Astro Boy is known as the first anime television show so it’s about time that it was made into a film. This version retells the origin story of Astro and his adjusting to Metro City.

Dr. Tenma is the leading scientist at the Ministry of Science and is working on a new weapons technology for the president. On the unveiling of the defense robot, Tenma’s son, Tobio, accidently gets caught behind the blast shield that’s protecting everyone. When the robot goes haywire, Tobio is caught in the blast and killed. Tenma is devastated and decides to build a more advanced robot with the memories and likeness of Tobio. Thus, Astro is born…

The film deals with some rather dark and adult themes, making it not exactly suitable for all children as the trailers might make it appear to be. In it, Astro is on a quest to find acceptance in the world, as he is adjusting to his robot body. If you’re familiar with any of the anime or manga, then you’ll get the basic gist of what’s going on.

The voice acting is decent, with Freddie Highmore (Astro) and Kristen Bell (Cora) leaving the biggest impression. You can’t help but want the two to be friends in the end. Nicolas Cage as Dr. Tenma was somewhat of a let down, making him appear weak and pathetic. While this worked well when Tenma lost Tobio, by the end, it just made him dislikable.

If you’re a fan of the Astro Boy series, then you’ll probably enjoy the film. It’s great to look at as the CGI is fantastic. There are some subtle differences between the manga and film, but nothing that would completely turn you away.