"Astro Boy (2009)" Talkback (Spoilers)

I doubt the Japanese version is better, they can change some of the dialogue, but they can't really change the script.

But hey at least these film makers tried with this one, it wasn't completely cynical like DBE.
 
Well what matters to me is if i like it. After all TMNT guy attacked by critics pretty bad but i liked it alot and I'm expecting the same from AstroBoy.

Too be honest I want this movie to be a success so the Paul Dini penned Gatchaman movie happens.
 
What do you mean? The 2003 series got released in a complete set on DVD few years ago.

Although, I was pissed that it's missing a Japanese w/ english subtitles option.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see this film until college is done for the year, I hope it lasts long enough for that to happen.
 
Mishandled my wording there. I wasn't implying it was dubbed, but rather an American production made for American viewers, which would likely mean it to be as 'bad' as some 'localized' dubs.
 
My review: http://rubikunsreviews.livejournal.com/26156.html

In short: there's a lot this movie does right. The script then treats all that as disposable as Metro City treats its robots.
 
Still don't see how the movie will better in Japanese.

I don't think the problem was this movie was made by Americans, the problem is the studio is sub par, so the movie is sub par. This the same studio that made TMNT, another film that is considered sub-par and that movie had nothing to adaption problems from another culture.

There have several great American animated films in the last decade, like every Pixar movie, so the suggestion that this movie is made by Americans and therefore is sub par, is incorrect.

However, it seems like most Hollywood adaptions of anime are hated by fans and ignored by the general public, so perhaps Hollywood should stick to adapting comic books. However the Gatchaman movie is being written by Paul Dini, so maybe that will break the trend.
 
I'm not sure but I think that's what he meant by a proper release.

As in uncut with dual-language options. (At least that's what I wanted and was incredibly disappointed)
 
Acting. As far as I can tell the English cast has next to no real experience with voice acting. I'd hope the Japanese dub hires experienced voice actors. (EDIT: Although...a quick search doesn't seem to sugguest they have).



Now if you excuse me, I've got to go post a thousand posts about why Japanese Darth Vader Tōru Ōhira is better than James Earl Jones...(this is a joke, in case you aren't catching that, but I do think Tōru Ōhira is a friggin' beast as Vader, probably better than JEJ).


*Frolicks*
 
So really, how on earh did this movie fail? It had a lot of promotion, it's an animated film, and it's from Summit Entertainment, a studio that's been racking up money recently.

All I heard it's because of the script, and that's all?

On anotehr note, I think it was a good idea to make him looks older, because people will think that a character with a face that looks like if it was a baby with only underwear is considered "pedofile-rrific".
 
Saw it yesterday. Don't know a darn thing about the source material, but this movie was cute. I'd love to see it again.

As for Astro not knowing he's a robot...the amount of time that plotline ran was so short it's not worth fighting over. :P
 
It's a mystery all right. Maybe CGI fatigue is setting in? After all, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" got good reviews and has raked in some ticket money - but not enough to oRABet its $100 million price tag. I'd attribute some of Astro's troubles to having to compete with the Wild Things movie - but it's not doing so hot either (and from what I've heard, it deserves that; a friend of mine took her kiRAB and all of them were bored and depressed by the film. I've no plans on seeing it because it looks incredibly dopey, with those giant furry costumes and all. Lame!). By contrast, my sister took her kiRAB to see Astro last night and they loved the film. Go figure. Anyway, I'm going to see it today, and afterward I'll edit this post to give a review. But what a bummer to see it do so badly; I had high hopes for its success.


********************************************************************************************************************

Okay, I've just returned from seeing the film. And here's my review:

There is soooooo much I loved about this movie. Emphasis: LOVED.

The design of the production is lovely. The pace is lively and engaging. The scripting overall is solid, and there are some memorable lines and genuinely funny jokes. And Astro himself...is everything I could have wanted in a CGI interpretation. He's a very lovable character, and he's more fully realized in this version than he ever was in the 1960's anime derived from the manga. He has pathos - the real thing, not the imitation sap you see in lesser characters - he has courage, he emotes anguish and fear and joy in a way I haven't seen in an animated film since Disney's Siraba in The Lion King. He's also funny, and

When he first realizes he can fly, quite by accident and in the nick of time, it's a truly exhilarating moment. The little girl sitting next to me clapped her hanRAB and whooped with joy. It was a truly masterful scene.
And the fight and chase scenes are the equal to anything in The Incredibles. They have the same level of thrill, action and fun. The emotional moments, especially those with a grieving Astro and Dr. Tenma, were rendered in a thoughtful, respectful and believable way.

So this should have been a great movie, right? Has so much going for it. But then...but then...well, to quote Syndrome from The Incredibles, the film's writers..."had to go and...ruin the ride!"

They had to get political.

I suppose I was warned. I'd read reviews of the film that disdainfully mentioned the blatant political references, but I thought: "Ahhh, you can read anything into anything. People are so oversensitive these days. Especially merabers of the press." So I ignored it. Especially when some of the criticism concerned the supposed partisan meaning of the blue "good" core energy and the red "bad" core energy used to power robots in the film. I mean, come on! Red is a more menacing color than blue! You might as well interpret the red core to be syrabolic of Red China or Russia. Get a grip, people!

But then the bad guy in the film says "I have to start a war! I'm running for re-election!" and calls his opponent a "hippie" and blah blah. And, well, heck, I could have shrugged that off too. Politicians have been portrayed in various forms of media as evil power-grabbers for centuries. Was Drakken a Republican? Is Doofenschmirtz a Democrat? Is Shredder a Libertarian? Who knows or cares!!! So whatever.

But then...in this one scene, the writers have the bad guy politician getting ready to make a speech on this outdoor pavilion. And there's this bunting out the pavilion, and on it says, in blue letters: "IT'S NOT TIME FOR CHANGE."

Oh my god. I could not believe my eyes. How dare they? How could these writers foist their political agenda so blatantly into a children's film, and an Astro Boy film at that? He's from Japan! What does Japan care! I mean come on! This is unbelievable. I'd expect this kind of thing from Family Guy, but in a kid's movie? It almost makes you believe those right-wingers when they claim that the left is trying to indoctrinate our children. It was so freaking over-the-top, so unnecessary, so inappropriate, so not funny. And worst of all...it completely killed the mood. I wasn't the only one in that one-quarter-filled theater picking his/her jaw up off the floor. I was stunned at first, and then mad. How DARE those writers disrespect Tezuka's creation that way? Are the Hollywoodites so completely and soppily in love with our President that they've gone completely off their nut?

And the sad thing is, wonderful things happened before that scene, and wonderful things after...but my joy was dampened, and the people around me were a lot quieter than they had been before. When the film ended, everybody got up and left, muttering.

I mean, whatever your political orientation (for the record, I'm an independent. I've voted 3 times so far in my young life, and for both parties), I don't see how anyone could not be offended and angry over the politicizing shoehorned into this otherwise enjoyable movie. I'm still upset about it, and it almost...it almost makes me glad this movie has tanked because THEN maybe Hollywood, which worships the dollar even more than they seem to worship this President, will learn that you don't inject a topical, political reference into a family film where it doesn't belong!

I. Am. So. Ticked. Off.

If it hadn't been for that scene, I was ready to call Astro Boy the Iron Giant of our time. A thoughtful, heartwarming, uplifting, poignant thrill ride of a movie that has been inexplicably ignored by the general public.

I'm sad. I hate to see this happen. Why, Hollywood, WHY?
 
Could be another example of mainstream audiences running as far away from anything related to anime as possible. It's difficult not to notice the trend. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

Despite my past posts seemingly criticizing anime's inability to broaden it's appeal, let's face it: most mainstream audiences are fairly narrow minded and ignorant. I was on the subway today and a bunch of young hipsters were waxing poetic about the artistic intricacies of Will Ferrell's remake The Stepfather. I enjoy Will Ferrell as a comedian...but come on.
 
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