic. I truly cared about and enjoyed this character.
Ultimately my overall statement remains that Astro Boy was an alright film which could have been amazing had it been written and played for an older audience. All I can do is hope that it'll either be remade again (and geared for mature viewers) or will end up like Shrek and have a sequel which by far eclipses the original, but this highly is unlikely.
Thoughts?
Though I generally liked it, What frustrated me most about the film was that it had so much potential which it simply did not live up to. The back story itself is heavy enough material to make for an excellent dramatic feature, and many scenarios and elements of the film provide an excellent stage for this, such as the emotional tension between Tenma and Astro, whom he has constructed to replace his son. There are many moments in the film, including one in which Tenma must deactivate Astro by removing the blue core (his power source) from him. Tobi/Astro gives an expression in this scene which tugged a few heartstrings. The moment could have been truly powerful if it had only been more elaborated; instead it passes by quickly and (with no noticeable deliberation) Tenma changes his mind literally seconds later and reactivates Astro. Again, the film had the potential to be fantastic, but was instead dulled for a younger audience and suffered for this.
There are also many pointless moments in this film which could have easily been removed and replaced with substance, such as the Robot Resistance trio, which served no real purpose (other than suggesting that Tobi change his name to Astro) or the Spay Bottle and Squeegee Robots, also pointless and slightly annoying. Frivolities such as these used wasted valuable time in the film which could have been used to flesh out the more principle characters like Cora, Stone, or even the relationship between Tenma and his son. And I did the film have to end exactly like The Incredibles with the appearance of an anonymous new antagonist. Personally I wish the film had ended a bit more like Metropolis, though that may have been too realistic or depressing for a younger audience...
What saved this movie for me was the titular character himself. Frankly, Tobi/Astro was adorable, charismatic, and genuinely likable. Voiced perfectly by (you'd never guess) Freddie Highmore (the British kid from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Spiderwick Chronicles) Tobi was cute, relatable, and surprisingly realistic. I truly cared about and enjoyed this character.
Ultimately my overall statement remains that Astro Boy was an alright film which could have been amazing had it been written and played for an older audience. All I can do is hope that it'll either be remade again (and geared for mature viewers) or will end up like Shrek and have a sequel which by far eclipses the original, but this highly is unlikely.
Thoughts?
I think it's some of the characters too I'm attached to them, although I blame writing fanfics for that! 
