Movie Review

Astro Boy

PG for some action and peril and brief mild language.
Running Time: 1 hour 34 minutes

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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Astro Boy is an all-new animated feature film full of action and adventure! Astro Boy, voiced by Freddie Highmore, lives in futuristic Metro City. He's a young robot with incredible powers created by a scientist named Dr. Tenma.

Just how powerful is Astro Boy?

He has super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly! Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way. Through his adventures he discovers the joys and emotions of being human. Along the way he also finds the strength to embrace his destiny.

An Appointment With Destiny

When Astro Boy discovers his friends and family are in danger, he must make a decision. Will he return to Metro City and use his super powers to save everything he cares about? Or, will he simply ignore what's going on at home, and live life for himself?

Right out of the gate it's worth noting that Astro Boy certainly has an impressive voice cast! Not only does Freddie Highmore provide the voice for Astro Boy, but Nicolas Cage lends his voice talent for Tenma the scientist. Other voices of note include – Donald Sutherland, Bill Nighy, Nathan Lane and Eugene Levy. It's quite obvious with such a voice cast that the producers of Astro Boy not only wanted to tap into the family audience, but they also wanted to capture the imagination of parents by using big name actors with recognizable voices.

There are many lessons to be gleaned from Astro Boy. It's a story about family, it's a story about friendship, it's a story about standing up for what's right, and most importantly, it's a story about destiny. The message of destiny is emphasized throughout the movie as we see Astro Boy trying to figure out who he really is. He's searching for meaning in his life. He's searching for the destiny spoken over his life. In the midst of upheaval, Astro Boy holds onto the word destiny as he tries to fit in.

Is he a boy? Is he a robot? Is a friend? Is he a hero?

In the midst of his search, we see Astro Boy mingling with others trying to figure out who he is. While many times movies aimed at kids can be cruel when it comes to answering the destiny question, Astro Boy, for the most part, finds helpful people along the way. Not only do we see his search for destiny, but we in turn see other characters in the movie trying to find their place in the world too.

Then, in the midst of some great lessons for kids, we also discover a few lessons for adults too. One main theme revolves around the importance of spending time with your kids. You will never get lost time back. We see this lesson amplified as Dr. Tenma discovers that even though Toby/Astro Boy is a brilliant son, he hasn't spent the time he should have with him. When something tragic happens, Tenma devises a plan to recapture lost time. However, in the midst of recapturing lost time, both Tenma and Astro Boy find themselves in the midst of confusion.

Action Keeps Your Attention

One thing is for sure, Astro Boy has lots of action to keep not only kids engaged, but adults engaged too. Filmmakers of animated movies sometimes struggle in finding a balance between too much adventure, not enough adventure, or jarring scene changes which do little more than confuse the audience.

Such is not the case with Astro Boy!

There's a nice balance here between adventure vs. scenes where we can catch our breath. But, not only is the action good, it doesn't seem over-done. While I must admit the "I've got machine guns in my butt" may be a little over the top, for the most part, it's your typical Saturday morning cartoon type adventure material.

Another nice aspect of the adventure revolves around the fact that it's not just kids adventure. As already mentioned, there's enough going on in this movie to keep both kids and adults engaged. There's action with kid characters and action with adult characters. Once again, we also applaud the filmmakers because they've found a nice balance between the two age groups, without stooping to potty humor.

As far as rating goes...
We are calling Astro Boy family-friendly for the rating.

Remember, this is a PG movie. It's not meant for the really young. But, even after saying that, it's not to say the 5 to 10 crowd would be overly frightened from anything going on with the movie. The flick clocks in at a little over an hour and a half. It's just the right length for kids not to get bored. Of course the action and the fact that the storyline moves along well and quickly means kids shouldn't get bored.

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus

Surrogates

PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images,
language, sexuality and a drug related scene.

Running Time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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People are living their lives remotely, from the safety of their own homes via robotic surrogates – sexy, physically perfect, mechanical and consequences don't exist. But, when the first murder in years jolts this utopia, FBI agent Greer, played by Bruce Willis, discovers a vast conspiracy behind the surrogate phenomenon. As a result, he must abandon his own surrogate, risking his life, to unravel the mystery.

Who's real...and who can you trust?

Imagine A World With No Pain

Years ago John Lennon sang about a world with no pain and nothing but peace. In Lennon's Imagine, everything was perfect. But, the scriptwriters of the new Bruce Willis flick Surrogates point out that might not be the best place to live.

I went to Surrogates not really knowing what to expect. The trailers looked interesting and it seemed to have that bad-good-cop Bruce Willis feel to it. I like seeing Willis play the role of a cop with an attitude. He just does that so well. But, I must also admit I was really surprised when Willis first appeared on the screen!

He looked plastic and young!

He almost looked like a big G.I. Joe type doll with a plastic face that seemed to crack when he talked. It was just really, really, really strange! I found my mind racing wondering what in the world they did to him. Why would he take a role in which he would be made up to look so young, and plastic?! I also want to point out, I do not remember seeing any trailers for Surrogates where Willis looked like this! The oddity really sent me for a loop and I spent the first part of the movie trying to figure out why he looked so bad. As a result, I missed much of the plot-line and dialogue. Not that it really mattered, this script is pretty much a re-hash of things that have gone before.

Of all those involved in this futurist sci-fi-flick, the star looking the most out of place is Bruce Willis. I suppose that's probably because he's the most recognizable star in Surrogates that really did need some kind of a stand-in double to make him look young. As a result, the first 45 minutes of this movie is very plastic. The acting seems sub-par and many of the supporting actors and actresses seem to lean on Bruce Willis to make this movie come to life.

It finally does come to life with about 45 minutes left.

Once Willis steps away from his surrogate and starts his investigation in his "old" body, the movie seems to come to life. Up to that point, I found myself wondering why Willis even agreed to do this movie. I must admit if it hadn't picked up soon, I was about to leave the theater and totally write Surrogates off as a mistake made by Willis to be ignored.

I like Bruce Willis, and I really did want to like all of this movie. But, in the end, if it hadn't been for the last 45 minutes, I would have said it's best to ignore this movie.

I, Robot on Steroids

As for plot-line – Surrogates can best be described as I, Robot on steroids. There's really not a lot new here when it comes to robotics and what can happen if robots are allowed to take over our lives. Something will always go wrong. It doesn't matter if it's Will Smith crusading for humankind without robots, or Bruce Willis trying to figure out why the surrogate robots are going bad. In the end, it's all the same – we are supposed to live life ourselves, not through a robot.

The 2004 flick I, Robot featured shiny looking machines meant to keep humanity safe from all danger. But, something goes terribly wrong and Will Smith must save the day. In Surrogates, while the technology seems more advanced, the purpose remains the same. Robots, or in this case, surrogates, are supposed to keep humanity from all danger. This time around, it's Bruce Willis to the rescue.

But here's the really interesting twist with Surrogates. Not only is the plot-line and theme similar to I, Robot, but the actor who plays the Doctor responsible for inventing the surrogates is the same inventor from I, Robot! While the character name is different, we find James Cromwell showing up again playing the similar, and familiar role of robot creator.

Overall, I must admit Surrogates was a disappointing experience for me. As already mentioned, I like Bruce Willis when he plays these roles. But, this has more of a low-budget feel to it than anything else. It's almost like those involved in the flick knew they needed a big name to carry the sub-par script, sub-par acting, and sub-par concept. As a result, they turned to big name actor Bruce Willis to carry the movie somewhere. While I'm not sure where they wanted the movie to go, if it weren't for Willis, I would have totally ignored this Surrogates.

As for rating, it says PG-13 for violence and disturbing images. At least they got that right! But, this is far from a PG-13 movie. This is not family-friendly at all, and once again we discover the need for a mature audience rating. While I do give it a 1.5 Lloyd rating, keep in mind that's a mercy rating simply because I like Bruce Willis.

Best to wait for the DVD!
Dr. Rus

Where The Wild Things Are

PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action
and brief language.

Running Time: 1 hour 34 minutes

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies

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Maurice Sendak's classic book comes to life on the big screen in this adventure tale. Where the Wild Things Are follows the imagination of Max, a mischievous young boy who runs away from home after rebelling against his mother. While on the run, Max's imagination run's wild too.

With that in mind, Max finds himself transported to a thriving forest bordering a vast sea. Delighted by the adventure, he sets sail for the land of the Wild Things, where mischief reigns and Max rules.

In what's described as an adventure, drama, family and fantasy flick, Spike Jonze leads a team of filmmakers in bringing the book to life on the big screen. Where the Wild Things Are uses the most dynamic elements of voice performance, live-action puppetry and computer animation.

When A Book Comes To Life

In 1963 the book Where The Wild Things Are, written by Maurice Sendak, was selected by the New York Times Book Review as one of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1963. It also won the 1964 Caldecott Medal.

But, just because it won some awards, does not mean it's a family movie appropriate for kids.

If you're a parent and thinking of taking your kids to see this movie remember one thing...

This movie is Rated PG!

The bottom line — Where The Wild Things Are is not for small kids. This movie is not Rated G. It's rated PG for a reason.

This is an intense movie. While the warning says "PG for mild thematic elements" the elements of this movie are far from mild. Don't be misled by the cool looking cuddly monsters from the trailers. They may look cute and cuddly, but when they come to life on the big screen, it's a much different story. Remember, they are monsters conjured up in the mind and imagination of the main character Max. It's also worth noting that when the book came out in 1963 many found the pen and ink illustrations too frightening for children too.

Tom Hanks, the producer of Where The Wild Things Are describes the flick as "a stunning movie in many ways. Visually you can't believe your eyes." Hanks went on to say, "emotionally it's going to take you to a place that...you will be surprised that you will feel the way that you do at the end of the movie."

Hanks is right on target with his comments. From a production standpoint, Where The Wild Things Are is amazing. The puppetry and special effects are stunning. The theme of the movie does indeed have a strong emotional pull by the end of the movie.

But, special effects and the art of tugging on ones emotions,
does not mean it's a stellar movie.

If anything, even though it's a short movie clocking in at just slightly more than an hour and a half, it's rather slow moving with many watch-checking-moments. In all honesty, I almost fell asleep and the hour and half felt more like two and a half hours. Even when the movie did pick up the pace, the over-all feel was more erratic than anything else. While I'm sure the intent was to give the effect of the wildness of the moment. It does little more than just jar the senses of the viewer.

Looking Into The Mind Of A Child

The 1963 book was one of the first children's books looking into the inner workings of the mind of a child. While it appears to be a story of imagination about monsters, Where The Wild Things Are actually peers into the mind of a child and how he, along with other children, deal with their fears of the unknown. While this is ingenious and is certainly an accurate depiction of how the mind of a child works, it's a very complicated theme to tackle on the big screen. Through the story we see Max come to terms with a fragmented family, a mean sister, and loneliness issues just to mention a few. While these are important themes, at times the movie comes to an almost complete stop as we see Max dealing with his fears through his imaginary monster friends.

Cautionary Family-Friendly

I must admit I struggled with the rating of this movie. While I've repeatedly pointed out Where The Wild Things Are is a PG movie, not a G movie, I debated on whether to call it family-friendly or cautionary family-friendly. While I would not put it into the not family-friendly category, I finally decided to call it cautionary family-friendly. This is simply a warning to parents who've been fooled by the cuddly monster commercials.

We screen movies with an audience so it makes it much easier to determine how viewers like the movie. Heading out of the theater I asked a number of parents who had their 1st and 2nd graders with them and they all said – "Much to intense for my kids." Some went on to say they thought it would be much more kid-friendly because the commercials make the various characters look so cute and cuddly.

In other words...the commercials are misleading!

This is really a movie aimed at older kids who loved the book. At various points in the movie younger kids were screaming, whimpering and crying because it's not meant for the young kids. If I had to pick what I think is an appropriate age, I would say possible 10 or 11 and up. But, even then, parents, attend the movie with your kids if they fall into the age group of 10 to 13. Then, after viewing the movie, be prepared to talk about it. I'm not saying Where The Wild Things Are doesn't have great themes. But, I am saying, this is not a simple entertaining turn your mind off fun type of movie. It is intense!

Issues With Marketing

Overall, and I know this might seem odd after the review, I did kind of like Where The Wild Things Are. From a production and puppetry standpoint, it's very creative and well done. But, when it comes to pace, it's way too slow. I must admit I looked at my watch about 4 times in the span of an hour and a half. Even our 17 year old son and his girlfriend both said, while they liked the movie, it was too slow. They also had an interesting insight saying a lot of their friends want to see it. They think the target audience should be older teens who grew up with the book. The movie should not be seen as an alternative to the book for younger kids.

That leads to my main complaint about this children's book come to life on the big screen.

Promotion for the movie seems to be aimed at the very young crowd, while side-stepping the PG rating. Had it been marketed differently, this review might have been a little more positive. Where The Wild Things Are has the potential to be an emotional roller coaster ride to self-awareness of what's important. That's fine for an older audience, but it's not for a younger one.

Where The Wild Things Are might be better enjoyed on DVD in the comfort of your own home a few months from now.

Cautiously enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus

A Kids Tale Comes To Life

Originally posted on Frame by Frame: A Family-Friendly Guide to the Movies Blog

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Where The Wild Things Are was one of the first children's books depicting the sometimes subversive inner mind of a child. In what appears to be a tale about monsters, the story is more of a peek inside the inner workings of a child's mind and how they deal with their fears of the unknown.

Wearing a wolf suit and acting like a wild child, a little boy named Max laughs with delight as his imagination transforms his surroundings into a land inhabited by wild things – monsters – almost as wild as Max himself.

Tom Hanks On The Red Carpet Premiere