Humans and a certain boy robot are captured in smooth, big-eyed anime style by animation artist-turned-director David Bowers ("Flushed Away"). From a visual perspective, "Astro Boy" is awash in vibrant color and occasional 2-D wizardry. And the voice talents of Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson and others make this a noteworthy entry in the franchise's long legacy. Overall, though, the film gets bogged down in issues and homages until the too few flashes of fun come along to save the day.

The single-name Asian star Rain stars as Raizo, one of the deadliest assassins in the world, who was taken from the streets as a child and transformed by a secret society. The good news is that "Ninja Assassin" is beautifully shot and full of dynamic action sequences that never drag. The bad news is that "Ninja Assassin" lives up to the expectations conjured by its generic, low-information title. When the characters aren't lopping off each other's limbs, "Ninja Assassin" stops being visually interesting and devolves into a monumentally dull film with borrowed plots from across the genre.

This battle-of-the-bands comedy is a motivating, fun and emotion-packed ride, just like the make-it-or-break-it competition it features. Although the film stars Disney Channel poster girls Vanessa Hudgens ("High School Musical") and Aly Michalka ("Cow Belles") to court the kiddie crowd, "Bandslam" isn't predictable pre-pubescent fantasy fluff. It has surprising soul for a movie that might appear to serve up typical teen fare.

• TV ON DVD: "Destination Truth: Season 1"; "Hawaii Five-O: The Eighth Season"; "Monk: Season Eight"; "South Park: The Complete Thirteenth Season."

COMING SATURDAY

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner lead the cast in the second of the Stephenie Meyer adaptations about a vampire, a besotted and broken-hearted human teen and the werewolves who complicate their lives. "New Moon" chronicles Bella's nearly crippling heartbreak, Jacob's growing attraction to her and his transformation into a member of the wolf pack. It's very faithful to the book, almost slavishly so, with no real surprises or dizzy detours. Extras include audio commentary by director Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert, a six-part behind-the-scenes documentary, rehearsal footage with Muse and music videos from Death Cab for Cutie, Anya Marina and Mute Math.