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A cute robot with a punked ‘do saves a planet from corrupt politicians and android slavery in the animated “Astro Boy.” |
This movie had me at “What? I’ve got machine guns in my butt?”
The slick, computer-animated action film “Astro Boy” will probably not please fans of Tezuka Osamu’s original 1952 Japanese “manga” comic book about the adventures of a superpowered boy robot on a vaguely distant futuristic world.
David Bowers’ big-screen adaptation has been westernized out the ying-yang. Then, Saturday-morning-cartoonized on top of that.
But its thoughtfully selected voice cast, lean and quick pace, plus zillions of zany pop culture references make it joyously fun, even if originality isn’t its strong suit.
I practically filled my notebook with these nifty, throwaway allusions to other works.
“Frankenstein” is in this movie. So is Steven Spielberg’s “A.I.” (via “Pinocchio”). And “Oliver Twist.” And the gold-glowing briefcase from Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.” And arcanely enough, the old “Magnus: Robot Fighter” comic books.
The story takes place, as Charlize Theron’s voice-over narration lectures us, on a world that has separated the haves from have-nots. (Read more…)