Nicolas Cage And Kristen Bell Starred In A Sci-Fi Bomb That Killed A Movie Studio
From John Woo's '90s classic "Face/Off" to "Kick-Ass," Nicolas Cage has starred in some sci-fi and superhero actioners. However, not all of them are successful. For example, in 2009 he teamed up with Kristen Bell, Freddie Highmore, and Samuel L. Jackson for "Astro Boy," an animated flick that flopped so hard that it forced Hong Kong's Imagi Studios to close its doors.
"Astro Boy" earned just over $41 million at the global box office, failing to even recoup its $65 million production budget. As such, the company — which also produced 2007's successful "TMNT" adaptation — had to shut down production to preserve its liquidity, and the rest is history. Throw "Astro Boy" on the list of superhero movies that should have been hits but bombed instead.
Still, do not mistake the film's financial failures for an indicator of quality. "Astro Boy" was pretty well received by critics at the time, so let's find out what they had to say about the movie that shut down an entire studio.
What critics said about Astro Boy
"Astro Boy" isn't the most authentic manga adaptation out there. The film makes several changes from the source material, which might have discouraged fans from showing up to support it. However, viewers in the mood for a family-friendly superhero movie with mecha action will probably enjoy it.
The Guardian praised the film's story, which centers around the titular character after he gets brought back from the dead as a robot. "It is a bold and even poignant idea and the movie certainly zips along. It's not in the Wall-E league, but it's well made and inventive."
Some critics also highlighted the film's impressive visual style. "[...] Astro Boy is a marvelously designed piece of cartoon kinetics, with the pleasing soft colors and rounded-metal tactility of an atomic-age daydream," Entertainment Weekly wrote.
Of course, Nicolas Cage has starred in more comic book adaptations since "Astro Boy," including the must-see "Spider-Noir." Unfortunately, Amazon Prime Video canceled the show after one season — but at least it didn't cause the studio to close.