Astro Boy (2009)

Directed by: David Bowers | 94 minutes| action, animation, family, science fiction | Dutch voice cast: Bas Westerweel, Sebastiaan Westerweel | Original voice cast: Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Nighy, Freddie Highmore, Donald Sutherland, Madeline Carroll, Moises Arias, Eugene Levy, Nathan Lane, Ryan Stiles, Matt Lucas, Sterling Beaumon, Victor Bonavida, Tony Matthews

It has been known for some time that science fiction and animation go well together. From Japanese classics like ‘Ghost in the Shell’ and ‘Akira’, to American animation like ‘A Scanner Darkly’ and the adorable Pixar hit ‘Wall-E’. ‘Astro Boy’ from 2009 brings together Japanese and American culture: the film is an American animation for pre-teens, based on a Japanese manga from the 1950s.

While most animation filmmakers in the nineties mainly rely on humor, technology and fluffy animal stuff, the strength of ‘Astro Boy’ lies in a solid plot. This plot, with chunks of Asimov, Collodi and Dickens, is not always original, but it is sound and also has the necessary twists. Already in the first ten minutes the viewer is treated to a nasty surprise, a twist that makes a happy ending less obvious. This twist makes the film less suitable for children who are too young or sensitive.

In addition to being exciting, the story is especially moving. Fortunately, the makers manage to keep the balance between emotion and tacky sentiment. The difficult relationship between Astro Boy and his father, the friendship with the tough Cora, these are elements that give the film a warm beating heart without falling into handkerchief sentiment.

As you would expect from an American production, the craftsmanship is good. The animation is slick, the (many) action scenes are exciting and the pop-cultural references and other adult jokes are mostly successful. Those jokes range from a corny language joke about Descartes to a serious reference to Einstein’s dilemma.

An important downside is the large amount of characters. In the hour and a half that ‘Astro Boy’ lasts there is simply no time to work out all the characters. As a result, characters like the bumbling fighters of the Liberation Front for Robots get stuck in clichés too much.

This does not alter the fact that ‘Astro Boy’ is for the most part a success. Whether the fans of the original manga are also happy with this, this reviewer can not judge. That reviewer knows that ‘Astro Boy’ is an energetic animation film for tough guys, girls and robots.