Welcome to Zombieland

You gotta love zombies. I mean, they’re dead, mindless, only want to eat to satisfy unnatural hunger, want to create more zombies, yet also want to eat their fellow zombies. What makes Zombieland stand out from the dozens of zombie movies made in the past is that this is a funny, dark, and violent done with some amusing tricks by director Ruben Fleischer.

The film starts after a zombie apocalypse has turned most of America into a virtual “zombieland”. Narration by “Columbus” (Jesse Eisenberg), he adopted the name to signify where he’s heading in hopes of finding his parents in Ohio. Columbus has been following certain rules to avoid being killed or turned into a zombie including doing cardio, double tapping to ensure the zombies are dead, being wary of bathrooms, limbering up, etc. Along the way, Columbus bumps into a man called Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) who has a gift for killing zombies. They, in turn, are conned by sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) into giving up their truck and their weapons. Both pairs reach an uneasy truce as the girls are willing to help the guys reach their destination while they themselves plan to visit the Pacific Playground amusement park in California.

Zombieland immediately immerses you in what has become a reality for its inhabitants. Through pop-ups and shorts sketches, Director Schneider shows how to survive a zombie attack. It’s similar to the old “Pop-Up Video” concept on VH1, but with far more dire consequences. Eisenberg sometimes sounds like fellow geek Michael Cera and his neurotic hero does serve to annoy Harrelson’s ultra-cool renegade character. Their chemistry was essential in keeping me involved in the movie, as was their interaction with the con artist sisters. I always find it weird watching Abigail Breslin nowadays, especially since I used to see her in movies like Signs, Raising Helen, and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement when she was just six. After showing off serious talent in Little Miss Sunshine, I think it’s safe to say she’s got this acting thing down pat.

The zombies in Zombieland aren’t the classic slow, plodding kind from Night of the Living Dead, but that’s not such a bad thing. I love that they run and attack, forcing the protagonists to think fast. The makeup effects are decent enough, but surprisingly, what carries this movie is actually the plot. The idiosyncrasies of Columbus, Tallahassee’s quest for revenge and the last Twinkie, as well as the trusts issues of the sisters actually make them more endearing and sympathetic. Add in a great cameo by a famous actor in the middle of the film and you have a funny, innovative, yet engaging zombie film.

It's The End of the World as We Know It

Disaster movies with “end of the world” scenarios have come in all shapes and sizes before. From having meteors hurtling towards the Earth or a new Ice Age, I thought I had seen them all. Give credit to producer/director Roland Emmerich for finding another one for his film 2012: the Mayan people predicted the end of the world would happen at around the date of December 21, 2012. So Emmerich proceeds to destroy the world once more and maps out how a few select humans manage to survive the coming disaster. Yeah, this isn’t exactly nuclear science.

In 2009, Dr. Satnam Tsurutani (Jimi Mistry) tells American geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) that the earth’s core is abnormally heating up, it sets into a motion a chain of events that they predict will culminate by the year 2012. Helmsley warns White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) and subsequently, American president Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover). By 2010, Wilson informs other heads of state of the coming disaster is inevitable but that they can prepare for it by working together to ensure the survival of humanity. Unfortunately for Helmsley, his computations are off by a few months and the catastrophe starts happening early. Caught in the crossfire are struggling author Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), his ex-wife Kate (Amanda Peet), their kids, and Kate’s new boyfriend Gordon Silberman (Thomas McCarthy). Can this ragtag group possibly survive the destruction of life on earth as we know it?

Make no mistake, I knew full well that watching 2012 would mean a whole lot of suspension of disbelief on my part. I mean, movies predicting the end of the world aren’t exactly the “smartest” movies out there. So yes, I tried to keep an open mind and lowered my expectations even before the film started. Director Emmerich already gave us Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow so he does have some experience in this genre. True enough, it’s pretty much the same as far as story goes. Emmerich tries to give us the “common man” point of view, that’s why he gave us Cusack’s character as well as their dysfunctional family.

The most impressive thing about 2012 is, of course, the special effects employed. CGI effects have gotten to the point that filmmakers can destroy practically anything they set their minds to, whether it be the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the White House, or even the entire state of Hawaii. The character moments in 2012 are few and far between, although they do try to give them to us through the Curtis family, the Russian mobster Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric) and his sons, the relationship between Pres. Wilson and daughter Laura (Thandie Newton), and Helmsley and his musician father Harry (Blu Mankuma). What was particularly entertaining for me though was to see Woody Harrelson portray conspiracy theorist and “oracle” Charlie Frost. Looking scraggly, demented, and paranoid, Harrelson stole every scene he was in, providing some of the memorable scenes of the film.

2012 is not going to win any awards. It’s not going to dominate the box office like previous Emmerich movies may have. It’s just a mindless film with great special effects that posits some interesting theories on how the world might end and how humanity’s spirit will find a way to survive it.

Boys Will be Boys

Rare is the play that translates so well into film. With that in mind, Nicholas Hytner’s film The History Boys is probably the rarest of those gems. Based on the Tony Award-winning play by Alan Bennett, it is a film that clearly stems from the stage. With rapid-fire dialogue, tons of witty rhetoric, and a sparkling screenplay, this film pulls you into the world of eight British youths who are aiming for entry into two of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world.

Set in 1983, the soundtrack is a delight for any fan of 80s music (me foremost among them). Eight grammar school students have been selected by their headmaster (Clive Merrison) as possessing the potential to enter either Oxford or Cambridge. The boys excel in their classes but are still typical adolescents: loud, arrogant, brash, and with lots of sex on the brain. Though already under the supervision of Mrs. Lintott (Frances de la Tour) and Mr. Hector (Richard Griffiths), the headmaster feels they need some more prodding in order to ensure their Oxbridge education. That‘s when they bring in Mr. Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore), a young teacher with lots of insights that can potentially affect the boys’ future.

The cast is a marvel to behold. Perhaps owing to their previous experience of performing in the theater version, each actor delivers their lines with such familiarity, confidence, and aplomb that they make every word seem compelling and straight from the heart. Griffiths is an actor that I’ve only previously seen as a comedic buffoon in King Ralph and one of the Naked Gun films, or as Uncle Vernon in the “Harry Potter” series. His Hector allows him to stretch his acting muscles and deliver a virtuoso performance as a pained and tortured teacher with a dark secret. Hector knows that the headmaster is repulsed by him, but his love for teaching and for this group of boys convinces him to stay on… in spite of the loneliness he experiences.

De la Tour’s Mrs. Lintott is so sublime that you might lose sight of her. That would be a huge mistake as her performance helps ground the movie in the face of all the testosterone surrounding her. My friend Jo’s favorite character was undoubtedly the confused teen with the great singing voice Posner (Samuel Barnett). He shines when performing in front of his peers, be it in a scene from a movie or when singing “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” to classmate Dakin (Dominic Cooper). He perfectly captures the confusion and angst that teenagers go through and we were completely under his spell every time he was onscreen.

Cooper’s Dakin is the consummate flirt. Whether it be the headmaster’s secretary Fiona or Posner or his own teacher Irwin, Dakin knows he has an effect on people of any age or sex. He uses that to his advantage of course, and though we sometimes shook our heads in disbelief at this abuse of power, we couldn’t help but be in awe at a young master in action. Moore as Irwin is someone who wishes he had done better in school and is now trying to get the best out of boys not much younger than him. Though he may lead a double life, Irwin feels that if this group can pass Oxbridge, it will serve as a validation for his perceived shortcomings.

Needless to say, I really, really, really liked The History Boys. This was a film that I only caught because my then-officemate Jami heard good things about it and the screening for The Holiday was too late. I have never been so happy to stumble into a cinema as within the first five minutes, I was hooked. With the British accents and the dry Brit humor though, I agree that half of the film’s humor probably went over my head. That doesn’t matter though. The parts that we did get totally blew us away.

It is so rare to find such an intelligent script being acted out by such exceptional actors that I can’t help but rave about it. I still like Jerry Bruckheimer movies and films starring Will Ferrell and Steve Carell, but I still thoroughly loved sitting in a movie theater and watching the genius that is “The History Boys”.

Originally posted on February 13, 2007

Happily Ever After?

We all grew up on fairy tales. Passed down from generation to generation, these stories varied from simple nursery rhymes to more extensive stories that had moral lessons at the end. Writer Bill Willingham’s comic book series Fables has brought all of these varying stories together under one roof, as a bunch of mythical beings who have escaped their fairy tale “homelands” and moved into a secret spot in the Upper West Side of New York City. In the book Peter & Max: A Fables Novel however, the story revolves around two brothers. Both musicians, they both wanted to follow their father’s footsteps. The brothers are Peter Piper and his brother Max, who would become the evil being known as The Pied Piper.

Johannes Piper raised his sons to be skilled with the pipe as he was. Early on though, he noticed that young Peter was more gifted in music than his brother Max. To Max, none of that mattered though as long as he inherited Johannes’ prized possession, the magical pipe known as Frost. On their annual visits to play at the fair, the Pipers would stay at the estate of Squire Radulf Peep together with his wife and six daughters. The youngest, Esmerault, or “Bo” was Peter’s favorite playmate. When the first war drums of an invading empire are heard, the Peeps and Pipers were shocked to find goblins ransacking the Peep estate. Even as Johannes bestows Frost on Peter, an incensed Max begins his descent down a dark path that will have him commit unbelievable atrocities, deal with a witch in The Black Forest, and acquire magical powers that made his story legendary yet deadly. Centuries later, it will be up to Max’s brother Peter to finally bring him to justice at the expense of the peaceful life he has found for himself and his bride away from the Homelands.

I’ve been collecting the Fables graphic novels for a few years now and it has been a constant source of delight for me. Willingham’s ability to bring so many beloved fables, nursery rhymes and fairy tales together has been nothing short of masterful for over five years now, and with this prose novel, he proves that he can write a mean story even without the beautiful art from partners like artists James Jean, Mark Buckingham, or Lan Medina. Of course the few illustrations by frequent Fables contributor Steve Leialoha were much appreciated, but Willingham really shines in his writing here. Peter & Max doesn’t require you to read all of the Fables (and the spin-off Jack of Fables) graphic novels that have come before, but knowledge of those works will double your delight in this piece.

The sibling rivalry that arises between the Piper brothers is quite intense, but there is a fair amount of believability in there as Willingham made a birthright the turning point that finally destroyed their relationship. It might be a bit sacrilegious to compare Johannes, Max and Peter to the Bible’s own Isaac, Esau and Jacob, but I believe Willingham did draw inspiration from the good book for his own purposes.

Since this is “a Fables novel”, there was a fair amount of magic and mystical things happening within these pages. Some animals spoke, music emanating from pipes could hypnotize or destroy, and beings can wait centuries before collecting on old debts. It’s always a treat for me to see some of the fairy tales I remember as a kid reinterpreted in the hands of Willingham, and it’s no different in this case. By crafting an extensive backstory for characters like the Pied Piper, Peter Piper and Little Bo Peep, we become more emotionally invested in the stories, drawing more than just kiddie amusement in the end.

The legend of the Pied Piper’s hypnotic music whisking the children of Hamelin away has a darker slant in Peter & Max, particularly when one sees how the twisted musician became what he wasas he acquired the powerful yet evil pipe Fire as his own. My one big complaint about this novel was probably how anti-climactic the final battle between the brothers was. I thought it was anti-climactic after they had such a magnificent clash back when they were in the Homelands and the dueling pipes were on full display. It was also very entertaining for me, a fan of the graphic novels, to see old favorites such as Rose Red, Bigby Wolf, etc. here as supporting characters. The big treat, however, was to see more of Frau Totenkinder, particularly when she was a more malevolent creature.

As dark as Max’s descent into madness was, the contrast in the love story between Peter and Bo is also a treat. From the innocent games they played as kids to the uncomfortable teenage years and facing the Empire’s assault together and the inevitable confrontation with Max, Peter and Bo survive because they have each other. No matter the problem, no matter the physical or mental anguish they face, Peter and Bo endure whether in their old land of Hesse or in their new home because they know that at the end of the day, they have each other’s back. They made me hold out hope that there is indeed a happy ever after waiting for all of us.

Going Beyond the Law

Too often, when we watch action movies featuring a wronged man seeking revenge on “the system”, it features one guy with a gun taking out people who have wronged him using a lot of brawn and huge amounts of firepower. This was the kind of movie that made stars out of Schwarzenegger, Willis, Stallone, and Eastwood in the past. The difference with Law Abiding Citizen is that this time around, the wronged person uses his brain more than just brawn.

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) sees his home invaded by thugs and blacks out before his wife and daughter are murdered. Philadelphia prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is eager to keep his conviction rate, so rather than take the case before a judge and jury, he agrees to a deal that will lessen the charges against the actual rapist and killer Clarence Darby (Christian Stolte) but will sentence one of his men to death by lethal injection. Shelton is devastated and angered when he sees Darby shake Rice’s hand. Ten years later, Darby’s accomplice Ames dies an excruciating death. Darby meets an even more gruesome fate. When Rice (who has risen to the rank of assistant district attorney) arrests Shelton for the murders, Clyde almost gleefully agrees to be imprisoned. Meanwhile, other people who were involved in the case surrounding Shelton’s family are dying one at a time while he sits in jail. How can he be causing all of it and how low is he willing to go to fix the judicial system?

I’ve been a Gerard Butler fan since he made such a huge impact as the Spartan king Leonidas in 300. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in his last film, Gamer. It’s good to see that with Law Abiding Citizen, Butler gets back some well-deserved swagger. Here is somebody who has been wronged by the faulty American justice system who systematically eliminates every person he thinks robbed him of his family. He doesn’t just go around punching people or shooting them with guns, he has meticulously planned everything in detail to use a variety of means to send each person a message. It’s almost impossible not to root for Shelton while the killings are happening, even though he’s supposed to be the film’s villain.

Director F. Gary Gray has already proven himself to be a good action-drama filmmaker in the past with films such as The Negotiator and the 2003 remake of The Italian Job, so Law Abiding Citizen doesn’t let up in the action department. The city of Philadelphia provides some additional character to the movie that would otherwise be lost of the filmmakers had just elected to make it another generic New York film. It’s a refreshing change though to see African-American Foxx as the slick but successful lawyer while the Caucasian Butler is the diabolical convict with nothing left to lose. Apparently Butler (who also served as a producer on the film) asked that he take the Shelton role even though Foxx was already previously cast in it. Though both are different kinds of actors, they do share some nice screen time together and that added to my enjoyment of the film.

Butler’s Shelton is a pretty vengeful character here, but he’s convinced that he’s helping in fixing a dying and decrepit organism that robs people of true justice. The various ways in which he kills everyone shows both genius and madness, making it irresistible to the audience. Yes, we all know that Nick Rice was a slimy bastard who did anything to get ahead, but the way Shelton took out Rice’s co-workers and associates went beyond just getting rid of “the bad guys” and inevitably makes Shelton a “bad guy” himself. Still, it was pretty sweet how he got his point across, as depraved a point as it was.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

There’s nothing like a good scary movie to send you looking over your shoulder or double-checking if you’ve said your prayers at night. I’m not really sure why I like scary movies, I mean these films are designed to make you scream, give you nightmares, or doubt if there’s something creepy crawling under your bed. Considering that I can’t stand rollercoasters, horror movies are almost nothing to me. For me, the best scary movies won’t show you the ghouls in all their gory glory or won’t have all the guts and innards on display. The best scary films are the ones that leave stuff to your imagination through the use of sound, very simple special effects, and a great deal of innuendo. Paranormal Activity clearly is one of those great scary movies.

In a house in San Diego, California in 2006, young couple Micah (Micah Sloat) and Katie (Katie Featherston) are apprehensive because of a few strange occurrences. Katie claims that a ghostly entity that has been haunting her since childhood has followed her to this new home. Micah wants to capture evidence of this, so he gets a video camera and sophisticated audio equipment to monitor their bedroom as they sleep. Katie contacts a psychic, Dr. Fredrichs (Mark Fredrichs), who says that they are being tormented by a being feeding off negative energy. He suggests that they get in touch the demonologist Dr. Abrams to better understand what they’re dealing with, but Micah wants to make contact by himself through the use of a Ouija board despite Dr. Fredrichs warning against that.

The audio-video equipment ends up recording strange occurrences over the course of three weeks such as noises in the middle of the night, flickering lights, Katie standing up beside the bed and staring at Micah’s sleeping form for hours, footprints entering their room but none heading out, etc. As the strain of these phenomena only aggravate them more, whatever is causing them seems to be getting stronger and more daring in its exploits.

Shot in the form of a documentary like The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity might just be the most original and terrifying horror movie in years. First-time film director Oren Peli uses a very modest budget, with hardly any effects to craft a movie that seems so real, it is terrifying. By using a simple video camera and having just Featherston and Sloat supposedly filming everything, you get the impression that these things actually happened to real people three years ago. The camera is shaky, like it is in normal home movies and the acting seems even more raw as they deal with the unseen yet terrifying entity. Much like Blair Witch did a few years back, it’s tough to determine where fiction ends and reality begins. To me, that is a big part of why Paranormal Activity is such a good film. By suspending disbelief better than the typical horror/slasher flick, this movie does what every film aims to do: make you think what you see on film is 100% real.

I started watching this movie alone in my room at around 1:00am on a Wednesday, but even before the first scene was done, I already turned it off and switched to The Tonight Show instead. Why? Because the documentary style with which it was filmed had me concerned that I was going to be too caught up in the illusion and might be too scared at such a late hour. Instead, I proceeded to watch the film a day later, and I was right. I had chills down my spine at different points of this film and some parts made me jumpy. Whether it was the sound of footsteps in the night, a blanket moving suddenly, or the sight of Katie sleepwalking creepily, the director Peli made me believe that “an entity” truly did haunt this couple. The version that will come out in local cinemas will supposedly have a different ending than this version that I’ve seen, so I am curious enough to watch it again. I dare you to watch Paranormal Activity in a cinema or alone in your house at night. Let’s see just how brave you are.

This Was Definitely It

Like everyone else, I was shocked to find out on the morning of June 25, 2009 that Michael Jackson had died. My childhood would not have been complete without his music, particularly on albums like “Off The Wall”, “Bad”, and of course, the monster that was “Thriller”. Though he somewhat faded from public view due to his eccentricities, his music would pop up on the airwaves every so often. Once in a while, I even played his albums on my iPod for kicks because I was still a fan. Yet the whole world seemed to shake and convulse when the “King of Pop” passed away at the age of 50. His planned concert tour of 50 shows called “This Is It” would not happen.

Surprisingly, that concert tour’s choreographer and director, Kenny Ortega (of High School Musical 1, 2, and 3 fame) had apparently shot a bunch of rehearsal and backstage videos of the preparations for the tour. There was so much video shot of auditions for back-up dancers, Michael and company shooting videos that were to be shown on giant video walls while performing, and Michael freestyling on vocals and dancing, that Ortega could make a pseudo-documentary out of it. As a final tribute to Jackson’s genius, This Is It, the film, was created for a limited two-week theatrical run and boy, it’s definitely worth watching on the big screen.

It’s a performance tour-de-force and a rare look into the painstaking attention to detail that Michael gave to every concert, every performance, and every song. From the first beats you hear of “Wanna Be Starting Something”, you are instantly transfixed on the genius and your feet begin to start tapping along to the rhythm. Throughout the film, one sees the perfectionist that Michael was, paying attention to details such as music cues, variations in dance steps, where and when he would be standing for a particular note, how his performance syncs with pre-shot videos, and even how a burning coat should be treated once it starts to burn. He may have been a bit obsessive-compulsive, but nobody can ever argue with the fantastic results that his live concerts had become. There are a couple of moments when he asks the musical director or Ortega to start a song all over again because he noticed something they could improve on. “That’s why we do rehearsal,” he said, and you knew he took rehearsal very seriously.

The dancers who auditioned to be part of the tour were literally in tears when they found out they would join their idol. Often, while Michael rehearsed or tried out a few moves, those dancers were screaming and cheering the loudest. Why? Because, as my friend Mitch said, “They just got treated to a free concert!” We should all be as lucky as they were.

Michael was also gracious enough to share the stage with a few artists, and two really stood out. Greek-Australian Orianthi Panagaris stepped into the venerable rock and roll shoes worn by Eddie Van Halen and Slash to do the difficult guitar riffs on “Billie Jean” and “Black or White” respectively. She didn’t just do them justice, Orianthi stood toe to toe with the King of Pop and matched his energy on her guitar. Japanese-American Judith Hill sang Siedah Garrett’s part in the Jackson duet “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and hit all the notes that the former Brand New Heavies lead vocalist once made famous. Those who watched Michael’s memorial service at Staples Center might remember Hill as the girl who led the singing of “Heal The World” at the end. These two women shared a stage with the great entertainer, and might have just received a final push from him on their own individual paths to stardom.

Make no mistake, the footage used in This Is It wasn’t supposed to be released to the general public. They were intended for Michael’s personal collection, just something to chronicle the events leading up to the tour. It may seem a bit rough or out of focus at times, and there are instances when Michael isn’t really singing, but rather humming along as he traces his dance moves. Luckily for us, Ortega was able to translate it into a fitting tribute piece. It’s just so sad that when one watches this film, you note how Michael seemed to be so full of life and looked so energized when he was onstage. It’s like being in the spotlight with people looking at his every move put him at ease. There were a lot of moments where my friends and I would be dazzled by his moves, then realize that Michael is indeed gone. The King of Pop is indeed dead, and This Is It is all that we have left of what might have been a magical concert experience. Thankfully, for artists and musicians like Michael Jackson, the music lives on long after the man has left the building.

Soaring High in the Sky

I became aware of Astro Boy from the animated version shown on local TV in the 1980s. It was a fun and simple show back then, complete with an unforgettable yet catchy theme song, but I wasn’t aware of how significant the character was to cartoons and Japanese culture. I only found out about 15 years ago that Astro Boy or Tetsuwan Atom was the model for which all Japanese anime followed. The original Tetsuwan Atom comic (or “manga” in Japanese) was created by legendary manga illustrator Osamu Tezuka in the 1950s. Tezuka’s use of large, expressive eyes became a staple of Japanese animation for decades to come and Tetsuwan Atom has been like Japan’s own Mickey Mouse in terms of popularity, marketability, and appeal to all ages.

I even followed the 2003 anime version of Astro Boy on the Animax network. A bit darker than the 80s version, this was still Astro in his robot fighting glory, and it was great seeing him reimagined for a new generation. For the 2009 feature film version of Astro Boy, I was curious how the character would look in full CGI, and I was also hoping that the plot wouldn’t be too stupid or too kid-oriented to alienate an old fan like myself. Happily, it wasn’t, and there was enough of the classic manga/anime as well as a more than decent plot that I was fully engaged in the film.

Set in the near future, Metro City is a floating metropolis floating above the dump that is all that’s left of Earth. Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage), Head of the Ministry of Science, is too busy to make time for his brilliant 10 year-old son, Toby (Freddie Highmore). During a demonstration for Metro City’s President Stone (Donald Sutherland), the Peacekeeper robot accidentally kills Toby. Wracked with guilt, Tenma creates a robot in Toby’s image, embedded with Toby’s memories, and powered by positive blue core energy. After the robot that Tenma also calls Toby begins to show an independent streak, Tenma rejects him. Stone wants Toby’s blue core at all costs, eventually dumping the robot from Metro City to the robot dumping ground on the surface. Can the newly-renamed “Astro” find acceptance with the surface dwellers and evade President Stone’s clutches?

I have to admit that I had pretty low expectations for Astro Boy. After the disaster that was the live-action adaptation of the anime Speed Racer, I kind of expected Astro Boy to be in the same category. I was more than happy to be proven wrong. The plot follows some of the origins from the 1950s manga and anime, while also modernizing it for the 2009 audience. There was still enough elements though (including renaming the Japanese “Tobio” into “Toby”, Astro fighting for robot rights, guns coming out of Astro’s butt, and the presence of Dr. Tenma and Dr. Elefun) still in the film that kept a hardcore anime guy like me glued to the screen. Yes, there were little plot developments such as Astro ending up with a bunch of kids ala-Peter Pan’s Lost Boys and the “robot gladiators” that were different, but those weren’t necessarily bad things.

The CGI is, of course, excellent. It was nice to see characters such as Astro Boy, Dr. Tenma, and Dr. Elefun rendered in 3D and it was also interesting that Bill Nighy made a rare appearance as a good guy here playing Dr. Elefun. Hearing Cage’s distinctive nasal voice coming out of Dr. Tenma’s mouth was a bit distracting, but after a while, I got used to it. I’ve only seen Highmore in live action films with his native British accent and before puberty hit so I wasn’t so distracted with his lower voice and American twang here. Sutherland is at his best when he plays villains, so his President Stone was fun to watch and hear.

Overall, I enjoyed watching this version of Astro Boy. Again, there were just enough old school elements and a decent mix of modern animation and plot updates that kept me interested. I think it’s time the kids of today met my old friend too. I still sing along to that 80s theme song every now and then, “Soaring high in the sky, he may be small, but only in size, Astro Boy! Astro Boy! He is brave and gentle and wise!”