Nicolas Cage: ‘The sadness of the story … drew me to 'Astro Boy'’ [UPDATED]

INTERVIEW WITH NICOLAS CAGE AND FREDDIE HIGHMORE

It’s been 57 years since Astro Boy first took flight in Japan, but today the rocket-powered robot boy attempts flying to new heights with a feature film that may surprise even loyal fans with its bittersweet tale.

“Astro Boy” features Freddie Highmore in the role of the mechanized wonder boy while Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Bill Nighy and Samuel L. Jackson lead the deep supporting cast. The movie is heavy on heroic action and futuristic spectacle, but there are also themes of identity and loss that may remind adult viewers of Steven Spielberg’s “A.I: Artificial Intelligence.”

For Cage, it was those themes that set the movie apart from the standard lighter-than-air animated entertainments of today. The 45-year-old father said he was pulled in by the premise of a synthetic boy who believes he is a “real” human and then finds himself cast out by his creator.

“The sadness of the story,” Cage said, “is exactly what drew me to ‘Astro Boy.’ I can't help but feel for him especially when his father rejects him.”

Cage’s character, Dr. Tenma, is a famed scientist in the floating metropolis of Astro City, where he spends less time than he should with his son, Toby, and too much time with the belligerent military leader Gen. Stone (Donald Sutherland). Stone’s recklessness causes the lab test of a new weapon to go awry and Tenma’s son is killed in the chaos. Driven to obsession by grief and guilt, Tenma constructs a robot that resembles his lost child and invests it with the boy’s memories. That robot becomes the superpowered Astro, but Tenma sees only a cruel reminder of his dead son.

“Astro Boy” presented a number of challenges for producer Maryann Garger, director David Bowers and their team. For one thing, the film was made in 20 months, a mad-dash pace compared with most contemporary animated features. Garger said that was in part due to the imperatives of deals struck with licensing partners, which include McDonald's, L.A. Looks and American Greetings.

But Bowers, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Timothy Harris, said there was a freedom in the 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 with first instincts.”

Another challenge was finding a film that would satisfy loyal, longtime fans of the character but also deliver a crowd pleaser to the wide Western audience that had little knowledge of the hero. Garger, who was also the producer of "Flushed Away" and "First Flight," said the key thing was to hold on to the sadness of the origin story and then build a bright action film around it.

"It's part of the lore, and what makes that lore so powerful is that it is about this tragic event that happens and it's nothing that we could shy away from, even though there were concerns" from some voices involved in the production, Garger said. "But it's the core of what this property is. It's a very emotional story. I think that's why it's so classic and it's lasted over 50 years."

What about pleasing Japanese fans and the wide Western audience? Cage, a longtime fan of "Astro Boy," dismissed the notion that anything would be lost in the translation during Astro's flight into feature film.

"I try not to think of things in terms of how one culture will receive a movie versus another. The fact that 'Astro Boy' appealed to me as a boy in America was proof that the story and character transcend cultural stereotypes."

Bowers said his approach was to please himself first: “I’m quite selfish, so I just made the movie for myself. At the same time I love Astro Boy, I love the property, so I wasn’t about to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Astro Boy began as Tetsuwan Atomu (Iron-Armed Atom) and was created by the late, great Osamu Tezuka. It first appeared in 1951. The manga jumped to the television screen in the 1960s for a black-and-white animated series, which was followed through the decades by popular color cartoons, a mountain of manga, toys, etc.

“There’s a lot of love and respect for the original property -- especially the manga as opposed to the television shows -- but this film is not entirely faithful,” Bowers said. “One of the wrinkles I added is that when Astro is created, Tenma gives him Toby's memories, so when he awakes for the first time Astro believes he’s a real boy. That’s different from the manga, where he always knows he’s a robot. ... I wanted to give Astro some serious identity problems.”

Highmore has plenty of experience dealing with roles steeped in bookshelf history and fan expectation. He starred as Charlie in Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and took on roles in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and "The Golden Compass."

Highmore was the first one cast on "Astro Boy" and, recording his parts in the studio first and alone, he was a key shaper of the film's tone, Bowers said. For Highmore, the project was a satisfying mix of plot elements that recalled "Pinocchio" and the vivid spectacle of a highflying sci-fi romp. 

"There's different layers to the movie, there's a lot of action and the fact that he is a superhero and the kids will love all that," said the 17-year-old British actor. "But there's also some bittersweet things, like Astro's desire to fit in, his search for identity and his relationship with his father. There's all the history of the character too, but for us it was important for this film to be its own piece. I think fans who know 'Astro Boy' will enjoy and so will people coming to it all for the first time."

The cast also includes Nathan Lane, Charlize Theron, Eugene Levy and Matt Lucas (who will be playing both Tweedledee and Tweedledum in the upcoming "Alice in Wonderland").

With Jackson, Lane, Cage and Sutherland, Bowers acknowledged that there are big personalities in the movie, but he said they all deliver performances that are controlled.

"It was a challenge coming in but in the end it worked wonderfully," Bowers said. "I told each of them that the movie that I hoped I was making would have an emotional truth to it and that the performances would be very natural, I didn't want it to be cartoony or broad. But there's a lot of humor in the film. Once we got the emotional side of the story working, then we just went and put as much action, fun and spectacle in the movie as we could fit. The action makes the movie fun and, hopefully, the story makes it involving."

-- Geoff Boucher

PHOTO GALLERY: BEING HUMAN, 10 films of yearning   

 

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Credit: "Astro Boy" film images, Imagi Studios

UPDATE: I had a line in this story that said this was Imagi Studio's first film. It is a key release for them and their biggest project to date, but certainly not their first feature.

Pokemon champions crowned in San Diego in (ahem) 'awesome, monumental' battles

Our brave soul Jevon Phillips dropped in on the Pokemon world championships and lived to tell the tale... 

Long before hearthrob vampires and boy wizards seized the hearts, minds and wallets of American youth, Pokemon was a dominant force. It was on the cover of Time magazine and became a billion-dollar industry with a cartoon broadcast in 153 countries, a trading-card game that boasts 150,000 organized play members, and a video game (Pokemon Platinum version) that sold more than 3.75 million copies worldwide. Despite all that, the brand may have lost a little cache in this "What's hot right now?' culture.

But not to those who gathered in the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel this weekend for the 2009 Pokemon Video Game and Trading Card World Championships. Thirty-two American players, from 7 to 44 years old, did battle with 16 Japanese players and 12 European players for the title of Pokemon Video Game World Champion, while 350 players in junior, senior and master divisions (age brackets) from nearly 30 countries vied for the chance to be the top Chimchar in the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) World Championships.

The card gaming, with 1,125 players competing and 1,034 players participating in side events, is still as strong as it's ever been. Remarkable attendance numbers when you factor in that most of those players also had family and/or friends with them. Also remarkable when you consider that for many, the Pokemon players around in the height of its media popularity are most likely in their 20s and beyond.

None of this mattered to the assemblage at the hotel who sat out in the carpeted hallways battling and comparing decks, or sat in an adjacent room on Saturday continuing to hone their skills and compete for prizes long after the championship rounds were decided.  Knit hats with Pokemon designs (Pikachu ears) or other anime characters mixed with red, green and blue hair or baseball caps worn to the side hip-hop style, and grandpas took on 9-year-olds, pulling no punches at the tables. Pokemon judge Chris Butcher of Huntington Beach explains a bit about the event:

For those attending, it was a also star-studded event, with many past champions on hand either competing or just taking in the atmosphere, popular Pokemedia outlets from Japan, and even some of the game's executives and creators (Jurichi Masuda, Tsunekazu Ishihara, Satoshi Tajiri) attending.  Regular kids who had gained fame among this niche group autographed cards and posters and showed off strategies that made them champs. Past champ Jason Klaczynski helped us get into the contestants' mindset.

And speaking of champs, the competition itself was intense in the final rounds.  The video gamers took the stage first, hooking up a Ninetendo Wii for the competition.  First the senior competitors took to the stage, with 15-year old Tasuku Mano versus 25-year old Kasuyuki Tsuji (below), with his soon-to-be famous "Kaaaa!" battle cry. The duo waged a pitched battle, but in the end, the battle cry rang out from Tsuji and the crowd as he took the title.  A kid next to me described the battle to his mom as "one of the most awesome, monumental battles" he'd ever seen.

In the junior division, American Jeremiah Fan from San Jose was visibly nervous.  He'd faced his opponent, 9-year-old Santa Ito from Osaka, before, but had been beaten. Using one of his favorite Pokemon (Vaporeon), he broke through to win the title.   As is part of the game, Ito was visibly upset and in tears after the match, but the resilient kid later returned to face the crowd.  Despite his shy demeanor, Fan raised his fist in the air and jumped for joy on stage as the crowd chanted his name.

With the video game senior and junior titles won, the card gamers took to the floor. In preliminary rounds, all around them, players stood and watched as the bunch of Bobby Fishers unveiled complicated strategies.  An energy card here, an electric type versus a water type, etc.  Gasps, whispers of plans unfurling and cheers from the crowd took over the room.  Multiple languages and accents didn't matter as nods of approval or disappointment waved through the room.  And then there were three pairings left.

In the junior division, Tsubasa Nakamura of Japan took on Jason Martinez from the U.S. Nakamura, an animated kid with a bandanna wrapped around a black hat, took the match with some crowd-pleasing moves.  Interviewed afterward, his exuberance was on display as he shouted his favorite Pokemon and posed with the hosts of a popular Japanese show chronicling the craze.

In the senior division, David Cohen of Kent, Washington, took on another Japanese player,  Takuto Itagaki. Itagaki, with a knit anime cap on depicting his favorite Pokemon, Kyogre, was a fan favorite, and eventually prevailed.  After beating his opponent, he gave him a stuffed Pokemon (the crowd didn't get to see which one) and asked him to sign one of his Pokemon cards.  The room applauded the sportsmanship.

Itagaki, just 12 years old, could not compete in the masters division, but was anxious to see who won between Stephen Silvestro of Citrus Springs, Fla., and the popular Sammi Sekkoum from the U.K.  Though all of the players started at the same time, the masters pair was the last to leave the stage.  Silvestro's super speedy card shuffling made one think that a magician would be great at Pokemon.  Despite a valiant effort from Sekkoum, he was no match for Silvestro, who took home the crystal trophy and title of World's best TCG Pokemon player (at the master's level).

The drumbeats of the closing ceremony's proceedings have faded and all the pictures have been taken.  Though the fervor surrounding the event has subsided, it was a reminder that Pokemon is as strong as it's ever been. Still gotta catch 'em all.

-- Jevon Phillips

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Photos: Jevon Phillips

UPDATE: This post was updated to correct a misidentified hometown. Hey its hard to catch them all.

Anime Expo: The fans have it

Our Jevon Phillips braved the Anime Expo this weekend and here's his report...

 

Fans are fans.  Fanatical about ... whatever they're fanatical about (click above photo to see more).  The subject of choice this past weekend in Los Angeles was the Anime Expo, a celebration of anime, manga, music and cosplay. The Japanese-style of art and characterizations dominated the exhibition floor space of the convention center. Vendors sold clothing, toys, accessories like swords and blue wigs, and even things for those friends of yours who are bastards. Video games, like the new Tentsuko vs. Capcom (more on that below) and others also enticed conventioneers.  But, for many of those attending, the most colorful and attractive part of the convention was the parade of sometimes familiar, mostly imaginative costumed characters -- and theskill that comes along with creating their masterpieces.  they even boasted other talents like playing the theme song to their favorite Final Fantasy game on a violin!

Comic-Con is great, and Hero Complex plans to be there this year, but this is/was a different animal.

With movies of all genres, television shows ranging from "Mythbusters" to "Heroes," fan films, a masquerade, and more, San Diego's gathering can be overwhelming and sprawling in terms of people, themes and events for attendees.   

The Anime Expo seemed more ... focused.  Anime Expo also had a masquerade, a huge artists' alley (which included Potatobuns!) and other displays in common with Comic-Con, but whether you dress up or not, there's a recognition of work or a recognition of character that it seems most people acknowledge.  Not just a point and giggle, but an admiration. Simply put, the mostly no-frills event is more fan-friendly and accessible than Comic-Con.  Of course, 44,000 people as opposed to 125,000 obviously has a little to do with that.  But those 44,000 at AX get into it.

Here's a quick clip I got of the Tentsuko vs. Capcom game. I like the way the characters enlarge when they're about to do super moves.

-- Jevon Phillips

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Anime exhibit in Beverly Hills is both naughty and nice

There's a new anime exhibit underway and longtime film-scene writer Susan King sent over this preview for readers of Hero Complex.

Anime is for kids of all ages -- well, except for all the adult-only material. That's why there are some carefully curtained areas at Anime! High Art-Pop Culture, the exhbition now underway at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills.

The erotic is a “huge component of anime," according to academy programmer Ellen Harrington, which is why strategic steps were taken with the exhibit in the academy’s grand lobby and the fourth-floor galleries. "We expect this is going to be very popular with families and we want to make sure that no one is put into an uncomfortable position. So it is curtained off with warning signs.”

Originating at the Deutsches Filmmuseum, Frankfurt am Main in Germany, the exhibition traveled to Copenhagen before making its American premiere at the academy. The multimedia program features nearly 400 cels, clips and character models that highlight the range of anime, the enormously popular art of Japanese animation. There's a strong presence for the most popular anime movies and TV series, such as “Akira,” “Dragon Ball Z,” “Ghost in the Shell,” “Pokemon: The First Movie” and “Princess Mononoke.”

“Anime has been a major component of Japanese popular culture for the 20th century,” Harrington said. “It grew out of a tradition of the flat-paned screen paintings and wood cuts and then went into manga — the Japanese comic book trend that’s still the most widely circulated form of published literature in Japan. The story depictions and the visual aesthetic [of manga] moved into the creation of moving animation. The merging and development of that manga style into anime feature films, TV shows and now myriad other kinds of entertainment is part of the national contemporary conversation in Japan."

Harrington added: "It’s become so unbelievably popular in the U.S. and in Europe within the last decade. The movies have come over and so many of the TV series and characters, like Pokemon. American kids are growing up seeing the aesthetic and are drawn into the types of powers, characters and struggles in these stories.”

The exhibition is for both the fanatic and the neophyte. “If you understand anime and love anime, you are going to come here and see all the characters that are familiar and the original works of art,” Harrington said. “But for other audiences who are just learning about anime and are interested in animation generally, there is an interesting narrative. There is material from the earliest Japanese animated films; there is a section on Studio Ghibli which is Hayao Miyazaki’s studio. He is the only anime director to this point who has won an Oscar."

Miyazaki won for the trophy for best animated feature for his surreal and startling 2001 epic “Spirited Away,” one of the great works in anime that is raising the ambitions and perceptions of the medium. Anime can be so many different things to such a wide-ranging consumer audience and the exhibit reflects those varied sectors.

The show is divided into specific audiences and genres. “Children to adults in Japan consume anime so there is special product for each group,” Harrington said. "So besides the erotic anime there is a special anime for girls, especially teenage girls. There is a whole line of anime products that are oriented to teenage boys and there is a whole fantasy genre and very large science fiction component.”

Over the course of the summer, Harrington promises the academy will screen some anime movies.

“Anime! High Art-Pop Culture” is on display through Aug. 23 at the academy’s two galleries at 8949 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. Hours are 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and noon to 6 p.m weekends. Admission is free.

--Susan King

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Images, from top: Cel from "Sailor Moon"; cel from "Pokemon: The Movie";  cel from "Dragonball Z: The Dead Zone." Credits, from top: Frostrubin collection; courtesy Mike and Jeanne Glad; courtesy Mike and Jeanne Glad.