Flushed Away

...his dead son with a cyborg (Freddie Highmore), who gets adopted by Dickensian urchins and robot revolutionaries. From the director of "Flushed Away," this gleaming 'toon is zippy enough for kids but loaded with references that will engage their...

In this article: Oscar, Amelia Earhart, Cirque du Freak, Ewan McGregor, Freddie Highmore, Hilary Swank, and Richard Gere

...a great character, and it just seems like a let down because of all the opportunities the film misses. There's a sort of weightless quality to the film, dramatically speaking, like nothing in it really matters even though you've got the death...

In this article: Astro Boy, BluRay, Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, DVD, and Talking Heads

...the White Lion.) Directed by David Bowers, making his solo debut (he was one of two directors on "Flushed Away," from Aardman Animations), the movie serves as an introduction to Astro Boy and his origin story and, no doubt, a wished-for...

In this article: Astro Boy, Dr. Tenma, Freddie Highmore, Summit Entertainment, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nicolas Cage, and Nathan Lane

...rigid schedule. "Some of these films take five years and it's just too long," said the British filmmaker, whose directorial debut was "Flushed Away" in 2006. "I was intrigued by making a movie so quickly because I knew I would have to go...

In this article: Nicolas Cage, Astro Boy, Freddie Highmore, Alice in Wonderland, Astro Boy, and Samuel L. Jackson

...some obvious visual touches taken from "The Iron Giant." As its own entity, though, it's pretty forgettable. Director David Bowers ("Flushed Away"), who cowrote the script with Timothy Hyde Harris ("Kindergarten Cop," "Space Jam"), gets some...

In this article: Astro Boy, Dr. Tenma, Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, and Space Jam

...and directed by David Bowers. Length: 90 minutes. PG (for some action and peril, and brief mild language). ** Director David Bowers ("Flushed Away"), who co-wrote the script with Timothy Hyde Harris ("Kindergarten Cop," "Space Jam"), gets...

In this article: Astro Boy, Dr. Tenma, Freddie Highmore, Nathan Lane, Dick Cheney, Kristen Bell, Donald Sutherland, and Nicolas Cage

...high-minded morals in an instant for the sake of an action sequence. Director David Bowers (Flushed Away) is seemingly a Tezuka fan, given the film's visual fidelity to his art, and all the little Easter-egg Tezuka references sprinkled...

In this article: Astro Boy, Dr. Tenma, Easter-egg, and Bill Nighy

...some obvious visual touches taken from "The Iron Giant. " As its own entity, though, it's forgettable. Writer/director David Bowers ("Flushed Away") gets some help from a lively voice cast: Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy and...

In this article: Dr. Tenma, Astro Boy, Freddie Highmore, Nathan Lane, Dick Cheney, Hamegg, and Big Boy

...still thinks animation is only for children, this first Astro Boy film will happily disabuse them. Directed by David Bowers ("Flushed Away"), the action-adventure (and comedy) is set in the futuristic Metro City, which floats above an...

In this article: Astro Boy, Action film, Pinocchio, Japan, Freddie Highmore, Brian Aldiss, and August Rush

...running through the "Astro Boy" mythology, but in trying to make the movie version as accessible as possible, director David Bowers ("Flushed Away"), who shares screenplay credit with Timothy Hyde Harris ("Space Jam"), also has borrowed...

In this article: Astro Boy, Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Hamegg, Summit Entertainment, Katsushika Hokusai, and Dr. Tenma