The Iron Giant (1999) User Reviews

What more animated movie should be: a thoughtful, funny, touching story.

[Anansi00 · 9/10 · 11 December 2004]

After seeing this movie, I was overcome by a strange feeling. I realized that I had found a treasure where I had least expected it. The Iron Giant is intelligent, funny, touching, and visually superb, and should show the world that an animated movie does not need to be A) computer-animated, or B) based on a fairy tale to be successful. One of the best American-made children's movies I have seen in a decade: 8.5/10.0

Now, I'm a 17-year-old who is slowly transitioning into the domain of movie buffdom, which basically means that I am watching a stream of movies based on recommendations from friends, critics, and the IMDb Top 250 list. I got this one almost by accident after the local rental place could not find the movie I was really after, choosing it basically on the knowledge that it was the previous project of Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles (a personal favorite). After watching it, I felt like calling up every mother I knew and telling her to have her children (and herself) watch this.

The Iron Giant revolves around an adventurous young boy in 1950s small-town America who discovers a gigantic robot out in the woods that has arrived on Earth from goodness-knows-where. He befriends the robot, while trying to keep him safe from a nosy government agent. The story seldom lags, with a series of comical adventures connected by the boy's growing relationship with his friend.

This movie is very appealing as entertainment. The voices are well-done, and the scenery is also terrific. Most importantly, though, is the animation, which is a bright spot from this time period. The characters are well-drawn, especially the Giant, who through terrific design, lifelike movements, and clever small touches (i.e., the eyes) seems both alien and human, imposing and childlike. Furthermore, the animation is comical. I don't know when I have ever seen slapstick or punchlines so well-complimented by the animation. The script, written by Bird and based off the book The Iron Man, is also very well done. Though the movie relies upon a few minor crutches common to children's movies, it is still very original and clever.

One thing that I must point out about this movie is its morals. Throughout the movie, the main moral of the story, about the Iron Giant learning and choosing to be good, is actually fairly adroitly handled. At no point when the subject comes up, including standard sentimental climax, does the idea seem contrived. Throughout the movie, evidence of Bird's influence by comic books is quite evident, and his ultimate message about heroes (variations of which will resurface in The Incredibles) is relevant and sincere. However, I do have to say that the secondary moral, about the evils of xenophobia and paranoia, both of which are embodied by the movie's antagonist, the government agent and the military, are very politically charged. While this may sound initially controversial and politically charged for a kids' movie (the second of which I do not deny), I noticed that it was in large part a thoughtful spoof of Cold War America, with jokes as well as valuable lessons about "duck and cover" and 1950s nuclear edginess that I found very clever.

On a final note, I do have to point out that this movie had me laughing hard, but more importantly, it brought me closer to tears than any animated movie I can remember (including Bambi), closer than I like to admit. I wish that I had discovered it sooner, and I hope that everyone gets the chance to experience it the way I did.

Much More Than a Cartoon

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 7 February 2000]

Sometimes when watching an animated feature, I spend my time saying, "What great animation." When this happens, I wonder if I am doing what the producers wanted me to do. Like so many things, should I be so enamored with the technical part of the movie that I am distracted from the content. As I watched "The Iron Giant" I realized I had forgotten it was an animated feature. Don't get me wrong. I knew the enormous title character was animated, but the relationships among the characters and the intelligence of the script caused me to forget that these weren't actors. The movie is filled with tender moments, especially as they relate to our feelings of our own mortality. What I enjoyed is that the grownups aren't treated as garden variety bad guys. Even the military, which is nearly always portrayed as evil, finds itself in a contradictory position--having to go on faith. The animation is wonderful, but so are the "performances." No spoilers here, but I think the ending is a lovely tribute to the spirit of the life force in all of us--even those of us not made of metal. See this. It is one of the better movies of the year.

Great movie

[Mcduff3601 · 9/10 · 29 August 2023]

I have only just recently rewatched this classic and it is as good today as the first day I saw it.

I love the setting of this, back in the 50's during the height of cold war tension and fear of alien invasion.

This movie has a great balance, just enough character development, enough action scenes and enough tension to keep you glued for the hour and a half play time.

It is aimed at kids for sure but adults would enjoy watching this one just as much.

The characters are all endearing that you really get attached to them. The bad guy is less evil and more of an authoritarian trying to do their job regardless of emotions involved. It makes for a fun movie for all ages.

a masterpiece, plain and simple

[dpenny · 10/10 · 29 December 1999]

I'm 25 years old. I have no children. So why am I praising a 'kid's movie' which nobody saw? Because I have never seen a film pack the emotional wallop 'The Iron Giant' provided.

The film's plot is similar to 'E.T.' - a young boy meets an alien robot from outer space, who is stranded on earth, and runs afoul of paranoid government agents. Not to knock the Spielberg film, but what makes 'The Iron Giant' the better film is that the young boy is the teacher. It is he who has to teach the Giant about the beauty of life, the difference between good and evil, and choices we have to make. The Iron Giant, it turns out, is a weapon, who has to struggle against his own nature. The film has an obvious (and timely) gun control message, but its real message is about the choice we make when dealing with other people. We can use our powers for good or lash out at everyone around us.

I dare not give away the climax. All I will say is that it features a sacrifice absolutely breaktaking and emotionally shattering (albeit somewhat blunted by the ending). The animation is gorgeous, Michael Kamen's score is perfect, and the film beautifully evokes the 1950s.

Sadly, poor marketing kept audiences away in droves. All I can say is, to heck with the box office gross. Despite Warner's appearant desire to pretend the film never existed, the word is getting around about what a magical film this is, and I have no doubt it will join 'It's a Wonderful Life' as a film which bombed in theatres but became a classic over the years. See it now, so you can say you discovered it before everyone else did.

A delightful surprise

[Gouda-3 · 11 August 1999]

"The Iron Giant" is the kind of animated film you wish there was more of. It respects the audience's intelligence, it has genuine emotion without resorting to schmaltz, and best of all it balances fantasy (well, science fiction) with believability. I think Warner Brothers animation has out-Disneyed Disney by adding thoughtful writing to clean, understated animation. What a concept!

The story is deceptively simple: Iron Giant falls from the sky at the dawn of the Space Race and befriends a young boy. But within that framework we get a double story, one for the grown ups and one for the kids, but the message is essentially the same one: paranoia and violence begets violence. I appreciate very much, as others who have commented, that no one burst into incongruous song and that there were no cutesy animal sidekicks. I should add that there were no clever yet implausible plot twists, nor were there any stock characters. The bad guy gets a little overheated, true, but he is never the embodiment of all things evil. The townspeople are your average small town Americans, not bumpkins. Mom is, well, mom-ish, caring but neither shrewish nor prone to whimpering outbursts. And our hero is plucky but not annoyingly precocious.

A BIG plus for this film is how well it weds the computer animation to the hand-drawn animation, a feat that the Big Mouse hasn't mastered yet. Even as recently as "Tarzan" it is glaringly apparent what parts are computer graphics and which aren't, and the contrast is very distracting. "The Iron Giant" makes a virtue of streamlined animation that draws your eye to the beauty of its color and motion.

It was a very VERY distinct and unusual pleasure to be treated to a film such as this. Give us more . . . please!

The Best of Two Worlds: Adult and Kid

[Figaro-6 · 10/10 · 9 August 1999]

All too often, "family films" are only infantile, simplistic formulas with a few self-referential and pop-culture jokes thrown in to try and keep adults awake. But then along comes something like "The Iron Giant", which is sophisticated enough to demand respect while maintaining a mythic and pure-hearted tone that actually does appeal to the kid in everybody.

"The Iron Giant" is refreshingly non-Disney in no end of ways. Characters seem real and chosen to fit the story, instead of being a superficial reshuffling of an old formula. The animation definitely has its eye-popping moments, but there are also scenes of great wonderment, pathos, and humour that only top-drawer animation can convey. The Giant itself is a great character, who only becomes MORE interesting as the film continues (another huge break from Disney). No scene is wasted in this film, either; every set piece, even the really funny ones, helps either to establish the "world" of the movie, or to advance the plot. At no time do you feel that you are merely waiting for the story to crank up again.

"The Iron Giant" is funny, exhilarating, and touching as well. It's sad to see it failing at the box office, as a blunt reminder that the success of films is often in direct proportion to their publicity budget. Hopefully, though, word-of-mouth will come to its rescue. Go see it! Tell your friends! Then go again! (Repeat as necessary.)

P.S. I find myself comparing the Iron Giant character to Martin Donovan's character in "Amateur". If there is anyone else on earth who has seen both films you may wish to entertain the notion yourself.

YES!!!!! NO SONG OR DANCE NUMBERS!!!!!!

[Wizard-8 · 10/10 · 6 August 1999]

What a GREAT movie! Not just for kids, but adults as well. Kids will love it on one level, and adults will love it on another level. Even adults who are not parents will love it!

There's humor, there's action, there's nostalgia, there's the perfect capture of being a child, there are positive messages (be yourself, don't kill, etc.), there's satire, there are adults who are not stupid and not comic relief....there's GREAT WRITING!

AND NO SONG AND DANCE NUMBERS! Also, there are NO COMIC-RELIEF ANIMAL SIDEKICKS! Take that, Disney!

I know some people might be resisting this movie, because it looks like it's aimed for kids - and they might be expecting a Disney clone (and we all know the bad results of Disney wannabes).....but TRUST ME. Give this movie a chance - you'll love it!

Is there ANYTHING wrong with it? Well, the only thing that bugged me (just a little) were some close-ups of the characters - these certain close-ups had a "sketchy" look a la the movies "We're Back!" and "Balto".

Fortunately, there's very little of this. Other than that - this is a PERFECT MOVIE!

An Absolute Wonder Which Cherishes Its Influences - The Best Animated Feature Ever !

[Don-102 · 10/10 · 22 January 2000]

Animated movies have long been considered strictly for children. The old Disney classics that started it all are indeed aimed at kids, but are still very watchable, even for adults. With the advent of TOY STORY and its countless mimics, animated feature films have taken long strides to be considered worthy of serious attention. THE IRON GIANT is just such an animated piece. The 87 minute wonder is, to put it mildly, incredible. Everything about it is good. I've also never seen so many influences and references in an animated film before.

This is a movie with a heart the size of the title character. A gentle, gigantic robot is rocketed to earth and befriends a 10 year old boy. The kid has a single mother (voiced nicely by Jennifer Aniston) and he is just looking for a friend, whether it be a squirrel, or even a 50 foot tall machine. The familiar premise is obviously out of Spielberg's E.T. One scene even has the giant reaching out his finger to the boy in much the same way ET did to 10 year old Elliott when he departed this earth. E.T. was an out of this world fantasy that took place on this earth. Here, it is animated and almost just as effective.

IRON GIANT takes place during 1957 in a small town in Maine. The 1950's was a time when the American public was fearful of atomic bombs and the possibility of alien life off the earth. Live-action sci-fi films of the 1950's always depicted the arrival of "dangerous" alien life and our efforts to destroy it. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is an influence on this film for evident reasons. Ultimately, the characters in that classic learn from the extra-terrestrial being and realize the dangers of the A-Bomb. It is amazing to see an animated feature which can relay this same type of message some 50 years later.

A beautiful and touching ode to BAMBI is witnessed about halfway through. It also brings back some tearful moments from the key scene in that great, hand-drawn film. Here, we see both hand-drawn imagery coupled with a computer-generated "iron giant". The title character is actually a 3D composition done digitally, mixed with the 2D action surrounding him. There are some highly imaginative shots of the robot mixing in with the film's environment. At one point, he appears to be a lighthouse until the lights begin to blink. I guess robots must blink too.

Enough analysis. I loved this movie. It is ranked #81 on the top list by other user authors for a reason. Not only is it escapist, fantastic entertainment for kids, adults, and seniors alike, it is an animated picture like no other. It combines the joy of SNOW WHITE and PINOCCHIO, the commentary of 1950's science fiction, and the wizardry and laughter of TOY STORY and its sequel. Do not miss this enchanting flick.

RATING: ****

Outstanding on all levels!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 18 November 2009]

The Iron Giant was a beautiful, funny and touching movie, that is one of the best non-Disney animated movies I have seen along with The Prince of Egypt, The Secret of NIMH, Watership Down and Castle of Cagliostro. There wasn't a single thing I hated about the movie, for me it was outstanding on every level. The animation was absolutely gorgeous, with stunning colourful backgrounds and brilliant character animation especially on the Iron Giant himself. The music by Michael Kamen was consistently excellent, and never overpowered the story. In fact at times it even enhanced the drama. And the film has a beautiful message not to mention a sweet story. The characters were delightful, Hogarth isn't annoying at all and the Iron Giant isn't scary in the slightest. Strictly speaking he has to be one of the most gentle and poignant characters in an animated film. There are plenty of effective scenes like the explosive climax and the scene with the dead deer is a real tear jerker. I will admit I was worried initially when I saw the voice cast, but everybody involved did a superb job. Jennifer Aniston and Harry Connick Jnr were perfect, in their most understated performances. Both get stick about being untalented, but for me their vocal contributions in this film suggests otherwise, while Christopher MacDonald almost steals the film as the FBI agent. Eli Marienthal is very sweet and likable as Hogarth too, and watch out for John Mahoney and Cloris Leachman. All in all, an outstanding film, that if you mind me saying so is the best animated film of 1999 and one of the best films of that year too. I may be wrong but I do think it is highly underrated on IMDb. 10/10 Bethany Cox

don't be a gun

[bapohl · 7/10 · 23 August 1999]

WB certainly took some risks here. An animated flick with no musical numbers, no cute little animal sidekicks, blood, and a couple "damn"s, "hell"s and even a "screw"? Overall, I think it worked fairly well. Nice animation, retro-design characters, simple but sophisticated plot, and just the right touch of visual humor, e.g. the robot mimicking the child's postures, the detached hand running amok through the house, etc. Ignore the preachy anti-gun message (which was, by the way, lost on the younger kids in the audience - my four year old thought the iron giant was cool because "he had all those guns that could blow up tanks"), and you have yourself one very entertaining movie. Maybe they could have made the moral more reasonable, i.e. "gun's can be good if used defensively", but I guess that would have (** spoiler alert!! **) made the ending far less dramatic - a blast from one of the robot's lasers would probably have sufficed.

I saw "Iron Giant" a few weeks after release, and the theater was, sadly, almost empty. Word-of-mouth and critic reviews have been very good, so I guess we would have to chalk it up to poor marketing. Hope this doesn't sour Hollywood on an alternative to the standard Disney formula.

Its no "Beauty and the Beast", but I would still give it a solid 7.5/10. Runs circles around any non-Disney animation I have seen yet.

Stunning and magical

[p.greenwood · 10/10 · 14 August 2006]

I had heard many great things about the iron giant in the last few years but was one of those films I never got round to seeing. I picked up a copy of the special edition DVD expecting an entertaining animated film. What I actually got was not just one of the best animated films I have seen but one of the best films ever. It takes you to another world but never strays from reality and when watching it you forget it's animated. The characters are so well written it puts most live action films to shame. If you pass this off as a kids film you will be missing out on one of the most immersing and emotional experiences you can get from a film. The voice cast are perfect, the animation stunning and the fact this film flopped when released is nothing short of criminal. I urge anyone even with only a passing interest in cinema to watch this film and prepare to be amazed. Brad Bird must be one of the best directors working in animation and after seeing the incredibles the iron giant was no fluke.

The Who and outer space enter Stephen King's possible childhood

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 4 October 2017]

Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of Sputnik's launch, so it was probably appropriate that I watched "The Iron Giant", which indirectly deals with Sputnik. The movie has a plot similar to "E.T.", with a lonely boy befriending a being from outer space. In this case, the setting is 1957 Maine (so could this accidentally represent Stephen King's childhood?) and the being is a giant robot whose origin and purpose never get revealed. Sure enough, a government agent starts prying.

I was surprised to learn that the executive producer is none other than Pete Townshend of The Who. The last person whom you'd expect to be involved in the production of a movie that pokes fun at 1950s movies about aliens (the movie also has a scene where the kids are in school watching one of those duck-and-cover movies). The whole issue of a possible nuclear war looms large in the background (and nowadays, it looks more possible than ever).

When the movie got released, the ads made it look like something to avoid at all costs. It turns out that the movie isn't half bad, despite the occasional crude humor. Not any sort of masterpiece, but still OK.

The cast includes Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel, Harry Connick Jr. and Cloris Leachman.

Didn't Get It

[cactusdave · 3/10 · 4 September 2002]

I was flipping through the dial and saw that the "Iron Giant" was coming up next. At first I got excited from all of the positive word of mouth I had heard about the film.

After 30 minutes of this movie, I was completely baffled. I would have to say this was okay at best. The little kid was so happy and enthusiastic that it made me nauseous. I sat there dumbfounded that adults would be so swept away with this. There was the obvious symbolism that can I am sure is mentioned by other users. Making a cartoon artsy doesn't make it good. It should first have an entertaining, non-nauseating plot.

See it if you want but don't have high expectations.

A very good movie....

[lei wulong · 10/10 · 31 December 1999]

Hmmm, what to say...well.... it was really good. I've seen it several times, and I've enjoyed it immensely each time for different reasons.

Analytically I find the animation incredible. The characters are extremely alive and quite realistic, not because of incredible drawing, well, actually, yes: the way the characters are drawn, and animated, is incredible. From the jerking, swaying and swooshing of body parts to the magnificent and CONSISTENT use of eyes, eyebrows and cheekbones to show real emotions, it's definite that this movie is a masterpiece in terms of animation. The backgrounds are wonderfully lush, and evoke a wonderful sense of everything that shows fall for the beautiful season it is. I love animation, and I love good looking landscapes, so the artists behind this movie are making a fan out of me very quickly.

I admire (analytically) most of all the enormous apparance of little details in the film: the season sublty changes from fall to winter; the characters are always doing something, even if they aren't directly in focus (the best ad-libbing a director could dream of); I also think in some parts of the movie the little details actually become crucial to the movie's strength and validity (the time and setting of the story help it to make more sense, also, the "duck and cover" scene)

You know, I think it's amazing when sometimes a movie can move you so much, talking about it's good qualities seems like child's play. This is the kind of movie that you can watch over and over and take a long time to get sick of. We all have movies like that, very few can do that to us, but we have them. I'm realising as I write that I like this movie very much, because I've written two or three paragraphs and have not even started talking about the iron giant yet.

The animation and expression of emotion in the giant, who is a computer graphics animated character, a hundred feet tall and with a certain old time sci fi persona to him, equals and even surpasses it's traditionally animated companions. There were scenes in the movie that the giant almost made me cry because of his expressions. The director, Brad Bird I think, should earn good credit for his work bringing the giant to life. The giant was very organic and fluid, always animated and extremely alive, without really trying to be. After a while it obvious he's not your average rigid robot.

It's hard not to give away details when you write a lot, but thankfully I haven't really given anything away. I will say this...the movie is about not prejudging things you are unfamiliar with, big or small, and it's about doing what is right and not using gray areas and politics as an excuse not to do the right thing. The movie explores the strange concept of finding friendship, love, and innocence inbetween past guilts and prejudices. It is one of the most well rounded, enriching, thought provoking movies I have seen in my lifetime, and the best part is that it wasn't the visual effects that made me say that...something other feature animation companies have used a a string to lead me on for almost a decade. I feel like I just recovered from an extended brainwashing experiment. I've learned my lesson. No longer will movies that use stunning graphics to redeem themselves be an interest to me. Rather I will watch movies for the messages they give and the depth those movies have. If anything Brad Bird must have tried to make the giant as close in simplicity to the regular animated characters as possible, because you CANNOT tell the difference between CG and traditional in this movie. Exceptional stuff.

I can't imagine anyone I know not liking this movie. I've shown it to a LOT of people, college students mostly, of all races and religions, with different prides and prejudices, the result, amazingly, always seems to be the same: I have some after movie comments here, and I quote:"Wow!" ; "That was NICE!"; "That was SO...GOOD!" ;"That giant is crucial, dog!" ;"It was good...yeah...I liked it!",; and "Dang man, that joint TIGHT!". If you actually read this review all the way, that's nice. Now forget everything I bumbled about and go see this movie, that way you can spent less time writing your own review than you did reading mine.

Exquisite.

[flickjunkie-3 · 22 November 2000]

The Iron Giant is a critically acclaimed piece of animated cinema. I wasn't expecting it to be that good, but The Iron Giant was an amazing movie, it is easily the most exquisite animated movie I have ever seen.

Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marenthal) is obsessed by the opportunites offered by science fiction, the possibility of an alien take-over or, at the very least, an attack from outer space. The original story, which the late Poet Laureate had set in England, saw the innocent Titan of the title emerge from the sea; here he is a visitor from another galaxy.

The Iron Giant is an amazing piece of animation, the voice-overs were done perfectly, the actors obviously enjoyed themselves, the animated art direction and cinematography was beautiful and the giant itself is just...breathtaking.

The Iron Giant is not just another silly little kiddies movie, it is perfection in filmmaking. Please, for the love of God, make your life better and see this brilliant film.

I rate The Iron Giant 10 out of 10.

Cult Classic

[youarenotgoliath · 10/10 · 20 March 2021]

I've seen this movie a billion times, and now that I have kids, I get to watch it a billion more. Love it.

A new classic

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 11 February 2007]

"The Iron Giant" is simply one of the best animated movies ever made. Brad Bird, the talented man that worked in shows like "The Simpsons" and directed the great animated film "The Incredibles" is the man responsible for this masterpiece. That man is a genius who is able to turn the simplest stories into gold, having an entire career of very good films. Even his "Mission Impossible" film (A franchise which I particularly don't like)managed to be worth-watching.

Now "The Iron Giant" is one of my favorite films, and it is the best movie directed by Brad Bird, having not only a great animation style, but also a memorable story (Which shows that kid's films could have deep and complex stories)and many intesting characters, The Giant itself is a fascinating creature, which could be easily considered one of the most endearing figures from the entire animation history.

Movies like this are enough proof that making a "children's film" is not a excuse for a lack of quality. It is for movies like this that I'm a fan of animation.

My favorite film

[madslindhard · 10/10 · 29 April 2021]

If i had to choose one movie to represent my childhood, "The Iron Giant" would be the one. It's one of those rare films that I would not mind watching multiple times in a day, even though I must admit that there are tear inducing scenes that gets me everytime.

This film ought to be on the Imdb top 250, I'd like to think, and I think everyone from child to adult should watch it at least once; it's a movie one can appreciate in all stages of life, and if you watched it during childhood it will likely be a source of nostalgia for years to come. I feel blessed that this movie has been there for me through thick and thin.

"My own giant robot. I am now the luckiest kid in America!"

A beautiful 90's classic

[NerdBat · 7/10 · 17 September 2018]

Taking place seemingly in the 1950's, this film literally has a little something for everyone. It's supposed to be for children, yes, but even older audiences can appreciate a film like this. It has aspects of wonderful science fiction action and adventure. I would say its a somewhat emotional movie as well. The giant is obviously sent to invade the earth and attack humans, but because of the "bump on his head", he has forgotten his mission and is, as a child, slowly exploring the world around him and beginning to understand the facts of life. I've seen this film literally about 50 times since I was a kid, to the present day, and I can safely say, even watching it as an adult, that its a wonderful movie for the family of all ages to enjoy together.

One of my favourite films - animated or otherwise

[bogiefan-2 · 10/10 · 10 January 2005]

Like most reviewers here, I stumbled across The Iron Giant. Frankly, I don't know how I missed it in the theatres, but I picked up a used VHS copy a few years back and fell for it. I recently purchased the DVD version and have rekindled my appreciation for this lovely film.

In addition to being a polished gem of a morality play, it is well animated, and well voice-acted. Perhaps Hogarth is portrayed as too obvious a scamp and Kent is too over-the-top in his zeal but the subtlety in the Iron Giant's limited movements and "vocabulary" more than make up for it. In any case, this is an animated film - we should expect "cartoonish" characters, right? Perhaps it was the total lack of cutesy animals doing Disneyesque song-and-dance numbers, but I found myself noticing the "acting" of these characters. Don't worry, I snapped out of it soon enough...

Unlike some, I didn't see TIG as a slam against militarism. In fact, the General here (nicely voiced by John Mahoney) shows a considerable amount of balance. Rather, the film is about personal growth and change, respect for life, values, and the bond of friendship. This side of the film works so well that the Giant's utterance of one word - "Superman" - toward the end of the film sent me searching for the tissues. (word of advice: keep them handy).

Do yourself and your kids and watch this film. Appropriate (IMO) for ages 3 and over (including adults!).

From the man that brought us The Incredibles comes this underrated animated movie

[lisafordeay · 7/10 · 10 July 2020]

The Iron Giant is a 1999 animated sci fi that features the voice talents of Harry Connick Jr,Jennifer Aniston and Vin Diesel. And tells the story of a young boy named Hogwarth(Eli Mathenial) who befriends a giant robot(Diesel)who is wanted by the federal. Will their friendship end in tragedy?.

The animation is nice,story is good(reminds me of 2014's Big Hero 6) and the score is good too. Only nitpick was the audio was off on the showing I seen in this film.

Otherwise than that I enjoyed it.

7. 8/10

Great entertainment ,,, AND a piece of history

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 26 May 2017]

Belated review written in 2017.

Animation has greatly advanced in the last few decades but nonetheless this entry, at the turn of the millennium, is special.

It marked the debut of writer/director Brad Bird, now considered a god in the animation studio.

The story is so simple it almost seems unworthy. But in the hands of a master, what you will see is perfection in writing and directing and casting and voice work.

Suitable for all ages, will remain a classic for years to come.

Plays on every boy's dream: to be friends with a giant robot

[cricketbat · 7/10 · 6 August 2018]

The Iron Giant is a fun little movie. I can see why Pixar asked Brad Bird to direct their animated feature. This film has a heart and it plays on every boy's dream: to be friends with a giant robot.

Great visuals wrapped around a horrendous infantile morality play

[jaijaijai73 · 3/10 · 26 May 2009]

This movie is beautiful, and full of neat details. Visually, I'd give it at least an 8. There's lots to love technically, the sound is great, the characters really work, and there are a lot of laughs.

Unfortunately, the story is wretched at best, and actively evil at worst. The message is hypocritical in the extreme. Where Spiderman told us (rightly) that "with great power comes great responsibility" this excuse for a moral tale says that with great power comes nothing but danger, and suicide is probably the best course of action. All violence is bad, and we can all choose what we want to be; even giant killer robots can be transformed into giant pu$$ies by the miracle of a small boy's love and friendship. Barf.

As a moral tale, this is hypocritical and irresponsible garbage at best. The boy solemnly lectures the robot about death, saying "guns kill" as if that's a bad thing. They mourn the death of a deer at the hands of evil hunters. But the boy is not a vegan, nor is his mother. So killing is okay as long as someone else does it, at a distance. That's amoral hypocrisy, nothing more.

It gets worse- obviously the Iron Giant is a symbol, and he is the hero of the story, because he is the only character who changes. What is he a symbol for? Well, for Man's "destructive" and "flawed" nature. But the Iron Giant is obviously and explicitly a creation of something- he's a built artifact. So this implies a Creator metaphor; we're talking about God as Creator here. But God in this story is flawed, defective: He built a good, tender, sensitive creature and made the mistake of encasing that gentle soul in the form of a weapon. Or, He built a weapon and made the mistake of giving it a tender heart. Either way, God is flawed. Worse, the giant killer robot can't even distinguish a toy from a real threat, and thus self-defense is portrayed as unacceptably dangerous. And the only way to remedy this flaw is for the unfortunate creature to "nobly" sacrifice himself rather than taking responsibility and using his tremendous power for good.

The message is therefore ultimately Satanic: God is bad, and you're better off dead. When good people (and robots?) refuse to take their power, bad people take it by default. After all, a key component of evil is the lust for power over others. When evil has convinced everyone that the only acceptable method of resistance is pacifism, disempowerment, surrender, and suicide, then evil has truly won.

Have we really fallen so far that we no longer know how to fight the good fight? Do we really think that all violence is "bad"? Have thousands of years of culture, morality, and civilization really been swept away by a few decades of propaganda? The fact that this artful piece of toxic amorality has gotten so much acceptance suggests that much has been lost.

The film is worth seeing as a pretty film, but I'd recommend sitting down afterward and discussing the values and lessons here with your family, in a critical way. I sure as hell wouldn't plunk my kid down in front of this with no discussion, because it's a powerful piece of propaganda that needs deconstruction. Or just destruction.

Guns kill.

[pooch-8 · 2 August 1999]

An ambitious take on Ted Hughes' 1968 children's book The Iron Man, director Brad Bird's The Iron Giant works well as both archetype-infused allegory and heartstring-tugging tale of friendship. Set in small town Maine in the 1950s at the height of Cold War paranoia, the film explores the relationship between a lonely, fatherless boy (a photo on a nightstand hints that the father was a combat pilot killed in WWII) and a monstrously huge, hulking metal behemoth (the origins of which are brilliantly left to the imagination). The animation marks a welcome contrast from the virtually ubiquitous Disney template, with the human characters bearing a stylized, comic book exaggeration that fits perfectly with the story material. The Iron Giant has more than enough imagination and sparkle to interest kids and adults, and nicely balances its action-adventure aspirations with a solidly-crafted sense of moral purpose.