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Saturday, April 27, 2024
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HOLLYWOOD ASTRO BOY
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating:
***
What is it being human? Is it just our flesh and bones or has it to do with that
`core` inside us which is humane and kind and generous. "Astro Boy", a
delectable animation film, asks the question and answers it to the satisfaction
of both kids and adults.
Metro city is an epitome of human technological advancement, where robots do
almost everything and have feelings just like humans. However, humans merely
look at robots created by Tenma, as machines.
Once while experimenting with a powerful alien source of energy, segregated into
the pure positive energy `blue core` and it`s negative opposite energy `red
core` Tenma`s teenage son, Toby dies.
Tenma then makes a highly sophisticated robot and programs it with the memory of
his own dead son and implant in him the positive blue core energy. Tenma had
hoped for this robot to replace his son. Instead, when it reminds him more of
the tragedy, he abandons the kid.
However, thanks to the positive blue core energy inside it, Toby exhibits
super-robot powers. He can fly, dig through rock and is extremely strong. Yet,
his true specialty is an equally soft `core` that beats for the pain and anguish
of humanity.
Orphaned, and attacked by Metro city`s president, he lands on the earth. Here he
befriends a group of orphans but finds them to be equally discriminatory of
robots. So, he does not tell them his real identity and instead calls himself
Astro. Everybody is amazed to see the miraculous work he conjures up. Meanwhile
the president uses the unstable negative red core energy to fight with the
surface and capture Astro boy for political gains.
"Astro Boy" is a children`s fantasy film that points a finger at
adult`s discriminatory mindset. It takes a robotic child to show them the
fallacy of their thinking. Since the film is American, the analogy can be seen
of America`s discrimination against Afro-Americans, who like the robots in Metro
city do not look like the ruling class, but without these `mockingbirds` the
structure of the nation would collapse.
The animation and production value in "Astro Boy" is one of the best
in Hollywood. And unlike other animation films, this is not just a comedy for
children, but has dark undertone handled simply and sensitively that both
instructs and entertains.
"Astro Boy" originally came to life as in the comic book called
"Tetsuwan Atomu" or "Mighty Atom" from the pen and
compassion of the legendary Japanese artist Osamu Tezuka in 1952.
Ravaged by a war and two atomic bombs, the comic books, not only captured
Japanese imagination, and led to the birth of an animation style that is now
known as `Anime` but also contributed greatly in changing the attitude of the
nation towards science and technology. In many ways the animation series helped
rebuild Japan, making them into the technological powerhouse that they are now.
"Astro Boy" keeps the basic plot of the comic series by Tezuka, but
takes liberties in many others.
This version does well, to bring a very old, but affable and kindly character
from comic book, up to date with our modern world.
