Many of you probably grew up, as I did, watching 'Astroboy' and 'Transformers'. The man behind 'Astroboy', Osamu Tezuka, drew many other comics in his time ((mdash)) one of them being a comic based (very) loosely on Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis.

In keeping with the original, the vision of the future is not the modern-day science-fiction variety, but the kind we would expect from a 1950s TV show ((mdash)) with blimps continually circling around enormous skyscrapers. The poor and the criminals of the city are not allowed to live in such luxury however, being confined to the below-ground slums. This is the setting for the main characters ((mdash)) police from another city initially track a fugitive, but soon unwittingly become involved in much more.

For 'Astroboy' fans, the character design is very (and almost frustratingly) recognisable ((mdash)) homage to the late Tezuka, which gives it a retro feel (in a not-so-trendy way). For everyone else, you'll probably wonder why they all look like cartoon-book characters from the 1960s. Beyond looks, some of the characters could be better developed, and the storyline is slightly confusing at times. These downsides are mostly compensated for by the enjoyable ragtime music and incredible visual effects that accompany the film.