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Astro Boy
Metascore
53 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    The movie contains less of its interesting story and more action and battle scenes than I would have preferred.
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Billy Heller
    75
    A sweet and endearing movie. Attention, kids: It's also packed with action!
  3. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Joe Williams
    75
    It's zippy, and the movie version has both a computerized sheen and handcrafted detailing. Because the details are cribbed from classics, parents can enjoy this 'toon as much as their kids.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    75
    A marvelously designed piece of cartoon kinetics.
  5. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    70
    The lighting, production design, and character modeling are excellent, and director David Bowers (Flushed Away) references "Frankenstein," "Wall-E," "Transformers," and even Abraham and Isaac. But the TV series, primitive though it was, had a sweet innocence and joyfulness that made it more fun.
  6. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Marc Mohan
    67
    In addition to the slick but generic computer animation, it's also got an A-list voice cast: Nicolas Cage as Dr. Tenma, the grieving inventor, and Donald Sutherland as a scheming politician.
  7. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    63
    Astro Boy alternately soars and sputters through a story line that's not quite sure who it's aimed at.
  8. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    60
    Derivative bits aside, the pint-sized Japanese icon takes flight in vibrant CG animation -- no 3D glasses required.
  9. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Nick Schager
    60
    What's ultimately more impressive than the vigorous madcap action and innocuous humor, however, is Bowers's willingness to address adult themes--alienation, regret, class tensions--with a directness that shows a surprising respect for his target young-adult audience
  10. Variety
    Reviewed by: Andrew Barker
    60
    Appropriately for a film about robots, efficiency is the primary virtue of Astro Boy, a well-oiled CG-animated superhero pic that makes up in competence and vitality what it lacks in originality.
  11. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    50
    I wish the film version of Astro Boy provided a stronger antidote to mediocrity.
  12. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    50
    There are tiny glints of humor and intelligence at work, and the action and animation rockets along slickly and stylishly. But unlike the protagonists of almost any and all of the Pixar titles, Astro Boy's namesake lacks even an iota of soul.
  13. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Amy Biancolli
    50
    Purists should have a field day enumerating the differences between the original "Astro Boy" and this high-gloss reimagining. Someone has to.
  14. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    50
    Though some scenes may be too intense for children, the action is slick, with robot clashes and airborne chases leaving the strongest impression.
  15. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Jennie Punter
    50
    Astro Boy definitely sets himself up for a sequel, and the overall scenario is ripe to explore many current issues. But let's hope the creators trade in the well-used parts for some fresh material.
  16. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    50
    It's a totally serviceable reboot for young people who are just discovering the joys of manga, but I can't help but miss the raw animation and even rawer emotional aesthetics of Tezuka's original televised animé series.
  17. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Aaron Hillis
    50
    Corny but goodhearted, the film tries hard not to annoy parents, with animation more fizzy than frantic and nerdy references.
  18. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Glenn Whipp
    50
    Plays like "Transformers" for tots, a "Pinocchio" story that stays true to its source material's storied past without adding much in the way of interest, outside of some clankingly obvious political subtext that will alienate people of all stripes.
  19. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    50
    And so he zips and zags, keeping aloft in a movie that can't always do the same.
  20. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    50
    It will put some viewers in mind of yet another story with the same theme: "Pinocchio."
  21. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    42
    Older viewers are more likely to see a muddled film full of one-dimensional characters and insultingly strident politics.
  22. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    40
    Looks so great, it may take a while to notice it's a clunky political parable wrapped in a tonally confused fairy tale.
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User Reviews

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User Score
6.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 3 out of 18
  1. cm
    10
    Astro boy was a great family movie. It had a good moral story to it. It taught kids that they should give everyone a chance before they judge each other. It also showed that we are all different in certain ways and can still get along with everyone no matter how different we are.… Full Review »
  2. JacobP
    10
    Nothing short of excellent. I'm tired of critics with no clue dictating to audiences what kids will and won't get. This is a great movie which balances themes of father and son; laugh-out-loud humour and fantastic action. Plus- giant robots are always cool.… Full Review »
  3. LandF
    6
    Note: I know nothing about Astro Boy apart from this movie. I hereby accuse this movie of various villainies and crimes. Astro Boy rips off various other films, is filled with cliches, there's an abundance of plot holes, and enough cop-outs to go around. This movie is a blundered mess. My main problem; it's an enjoyable blundered mess. Astro Boy is about a child named Toby Tenma (Freddie Highmore). He's a robot genius, like his father, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage). During an unfortunate robot malfunction, Toby perishes in an explosion. Dr. Tenma is greatly saddened by this loss, so he uses his son's DNA to create an exact robot replica, and when the boy awakes, Dr. Tenma never tells Toby about his transformation. However, some critical changes have occured. In fact, this "Astro Boy," turns out to be even smarter than before (an impressive feat). But he doesn't just improve academically. Astro Boy slowly discovers his various new abilities. He can withstand serious damage and high falls, and has the ability to fly. But Astro Boy just isn't the same as Toby, and Dr. Tenma just can't find it in his heart to love the robot. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half hour of this film. The animation, though simple, is gorgeous and slick. The story line was going pretty well, too. There was a pretty generous amount of humor, even. I felt like I might actually enjoy myself, contradicting my thoughts about the flick before viewing. Unfortunately, the film went downhill from there. It wasn't a significant drop at first. The next half hour held up pretty well, but it was bombarded with cliches and unsucessful attempts at plot twists. This second half hour was arguably funnier than the first, but there were also way more jokes that ended up being stale, and recycled. I also started noticing various rip-offs of other flicks here. I had already spotted a couple in the first half hour, but there were significantly more here. Finally, we come to the grand finale, where we get countless cop outs, rip-offs, cheesy lines, dumb jokes, cliches, and guess-before-it-happens moments. This also includes a completely random and undeveloped change in Dr. Tenma's character, and a boring and utterly stupid climatic duel between Astro Boy and the Peace Keeper, an evil robot charged with negative energy (both literally and metaphorically). Worse, there were tons of scenes in this last half-hour that had the potential to turn the film around, and make into the grand piece of cinematic entertainment I wanted it to be, but never had the guts to try. Plus, throughout the film, there are gaps in the story, dozens of characters with no personality that make stale jokes, and the movie just moves too fast. Even the score is relatively bland. The film really isn't as bad as I'm making it sound. It's got a lot to love, and there's definitely a few things that make the film worth watching. I'm just disappointed with the final product. It could've been much better. It should've been much better. Astro Boy could've been a masterpiece, but in the end, it just settles for being mediocre.… Full Review »
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