Astro Boy – Bluray Review

Distributor:  E1 Entertainment

UK Release Date: 31st May 2010

Format: DVD & Bluray

Certificate: PG

Running Time: 94 Minutes

RRP: £17.99 / Bluray (Combi Pack): £22.99

Director: David Bowers

Starring:  Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage , Samuel L. Jackson , Charlize Theron , Donald Sutherland , Bill Nighy , Matt Luca

Special Features:

• Astro Vs The Junkyard Pirates – Animated Short
• The RRF in New Recruit – Animated Short
• Inside The Recording studio
• Designing A Hero
• Building Metro City
• Getting The Astro Boy Look
• Image Gallery
• Creating A Global Icon

“A SUPER SOAR-AWAY HIT” – (FOUR STARS) – THE SUN.

One of the most seminal, iconic and coolest anime creations of all time, Astro Boy is now brought to vivid life in a brand new CGI animated feature film jam-packed with action, adventure, comedy and heart. Coming to DVD and as a Blu-ray plus DVD Combi Pack on 31st May 2010 after a thoroughly successful £3.6m run at UK cinemas and recommended as “exciting and charming… a treat for all kids, big and small” (Sun TV Magazine), the timing of Astro Boy’s release makes it ideal half-term entertainment for children of all ages.

Having garnered a Four Star review in The Sunday Times and described as “a fast, fun superhero adventure” (Independent on Sunday), “action-packed from beginning to end” (Toxic Magazine) and “the coolest robot hero since WALL-E… Astro-nomically great fun” (Nitro Magazine), this futuristic “Pinocchio” tale is full of heartwarming charm and universal appeal guaranteed to keep children and adults enthralled.

Directed by David Bowers (Flushed Away) and co-written by Bowers and Timothy Harris (Space Jam; Kindergarten Cop; My Stepmother Is An Alien; Twins; Trading Places), Astro Boy boasts a star-studded vocal cast that includes the talents of Freddie Highmore (The Spiderwick Chronicles; Charlie And The Chocolate Factory), Kristen Bell (Couples Retreat; Heroes; Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Nicolas Cage (Kick-Ass; G-Force), Samuel L. Jackson (The Spirit; Iron Man), Charlize Theron (The Road; Hancock), Donald Sutherland (Dirty Sexy Money), Bill Nighy (G-Force, The Boat that Rocked, Hot Fuzz), Matt Lucas (Alice In Wonderland; Little Britain), Eugene Levy (Night at the Museum 2, Over The Hedge, American Pie) and Nathan Lane (The Producers).

Astro Boy (Highmore) is a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Dr. Tenma (Cage) in the futuristic Metro City, a gleaming metropolis floating in the sky. Powered by positive ‘blue’ energy, he is endowed with super strength, X-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly.

Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colourful characters along the way, including a trio of incompetent rebel robots and a group of friendly orphans living on the neglected trash dump of the earth’s surface. There, he learns the joys and emotions of being human and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. 

Discovering his new friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero.

A colourful and beautifully rendered, fast-paced, sci-fi adventure that barely pauses to take a breath, Astro Boy will delight audiences that enjoyed other futuristic CGI animated features such as ‘WALL-E’, ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Robots’.

The first thing that struck me about Astro Boy was “Wow look at that cast” and I was right. They spared no extra cost in getting some of the biggest names in film and TV.

However is Astro Boy suitable for kids? it’s quite a harrowing super hero origins tale.

Father witnesses his son vaporised, well there’s a flash of light and the boy is gone so we and his father can only assume the worst. Father so grief stricken uses super power source to infuse his boys memories into a life like robot who thinks he’s the boy that was there all along; only the father realising it’s a pale comparison sends his ‘son’ away and the boy just doesn’t understand.

It’s deep stuff. Which is quite worrying as the most I remember being scared of as a kid was a talking magic book in The Care Bears movie and the Wheelers in the very horrific Return To Oz.

Astro Boy however is good fun and is well worth a watch if not for the stellar voice cast then for the communist robots who seem to be the joke in this film but then again communism is no joke!!

Based on a Manga hit it’s kinda scary that this never actually took off. (No Pun intended) this tale features the birth of a superhero that seems to intend on building a very large franchise but this film hit the cinemas and then went poof quite swiftly from the screens.

It deserved better despite some of its flaws. Some of the light comic relief is so light it could be missed, there’s plenty of funny slap stick to keep an adult mildly entertained. If you want to go on an emotional journey with a kids film that from the outer package appears to be fluff then this is the film for you as it will surprise you in a positive way.

I still hold my previous reservations about the story though, could be tough going for a kid to understand the implications of what’s happening on screen. Is this just another case of kids growing up too fast via the media?

Who knows but it’s a worth while trip to take…

Video: At first the AVC 1080/24p transfer was a little lack lustre but I have a feeling that was down more to the artistic style but as Astro Boy finds new friends and discovers his abilities the world he lives in comes to life in a vibrant mix of flesh tones and a palette of colour that will leave you popping on the sun glasses, bright greens and blues a plenty. Top Notch Transfer!

Audio: Same goes for the 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio really shows off a vibrant score which will make you want more. It’s never in short supply and to have such a powerful vehicle to show off such talent is awesome and the sound effects never over power the voices or the music. Someone took due care over this sound mix and they should be commended.