Astro Boy 2009

A.O. Scott, At the Movies: I just felt like this was a mistranslation -- almost trying to combine the slightly sinister, cold world of Japanese anime with the warm, sentimental, fuzzy, bouncy world of Hollywood kid animation. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: I wish the film version of Astro Boy provided a stronger antidote to mediocrity....the script takes its sweet time establishing its rules and locale, then rolls in one too many subplots. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: It's pretty forgettable. Read more

James Rocchi, MSN Movies: Any critic who complained about the lack of story in "Where the Wild Things Are" should be forced to watch the escapades and high jinks of "Astro Boy" on a loop until they realize that activity is not to be confused with actual storytelling. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: A muddled film full of one-dimensional characters and insultingly strident politics. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Tenma wisely powers the boy's heart with positive energy, something that spreads to the movie as well. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Astro Boy alternately soars and sputters through a story line that's not quite sure who it's aimed at. Read more

Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times: There's very little that the filmmakers haven't borrowed here, making Astro Boy feel as copied as its title character. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: Osamu Tezuka's groundbreaking 60s anime series gets a stylish CGI update in this sci-fi animation. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Astro Boy is a blast, a jolt of Japanese anime channeled through British slap-shtick that ends up yet another cool cartoon for both kids and adults. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Astro Boy is a marvelously designed piece of cartoon kinetics, with the pleasing soft colors and rounded-metal tactility of an atomic-age daydream. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: It's harsh, but it's sweetened by Toby -- he's not a real boy, but he's a classic hero. Read more

Frank Lovece, Newsday: Strictly for small fry. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: David Bowers' retro-cool update on the titular icon looks so great, it may take a while to notice it's a clunky political parable wrapped in a tonally confused fairy tale. Read more

Billy Heller, New York Post: This computer-animated adaptation of the 1950s-created future boy from Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of Japanese manga, is actually a sweet and endearing movie. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: The animation bar has been raised, and not just by Pixar. Poor little Astro Boy hasn't a prayer of clearing it. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Like its supersonic, jets-in-his-feet hero, the movie itself feels totally robotic. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Astro Boy is better than most of its recent competitors, such as Monsters vs. Aliens and Kung Fu Panda. Read more

Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: Awesome. Truly. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Cobbled together from trusty old parts, Astro Boy manages to stand on its own feet. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: 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. Read more

Jason Anderson, Toronto Star: Lacklustre design and rudimentary storytelling sink Astro Boy below the level of the recent hits of Pixar and DreamWorks. Read more

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: The animation style is supple and assured. And if the audience includes any precocious kids like Toby, they'll be diverted by references to Isaac Asimov and Immanuel Kant. Read more

Nick Schager, Time Out: In its best moments, the film exudes an almost Miyazakian love of flight, notably during the hero's maiden soar through the clouds. Read more

David Jenkins, Time Out: Bowers's play-it-straight attitude towards the material combined with the crisp, if unspectacular, animation doesn't allow 'Astro Boy' a moment to bob its head above the ever-swelling digimation pack. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Tthis CG-animated adaptation of the Japanese comic classic feels derivative but moderately entertaining, particularly in some of the highflying visuals. Read more

Andrew Barker, Variety: A well-oiled CG-animated superhero pic that makes up in competence and vitality what it lacks in originality. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: While the film retains some of the DNA of the original TV series, it bears more similarity to such recent fare as Wall-E and Transformers. Read more