The Big Picture

HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot
has the potential to be a stunning start to a franchise though falls short.
The mechs are well-designed, with clear thought given to their presentation, enhancing the visual appeal.
Flaws in the design dampen the impact, like comedic moments that detract from serious scenes in a film that already needs more dramatic heft.

Mecha films, featuring a protagonist operating (usually piloting) a large robotic vehicle that’s often humanoid in shape, are a far more prolific sub-genre in anime than in live-action features. Although the nature and details of the mechs vary wildly, mecha (a Japanese term derived from the English word ‘mechanism’) populate such esteemed series like the Gundam franchise,Neon Genesis Evangelion, or Knights of Sidonia, each series spinning off a simple premise: there’s a powerful enemy, and we need to drive powerful robots to fight it. Live-action mecha features like Guillermo del Toro’s epic Pacific Rim and its sequel are rarer (surely in part due to the traditionally high cost to really land a live-action mecha film that actually looks good), but if Rich Ho’s HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot is any indication, we’re likely to see more in the future.

HEAVENS takes place during a future war between Earth and Mars, but (unsurprisingly, given the film’s subtitle) it’s most centrally about the relationship between a boy-turned-young-man, Kai (Jonathan See), and his artificially intelligent robot, affectionately called Little Dragon. The kid-friendly Singaporean film was initially designed and intended to spark the beginnings of a multi-media franchise, and the film is fully Rich Ho’s brainchild as its writer, producer, director, cinematographer, composer, and actor. It’s a charming outing with a solid central premise, but the family-friendly tone and specific elements of the execution muddle the impact of what could otherwise be a stunning franchise opener.

HEAVENS: The Boy and HIs Robot Eighteen-year-old Kai embarks on a journey to become a Mecha pilot, accompanied by his fighter robot, Little Dragon. As they navigate the challenges of the academy and the battlefield, they form an unexpected bond.Release Date November 17, 2023 Director Rich Ho Cast Jonathan See , Kenny Woo Kah Weng , Tan Hsien Jin , Rich Ho , Desmond Yeo , See Jason , Gavan Leong , Nelson Xiao Qiang Lee Runtime 95 Minutes Writers Rich Ho Expand

What is ‘HEAVENS: The Boy and his Robot’ About?
HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot takes place in a near future where advancements in technology have allowed humanity to take its place among the stars. Unfortunately, with interstellar colonization can come conflict, and this world is no different. The Empire of Mars, the ruling power of our dry celestial neighbor, is at war with Earth over its signature resource, water, in the Second Great War. Very early in the film, young Kai’s father sacrifices himself to save Earth from a grave invasion, soon followed by Kai’s mother joining Earth’s Mecha Corps Academy. She, too, goes missing, prompting the brilliant but asthmatic Kai to join the Academy himself. In the Corps, each pilot is carefully paired with a mech that shares their traits, and they’re encouraged to bond with their new robotic companion. He’s matched with a robot he comes to call Little Dragon, and the pair end up facing grave peril en route to his final test to be a full-fledged member of the Corps.

Kai’s a solid young protagonist. In some ways, he fits in the vein of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s teenage hero Shinji Ikari, a similarly young teen who comes of age while piloting powerful humanoid beings against planetary threats. Here the threats are the very human Empire of Mars instead of the eldritch, mysterious Angels (and the humanoid vehicles are proper AI-driven mecha instead of organic Evangelion units), but the story of a teenager becoming a young man while at war and encased in a humanoid tank does feel comfortably familiar. The key element that makes HEAVENS stand out most is its emphasis on the relationship between pilot and mech, Kai and Little Dragon. It’s a set-up that provides strong potential stakes, in that the drama of piloting a mech into harm’s way doesn’t stem from the armor’s viability, it stems from the fact that a friend is put in harm’s way. It adds interesting possibilities for humor, drama, and emotion, and the humorous moments between Kai and Little Dragon are its best. At the same time, the relationship isn’t utilized much here for drama given the emphasis on family-friendly storytelling. We’re left with a world with high potential, but one whose narrative choices fall short in practice.

‘HEAVENS’ Has Potential, but Stops Short of Fully Meeting It
Image via Heavens Entertainment

Given that this film is largely intended to spark a franchise, and seemingly a family-friendly one at that, it is to be expected that the action and the issues that play have a level of lightness to them. That is certainly the case here, and there are many small attempts at integrating humor throughout the film. The best of these comedic interludes center around Little Dragon, but many of the rest don’t work as well as intended and often distract from there being any real gravitas in the film. For example, one scene follows a serious conversation between Kai and a commander with said commander returning into a hangar to retrieve his mech. He struggles with the door as Kai watches, and points behind him to get Kai to look elsewhere before entering the hangar for his dramatic exit. It’s worth a little chuckle, sure, but the light tone here largely impedes any moments of true dramatic heft from the important scene that immediately preceded it. It’s certainly valid for a movie of this kind to be aimed at a younger set of viewers, but with greater intensity in the action and dramatic moments, a little more danger, and a sense of raised stakes, the film would have left a stronger impact.

The core of the narrative, Kai’s path into the Corps and his relationship with Little Dragon, is easily the film’s heart. Jonathan See plays the neophyte recruit with intelligence, befitting the character’s journey and believably landing the weight of Kai’s family legacy and his sense of doubt over his own abilities. He has a lot of heart, sells the emotional beats, and there’s a charming, often humorous dynamic with Little Dragon that works well. The narrative centerpiece of the young pilot’s relationship with his robotic companion is largely successful and the most charming part of the film, but it’s hard to escape the feeling that it might be even better if it had been allowed a truly dangerous context or a little more suspense in practice. It’s a strong element, but not necessarily enough to make the narrative satisfying as a whole.

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Rich Ho’s cinematography is well-composed overall, and his work exhibits a clear sense of the kinds of shots that best frame the mechs when they’re high above the atmosphere. The CGI looks good, and, in general, the mech units are well-designed. They don’t boast the level of evident individual uniqueness that, say, the designs of Pacific Rim have, but there are differences between the units, including differently colored neon elements that allow the viewer to more easily keep track of them during quick action sequences. The primary oppositional mech is the most notable in design, with a weathered red exterior and a helmet and armor patterning reminiscent of horned samurai armor. The robots look best flying against the sky, though certain quick cuts in some of the film’s battle sequences can become confusing on a visual level with regard to which mech is performing which action in what location, and there’s an occasionally inconsistent sense of scale and clarity of action that could use thoughtful honing. Case in point, in a climactic battle at the film’s end, one sequence frequently interrupts the action with cuts to characters in their cockpits, all of whom have visible digital overlays over the characters. It’s a fine idea, but in practice it would make the action clearer to have some longer extended sequences and fewer cutaways.

HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot builds a world that could be worth visiting again in future outings. There’s a lot that can be done with a live-action franchise that sports solid-looking mechs and brings the promise of interstellar warfare. Still, there’s a distinction to be made between the promise of the overall project and the success of this particular entry. A clearer edit, greater attention to the sense of scale, and tweaks in the designs of the protagonists’ mechs to be more visually distinct would all help the action sequences land, while a pivot in tone to highlight the impact and danger of the conflict would add more heft to the narrative. Between the inconsistently successful humor, the occasional issues with scale and clarity of action, and the continuous emphasis on Kai’s personal journey to the detriment of these larger issues of war and interplanetary danger, stakes often feel low when they shouldn’t, and there’s little to latch onto to make a viewer crave further outings. As it stands, this movie doesn’t provide quite enough on its own to provoke excitement about what could come next.

The Film Has Virtues, but ‘HEAVENS’ Can Wait
Image via Heavens Entertainment

HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot is not a film without relevant charms. Jonathan See capably plays a likable protagonist, and he handles the film’s emotional moments sufficiently well. Centering the film around the relationship of Kai to his robot creates a charming dynamic that gives more emotional heft to Little Dragon than, say, the Jaegers in Pacific Rim, who merely matter because their pilots do, because they’re cool, and because the plot dictates it, but not because you have an emotional attachment to the Jaeger or its relationship to the pilot. They aren’t AI or intelligent, and don’t have bonds or relationships, so that inclusion creates an intriguing dynamic while also providing the film’s best comedy.

A mech teasing its pilot for not having a life to such an extent that the mech has a minor existential crisis is comedic gold. Unfortunately, some of the less successful attempts at situational comedy, along with the more whimsical overall tone, dampen the dramatic impact of some key scenes, as well as the true emotional impact of taking a mech into battle who is also one’s friend. Slight adjustments to a future entry could take advantage of this emotional connection better by adding more danger and moving slightly away from the family-friendly humor tones that limit its success as a sci-fi action feature.

As a whole, HEAVENS isn’t as successful as it could be, although it isn’t because of anything on the technical side. The CGI is sufficiently solid, the cinematography is well-executed minus a few specific moments where composition and staging could be clearer, and the performances work for the script as intended. Where the film falters is because of flaws in the design itself. There are moments that lighten the tone when it would be better served by having greater gravitas, scenes that don’t have enough depth in the relative positioning or visual context of the mechs for battle clarity, or moments that should feel dangerous and, strangely, don’t. There are high stakes here, in theory: a young man joining an interplanetary struggle because of the legacy of his fallen parents, protected by an AI friend whose protection comes at a cost to itself. Every single battle involves Kai putting his friend’s existence on the line for him, and that’s a fascinating concept that is underutilized in favor of a relatively lighthearted tone here. There’s strong potential if the franchise plans come into fruition, but it would need a fairly strong pivot in tone to leave a properly satisfying impact. For now, however, HEAVENS is a film that’s less than the sum of its parts, simply because, unlike Little Dragon, there are flaws in the design.

Review HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot ‘HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot’ showcases a solid central performance and well-designed mechs, but missteps impede its potential.ProsJonathan See gives a great dual performance as Kai/Little Dragon, and Little Dragon’s comedic timing is excellent.Centering the film around the relationship between Kai and Little Dragon is a good choice that adds nuance and complexity to the narrative.The mechs are well-designed and look good, and there’s clear thought given to how they’re showcased. ConsMinus Little Dragon’s humor, many of the comedic moments don’t work as well as intended and sometimes distract from scenes that could be impactful.The cinematography, editing, and overall action sequence design could be usefully honed to give clearer action and a sense of scale.

HEAVENS: The Boy and His Robot had its North American Premiere at the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival.