Astro Boy (PG) (From The Northern Echo)

Astro Boy (PG)

12:59pm Thursday 4th February 2010 in

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Voices: Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Matt Lucas, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Eugene Levy, Charlize Theron.

94 mins

HOW many more animated features about junior superheroes can you take?

AstroBoy (Freddie Highmore) is another such youngster with special powers, this one being based on the manga created by Tezuka Osamu. It’s exciting enough, even if the characters veer towards blandness, but the voice cast is stunning and the animation barely pauses for the audience to draw breath..

In futuristic Metro City, scientist Dr Tenma (Nicolas Cage) creates Astro Boy to replace the son he’s lost. This is no ordinary little boy, but one with superpowers as, after all, he’s a robot not a human being.

He possesses a powerful blue core, the power source which could change the world if it falls into the hands of the wrong person. That would be dictatorial President Stone (Donald Sutherland). When I tell you he decides he needs a war to improve his popularity, you’ll get some idea of just how much of a bounder he is. He needs the core to get hold of the Peacekeeper robot and rule the world – if there’s anything left after the various forces have stopped trying to kill each other.

Astro Boy is loud and lively, ideal for the half-term holidays.