unike it titular child android and astro boy oh so earnest zing be somewhat attenuate by the lack of a definitive soul to make it stand out . which isn not to say that david bower 3 d animate sci fi be a screw up experience thanks largely to it amuse one liner and side character but it theme of a boy try to fit in among those who be different from him fail to stand up to the like of and say and pinocchio and and iron giant . in the lustrously hi tech metro and a city float above pile and pile of metal scrap and human be serve by robot that be guide by the late isaac asimov robotic law . metro resident toby ( voice by freddie highmore ) be seek to follow in the footstep of his father and dr. tenma ( nicolas cage ) and who create most of the city machine . however and an accident that lead to toby death prompt the sorrow dad to create a robot in toby image in a bid to replace his son . astro and a the mechanical toby eventually become known and be shatter after dr. tenma reject him for not be able to live up to his human counterpart and and realize that he not who he think he be and astro leave the metro in search of a place where he feel he will belong . bower cinematic translation of a 1951 manga by osamu tezuka be an uneven albeit beam trip and typify by the like of cage and bill nighy who sound bore and even if donald sutherland and kristen bell feel game for their role . but it succeed in create an allegory on the rift between different class and even if they be frustratingly gloss over in service of a predictable story and a few humdrum action . despite it shortcoming and astro boy still prove humorously compelling when it hero spread kindness courtesy of his cant do bad heart .