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A boy robot (voiced by Freddie Highmore) tests his powers in "Astro Boy."

** (PG)

ASTRO BOY' PLOT A robot

boy, created
by a grieving
scientist in the
image of his
Kid robot may fly hlgh in Japan, but he's not so super here dead son,
embraces his
BY FRAI{K I.OVECE death of scientist Dr. Tenma's son Toby, destiny to
Special to Newsday Tenma (Nicolas Cage) builds a robot become a
replica replete with memories. After hero.
ppropriately, perhaps, there's Tenma rapidly disowns him, robot Toby,
something robotic about "Astro chased by the villainous President Stone CAST Voices
Boy," the computer-animated (Donald Sutherland), falls from the float- of Freddie
feature based on the 1960s lapa- ing Metro City to the garbage-strewn Highmore,
nese series that was the first ghetto of the surface world. There, the Nicolas Cage,
anime on U.S. TV. Creator Osamu Te- Fagin-like Hamegg (Nathan Lane) and a Donald Suther-
zuka's streamlined, saucer-eyed vision group of orphans take him in. A comic land, Bill
drew in baby boomers with its off-kilter subplot with the Three Stooges-like Rob- . Nighy, Kristen
quality and the rat-a-tat dialogue of English ert Revolutionary Front gives him the new Bell, Nathan
vocal artists dubbing at |apanese-language name Astro. Lane, Samuel
pace. Astro Boy himself
Pinocchio - an android
proved enticing: What would
Cage's voice,work as Tenma is all tossed-
off flatness, and while Bill Nighy gives care
L. Jackson

it be like to-be a kid robot? Cool! andhumanityto colleague Dr. Elefun, even LENGTH 1:34
But "Astro Boy" the movie is strictly for he can't save such dead-weight lines as
small fry. The fleshy, foamy CGI makes "Everyone has their destiny." Sutherland's PTAYING AT
characters look like plush toys ignorant, warmongering president is a plod-
- there's Area theaters
no attempt at the anime aesthetic
- giv-
ing scenes that should feel exhilarating,
ding caricature, not helpedby the hammered-
home symbolism of "blue core" / *redcore" BOTTOM
like Astro Boy (voiced by Freddie High- positive and negative energy sources. At LINE "Astro"
more) learning that he can fly, all the least the animators got rid of the long eye- boys and girls
impact of a soft landing. lashes that made the original Astro look will be very,
Following the surprisingly harrowing creepily like Betty Boop. very young
audiences.
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