Here's the thing: Astro Boy has a good heart and decent themes about identity and acceptance, but it's stuck in that awkward 2009 CGI purgatory where it looked fine then but feels clunky now. The story touches on surprisingly heavy stuff—a kid dies, gets replaced by a robot, dad can't handle it—which gives it emotional weight, but the execution is just... fine.

The 52% critic score and 50% audience score tell you what you need to know: it's not bad, but it's not great either. Kids 7-9 might enjoy the robot battles and flying scenes, but don't expect them to be quoting it or asking for repeat viewings. It's the kind of movie you put on when you've exhausted everything else on the streaming service.

If your kid is into robots or anime, it's a decent introduction to a legendary character. But if they're used to the visual splendor of modern animation, this might feel like watching something from the Stone Age. It's perfectly safe and has some nice messages, but it's also perfectly skippable.