The problem with Astro Boy, a computer-animated take on the vintage Japanese cartoon series, is that like its supersonic, jets-in-his-feet hero, the movie itself feels totally robotic. The digitally drawn characters never seem to manage eye contact, the dialogue is mechanical, and the nods to Disney (shades of Pinocchio), to Miyazaki (shades of Laputa: Castle in the Sky) and Brad Bird (The Iron Giant), are just that: nods.
An origin tale, Astro Boy, directed by David Bowers, is set in futuristic Metro City, a floating utopia where robots perform the servile functions and where Dr. Tenma (the voice of Nicolas Cage) is deep into weapons research involving "blue core" (good) and "red core" (bad) energy. Unfortunately, things go awry down at the lab, and Tenma's brainy, bratty son, Toby (the voice of Freddie Highmore), is right in the middle of the awry-ness.
