Astro Boy

[Bud Struggle]

Here's something interesting--actual Marxist ideology in a mainline move. The Revolution may not be that far off. I think it goes to show that once Marxism could leave off the taint of the Cold War and Stalinism/Maoism if brought up correctly it may have a chance to gain a wider audience. And there is no better entre into World wide culture than through the movies.



Crude posters of Lenin and Trotsky adorn the threadbare walls of an office in a desolate part of town, and a group of outcast revolutionaries hatch a scheme to overthrow the ruling powers and bring equality and a classless society to mankind. The beginning of an Eisenstein film? Bunuel? Renoir?

Try 'Astro Boy the upcoming animated film featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage and Kristen Bell about a boy robot that leaves his scientist father after finding out he isn't human. Ostensibly a film for children -- with a fringe following of fanboys, thanks to its comic book series -- the movie features very adult ideas of ownership and class structure that will most likely be future fodder for college philosophy classes around the country.

While it's no secret that Hollywood films tend to skew left in general, 'Astro Boy' may be the first animated blockbuster to discuss, if not necessarily endorse, explicit Marxist ideologies (albeit in cute robot form, of course.) In the movie, the aforementioned outcasts, led by Robotsky, form the Robot Revolutionary Front, stenciling their logo on city walls and chanting "Viva La Robotolution" at anyone within earshot.

http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/10/08/astro-boy-battle-for-terra-left-leaning-animated-films?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Finsidemovies.moviefone .com%2F2009%2F10%2F08%2Fastro-boy-battle-for-terra-left-leaning-animated-films

[scarletghoul]

Astro Boy is awesome, I used to love the comics and anime. Had no idea the film would be revolutionary ! Totally gotta see this.

[Havet]

Here's something interesting--actual Marxist ideology in a mainline move. The Revolution may not be that far off. I think it goes to show that once Marxism could leave off the taint of the Cold War and Stalinism/Maoism if brought up correctly it may have a chance to gain a wider audience. And there is no better entre into World wide culture than through the movies.



Crude posters of Lenin and Trotsky adorn the threadbare walls of an office in a desolate part of town, and a group of outcast revolutionaries hatch a scheme to overthrow the ruling powers and bring equality and a classless society to mankind. The beginning of an Eisenstein film? Bunuel? Renoir?

Try 'Astro Boy the upcoming animated film featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage and Kristen Bell about a boy robot that leaves his scientist father after finding out he isn't human. Ostensibly a film for children -- with a fringe following of fanboys, thanks to its comic book series -- the movie features very adult ideas of ownership and class structure that will most likely be future fodder for college philosophy classes around the country.

While it's no secret that Hollywood films tend to skew left in general, 'Astro Boy' may be the first animated blockbuster to discuss, if not necessarily endorse, explicit Marxist ideologies (albeit in cute robot form, of course.) In the movie, the aforementioned outcasts, led by Robotsky, form the Robot Revolutionary Front, stenciling their logo on city walls and chanting "Viva La Robotolution" at anyone within earshot.

http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/10/08/astro-boy-battle-for-terra-left-leaning-animated-films?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Finsidemovies.moviefone .com%2F2009%2F10%2F08%2Fastro-boy-battle-for-terra-left-leaning-animated-films (http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/10/08/astro-boy-battle-for-terra-left-leaning-animated-films?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main%7Cdl2%7Clink3%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Finsidemovies.mov iefone.com%2F2009%2F10%2F08%2Fastro-boy-battle-for-terra-left-leaning-animated-films)

Are you sure you're talking about Astroboy?

'Cos I don't see any Marxist nuances in astroboy's teaser trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nYBfYlU0mA

[Bud Struggle]

I don't think "Revolution" and Marxism the the out and out themes of the movie--but rather it's probably insinuated and discussed in the script.

Anyway that LAST thing a teaser is supposed to do is put you to sleep with economic theory.

[Havet]

I don't think "Revolution" and Marxism the the out and out themes of the movie--but rather it's probably insinuated and discussed in the script.

Anyway that LAST thing a teaser is supposed to do is put you to sleep with economic theory.

lol k, i'll probably check it out anyway.

[Rosa Provokateur]

Just watched the preview. I think we've found this year's Dark Knight :D

[Rascolnikova]

I thought Robots verged into class struggle territory. Also, I haven't seen it through, but Miyazaki's environmentalism in Princess Mononoke seemed to be verging on that direction. Honestly, there seem to be a lot of films that start out as really solid, interesting critiques of the capitalist system, and then go crazy so as to avoid resolving themselves in a logically appropriate way. Mean Girls, Josie and the Pussycats, and (arguably) all the Spider-man movies come to mind. . . There are more and less nuanced, more and less aware, more and less entertaining ways to do it, but the formula goes something like this:

1) Build a story around problems intimately resonant with a lot of people's lives--say, a life structured so as to necessarily cause trouble with interpersonal relationships, lack of fulfilling work activities and outlets for creativity, or intense resource scarcity. These three elements often play off of each other.

2) Either
a) distract from or personify the source of those problems with some absurd but very concrete construct
or
b) parlay the story into a hopefully touching message about how all of this is simply psychological, and we all just need to be ourselves/nicer/{insert supposedly positive psychological characteristic of your choice}.
or both.

[Bud Struggle]

2) Either
a) distract from or personify the source of those problems with some absurd but very concrete construct
or
b) parlay the story into a hopefully touching message about how all of this is simply psychological, and we all just need to be ourselves/nicer/{insert supposedly positive psychological characteristic of your choice}.
or both.

Interesting that your (the Communist) critique is very similar to the Conservative Christian critique of most modern movies. The issue in these movies is never understood in universal terms but only in some fuzzy platitudes and self fufillment. There is no real tension between good and evil--and thus no real motivation for the story to exist at all as true literature. The movies are entertainment and nothing else.

[RadioRaheem84]

Sorry guys it seems that the Marxist robots are there for comic relief and don't really provide a serious critique of the status quo. The system stays in tact at the end. :(

But this brings me to another point as to how real leftist criques have been used as comedic fodder on tv. Lisa, is no longer the voice of reason anymore but really an annoying stereotype, the girl on American Dad, the hatred of hippies, etc. It seems that there is sizeable liberal propaganda on American TV but its also anti-leftist. Revolutionaries are a joke in today's society.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

I want to watch this film so im taking names if anyone spoils the plot.

[Jazzratt]

I want to watch this film so im taking names if anyone spoils the plot.

Something uninspired and insipid happens to a bunch of vacuous characters, hilarity with possible smatterings of hijinks ensues but everything turns out fine in the predictably saccharine ending then you go home feeling dumber, welcome to the majority of hollywood's creative output. The end.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Bastard.

[Bud Struggle]

Bastard.

I think Jazz was giving us the plot of the Russian Revolution.

[Plagueround]

I think Jazz was giving us the plot of the Russian Revolution.

Sounded more like your life story to me. Ohhhhhhhhhhh snap!

[Rosa Provokateur]

RevLeft: Come for the radicals, stay for the burnage:D