Cobbled together from trusty old parts, "Astro Boy" manages to stand on its own feet. Like the Japanese anime series of the 1960s, it's zippy, and the movie version has both a computerized sheen and handcrafted detailing. Because the details are cribbed from classics, parents can enjoy this 'toon as much as their kids.

The obvious origin for the story of an artificial boy who thinks he's human is "Pinocchio." In this case, the puppet master is Dr. Tenma (voice of Nicolas Cage), whose son is killed when the greedy president (Donald Sutherland) unleashes a killer cyborg to scare up votes (in a floating city that's reminiscent of "WALL-E").

The grieving Tenma puts a strand of his son's DNA and a kernel of benevolent blue energy into a mechanical boy. But after Astro (voice of Freddie Highmore) discovers he can fly like a robotic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Tenma can't control him and banishes the boy to the scrap heap down on Earth.

Astro is befriended as "one of us" — an allusion to "Freaks" — by the mechanical militants of the Robot Revolutionary Front, and then by some urchins who live with a larcenous ringleader — an allusion to "Oliver Twist."

The mysterious Mr. Hamegg (Nathan Lane) collects broken robots for his circus, and after Astro uses his energy to restore a rusting iron giant, Hamegg deduces that the big-eyed boy is a valuable commodity.

If you've seen "A.I.," a scene in a gladiatorial arena might make you want to hide your eyes; but whenever "Astro Boy" is close to getting scary, it's elevated by wit and energy. It was directed by David Bowers, whose "Flushed Away" was similarly rich with references.

Although "Astro Boy" is marred by some occasional cutesiness, its heart is in the right place.