Rated: PG

Running Time: 90 mins

Director: David Bowers

Voice Cast: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristin Bell, Bill Nighy

Release Date: 15^th October, 2009

If you’re like me, you have fond memories of watching “Astro Boy” on TV back in the 80’s. Those fabulous jet boots, that pointy hair and those big black eyes had me hooked, and I loved seeing what kind of adventures he got into every week.

Now Astro Boy has jetted onto the big screen, in an animated film brought to us not by the usual Pixar Disney group, but by Hong Kong based Imagi Studios.

The movie, much like the TV show, centres on a young boy called Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore), who is brought back to life in robot form after a horrible accident at his father’s robot factory. Shunned by his dad for not being able to replace the real thing, Astro travels from Metro City to the garbage dump that is Earth, making friends with a group of orphaned children. But Astro can’t conceal the fact that he’s not human for very long

There’s a big dose of sickly sweet moral lessons about discrimination mixed into the story, which can be a little too cheesy at times, but “Astro Boy” has enough heart that you easily forgive the slightly dodgy ending.

The animation is not quite as dark as the TV series, but it’s cute enough for a new younger generation, while transporting us oldies back to our childhoods.

Reviewed by Alicia Malone

3 out of 5

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