Underplayed Gems

Astro Boy (2009)

Astro Boy poster
Directed by
David Bowers
Genre
action film, science fiction film, adventure film, children's film
Country
Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, United States, Japan
Runtime
1h 33m
Rated
PG
Rating
6.3 of 10 from 1,657 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A scientist creates a robot boy who has the memories of his deceased son. The robot boy must deal with a corrupt president and find his place in the world.

energeticsentimentalfast-pacedvisually brightaction-heavypoignantlivelydramatic

What happens

Astro Boy is a 2009 animated superhero film loosely based on the manga series of the same name by the Japanese writer and illustrator Osamu Tezuka. Produced by the Hong Kong-based company Imagi Animation Studios, it was directed by David Bowers, who co-wrote the screenplay with Timothy Hyde Harris. The film stars Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucas, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Charlize Theron, and Nicolas Cage. In the film, Dr. Tenma (Cage) creates Astro (Highmore), a teenage robot implanted with the memories of his son after he is killed in an accident. The pair face Stone (Sutherland), the president of Metro City who is running for re-election, for their betrayal. The film was first released in Hong Kong on October 8, 2009, and in the United States on October 23. It received generally mixed reviews from film critics and was a financial failure, earning $42 million worldwide against its $65 million budget. As a result of the film's bad performance, Imagi Animation Studios was shut down on February 5, 2010; it became the last film produced by the studio. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.