Just thought I'd pass the word along - I, a friend and her kids went to see the movie "Astro Boy" last weekend - and talk about a pleasant surprise. This movie was excellent. It had heart, wit, a few tears, laughs, a wonderfully realized and designed fantasy world, CGI characters that were actually cute (unlike too many other such characters, which look rubbery and sometimes ugly to me), and the most lovable animated central character since Mickey. No lie, that kid will tug at your heartstrings, and without manipulative sap. Think of a future-world Oliver Twist, and that's Astro. There's also some incredible action scenes and a solid message about tolerance and fitting in.
There is only one caveat...some nitwit decided to put a fairly obvious political message in the film that was unfunny and entirely unnecessary. It does pull you out of the film for a moment, which is unfortunate, because until that point it's entirely engrossing. Fortunately, it's brief and can be overlooked if you're so inclined.
It's a shame this little gem of a movie is being overlooked at the box office. It's far better than most recent animated films (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, Ice Age - neither come close to this), and it's as good as "Up". I highly recommend it. My friend's kids adored this film, kept talking about it afterward. (Boy and girl, in case you're wondering, 10 and 13 years old). I am definitely buying this when it comes out on DVD.
There is only one caveat...some nitwit decided to put a fairly obvious political message in the film that was unfunny and entirely unnecessary. It does pull you out of the film for a moment, which is unfortunate, because until that point it's entirely engrossing. Fortunately, it's brief and can be overlooked if you're so inclined.
It's a shame this little gem of a movie is being overlooked at the box office. It's far better than most recent animated films (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, Ice Age - neither come close to this), and it's as good as "Up". I highly recommend it. My friend's kids adored this film, kept talking about it afterward. (Boy and girl, in case you're wondering, 10 and 13 years old). I am definitely buying this when it comes out on DVD.
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