The GHZ Forum

Anyone seen Astro Boy yet? I'm intimidated by it. There's so much history to the character and the thought of it all being condensed into a 2-hour CGI kids' movie written by the guy who wrote Space Jam fills me with dread. The thing is, I really want it to be good. I really do. And then I remember that Nicholas Cage is voicing Tenma...

You just gave me two new previously unknown reasons for me not see it. I still want it to be good. But I highly doubt it will.

America finally did what I've wanted to see done with years with Astro-Boy: make him put some damn clothes on.

Fun fact: Astro Boy eats through his ass. Seriously, he bends over, a friend has to stick an energy canister in his ass, and he moans as he's recharged.

Ha! I actually made that topic about the subject way, way back when. The image is gone though sadly. I'm not sure if I still have it anymore. A shame, because it was hilarious. The page had pictures of Professor Ochanomizu jamming some sort giant syringe thing up Astro's metal ass and explained it like it was totally normal. Even went as far to say Astro Boy went into a "state of bliss" while refueling. With stars in his eyes. WTF Japan?

Far as the movie goes, it flopped in Japan as well as America. I wouldn't doubt it being lame. Didn't Genndy Tartakovsky have his hands in this at one point? I was really excited when I heard that.

Yeah, he did. According to Wikipedia he dropped it to focus on his other project, the Dark Crystal sequel. Sigh.

Also, skip to 8:50. He can recharge other boy robots too.

It is not good. I went to see it on a lark with some friends, who didn't seem to realize that the movie was doomed from the outset. No one else was in the theater, and it was still opening weekend. Afterwards they hailed me as a visionary whose judgment should never be doubted again. I'd advise you all to do the same, at least regarding Astroboy.

On the topic of Astro Boy, does anyone else here read PLUTO?
(If not, do it.)

I caught a couple of episodes of the 60's and 00's Astro Boy, but my only real experience with the franchise was Omega Factor, which was a damn fine games for a licensed product.

Also this:


Never heard of the energy suppository thing before. Kinda wish I still hadn't.

Is that really a real C&H strip? Bill Watterson is the last person I'd've expected to make an Astro Boy reference.

As for the movie, I think I'll just see if I can torrent some of the old anime or manga rather than watch a blander version which has Nicholas Cage in it.

Crowbar wrote:Is that really a real C&H strip? Bill Watterson is the last person I'd've expected to make an Astro Boy reference.

Yes. Which is why it stuck with me. I think it's like only one of two outside references he ever made in the entire strip's run.

Weird, I remember the set up for that strip but I don't remember it being about Astro Boy. Maybe I just didn't know who he was when I was younger.

P.P.A. wrote:On the topic of Astro Boy, does anyone else here read PLUTO?
(If not, do it.)

Yes, and it's very awesome take on Astro Boy. I'm pretty sure Senbei's avatar is said Pluto's eyes.

Astroboy was one of my favorite toons from the eighties... after that, Is like no one has the balls to make the remakes right...

Senbei wrote:...he dropped it to focus on his other project, the Dark Crystal sequel.

What.

Yes, The Power of the Dark Crystal. It's scheduled for 2011 now, but it was supposed to out this year, so.

Protodude wrote:I'm pretty sure Senbei's avatar is said Pluto's eyes.

Confirmed. Needless to say I'm enthralled by it. The series exemplifies the best of both Tezuka and Urasawa, who are probably my two favorite Japanese comic creators. It deals with themes and characters not restricted to Astro Boy canon, but much of both artists' other work. It's really a dream come true for a fan and one of the few good manga series to come to U.S. shores. And it's partly because of Pluto that I want this movie to be good, but it looks like Mighty Atom is doomed to obscurity for another generation of American children.

Wish I could find a good collection of the original series translated well. Viz released some a few years ago, but they're nigh impossible to find now.

Wasn't the 2003 reboot supposed to be quite good? I saw a few of the first episodes and enjoyed them immensely. A shame its never been released in the States beyond a crummy KidsWB release. It's almost impossible to find cheaply and in its original format.

It was fantastic, but the Japanese hated it on general principle that nothing good related to Tezuka can ever be made now that he's dead.

Zeta wrote:Wish I could find a good collection of the original series translated well. Viz released some a few years ago, but they're nigh impossible to find now.

It was actually Dark horse that released them, and if you don't mind buying online they have the whole collection at Amazon.

The only thing that bothers me about Astro Boy is Freddie Highmore doing an American accent. Not that he's too bad at it, I guess, but why don't they just get an American kid? Or better yet, let Astro talk with *gasp* Received Pronunciation?

Zeta wrote:It was fantastic, but the Japanese hated it on general principle that nothing good related to Tezuka can ever be made now that he's dead.

Actually the fact the no one ever died, and that it was a bit too smiliar to Megaman, helped to hate it. In the original black&White one, astroboy actually killed robots. In the 2003 reboot... well, its like they could never find the right target audience. You cant make a show about robots fighting each other and dont have robots destroyed for real...

You can when the whole theme is that robots need human rights. @_@

Zeta wrote:You can when the whole theme is that robots need human rights. @_@

There are a lot of shows about that in Japan (Even some live action, that means Sentai) where robots still die...

The show was too tame for ten year olds, and not tame enough to be of the liking of five year olds...