Anchored by an emotional relationship between a struggling young pilot, Kai, and his fighter robot, Little Dragon, the story follows their efforts to bring peace during a time of epic galactic warfare that tore Kai’s family apart.
We journey through the eyes of Kai, who dreams of joining the military’s elite force, the Mecha Corps, to follow in his parents’ footsteps and aid Earth’s efforts to end the war, in the hope that no other child will have to suffer the loss he endured.
Debbie often thinks I take too long to review a film, and in the spirit of cooperation she’s written her own review. Perhaps this is all you need to read:
If you like you like your science fiction to feature giant Mecha robots, then you will want to see Heavens: The Boy and His Robot. The story for this movie also has a heart-warming human element that bonds with the giant robot.
As a young child, Kai lost both of his parents as they battled the colony from Mars. Kai dreams of flying to the stars in search of his mother and so joins the Mecha Corps to train to fly a robot. But it is not all a human interest story! There are battles! In space! And stay for the after credits scenes.
It’s not common for independent film festivals to have fully developed science fiction films like Heavens: The Boy and His Robot. Mostly because for years doing effects-heavy films involving space flight, giant robots, and incredible battle sequences would have been beyond anyone’s budget. However, in the last few decades the advancement of digital special effects technology, the power to do such work is now generally available at a relatively low cost. It’s still a lot of work, but easier on your budget.
In this case, Director/Writer/Cinematographer/Actor and musical soundtrack composer Rich Ho has been working to get his film made for over a decade. Actors and crew have grown along with the film and with Ho’s vision. That vision has benefited by the digital effects technology that literally evolved alongside the film. All this has come together to create one of the more visually impressive films at the Cinequest film festival. This showing at Cinequest is its world premiere.
There are so many obvious influences here. Fans of films like Mobile Suit Gundam, Starblazers/Space Battleship Yamato, Robotech/Macross, and the Pacific Rim franchise will find a lot to love about (what I’m going to refer to as) H:TBaHR. You have the young outcast boy who has a lot of growing to do, yet dreams of revenging his parents lost to the war. A cadre of amusing and incorrigible companions, and their gruff but caring leader. And of course there’s a looming threat that puts all the trainees into battle far too soon. It’s all here, in live action.
As implied, relatively inexpensive digital effects make the visual quality of this movie possible. Of course, they’re also problematic as they outshine the practical effects and staging in a number of scenes. Those budgets are an obvious constraint, but are easy to ignore. Perhaps even charming, but still apparent.
The acting is well done, especially for viewers who appreciate the scenery chewing characters that thrive in this kind of story. The roll call of companions fires off with regular bursts of humor, providing insights and warmth that counterpoint the sadness and danger.
Ho, who also takes a memorable role acting in the film, shows his own love for this genre. It’s evident. Taking 13 years to complete your film is not as impressive as not giving up on a dream that’s taking 13 years to complete. The title and other aspects of H:TBaHR indicate that there might be additional stories he plans to tell. Let’s hope that they come at a much faster cadence.
So, as Debbie says: “If you like you like your science fiction to feature giant Mecha robots, then you will want to see Heavens: The Boy and His Robot.” This movie is in Chinese with English subtitles. And you’ll want to stay until the absolute end of the film. Not only are there traditional “after credits scenes,” but you’ll be treated to an inline documentary and timeline on the making of the film.
Recommended.
Showings
Sat, Mar 14 12:00 PM Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose
Wed, Mar 18 7:05 PM Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Screen 2), Mtn View
Sun, Mar 22 12:15 PM Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Screen 2), Mtn View
For Trailers and Ticket Information
Ric Bretschneider
Debbie Bretschneider
March 8, 2026
San Jose CA