It's hard to decide what to think of Imagi Studio's next CGI offering Astro Boy.
On one hand, it would be nice to see Imagi stick around and become a new voice in the world of CGI animation (if nothing else, it makes a nice alternative to Pixar, DreamWorks Animation and Fox/Blue Sky). Considering the drama Imagi's gone through to actually make this flick, it would be a shame if it bombed out in theatres.
On the other hand, their previous offering, 2007's TMNT, suffered from great visuals combined with a virtually non-existent story. Imagi's got a long way to go if it wants to play with the big boys.
Astro Boy: Imagi Studios Movie Based on Osamu Tezuka Manga
Which makes the new trailer for Astro Boy so worrying. On the plus side, it fulfills the proper function of a trailer: it gives the audience the set-up for the flick (brilliant scientist creates a robot to replace his departed son) without giving away the ending or any major plot twists, so kudos for that.
However, the animation seems off in some way. The colour palette is doesn't quite work, and the facial expressions don't really fit right. Obviously, the title character is going to look odd (the little guy is a robot after all), but the humans seem very cartoonish, and not in a good way.
This could just be the trailer, but the timing in the sequences also don't seem to work as they should, which makes the characters appear stiff.
There's a terrific amount of pressure on Imagi to get this film right. Not only did the animation studio have to shut down production for several days due to money woes, but Imagi is taking an awful risk adapting Astro Boy like this. A cultural fixture since the 'god of manga' Osamu Tezuka created him in 1951, the little robot boy's popularity in Asia has at times rivaled Disney's Mickey Mouse.
That inherent fanbase should prove to be a godsend should Imagi "get it right," but those same fans will turn on them like a rabid Rottweiler should Imagi come out with a sub-par adaptation of the film.
of course, the only way to tell if this is a quality animated movie will be to see it in its entirety. Will Imagi pull it off, or will Astro Boy sink the once-promising animation studio?
Find out when Astro Boy flies into theatres on October 23rd.
 |
