With no songs, no sidekicks, and no cheap ending, The Iron Giant is a refreshing change-- like an off-Broadway production compared to the glitz of Disney's annual animated extravaganzas. Director Brad Bird may have Family Dog and The Simpsons to his credit, but this film doesn't have that brand of scatological humor. As with the best family entertainments, there are gags that adults will howl at while the kids are watching something else (see Bird's interpretation of cold war propaganda). And the star is one cool piece of animated magic. Voiced by Vin Diesel (Saving Private Ryan's hulking Private Caparzo) and filled with more gadgets than a Swiss army knife, the giant is a grand thing to behold. And like another famous cinema tin man, our hero--and the movie--has heart. Superb entertainment for ages 5 and up. --Doug Thomas

The Iron Giant is complex and sophisticated enough to be a live-action movie, indeed more complex and sophisticated than the movies that trounced it at the box office (I'm talking to you, Inspector Gadget). It is a remarkable achievement of all the elements of a movie working at their very best.

The visuals are astounding. The script is funny without resorting to cheap laughs. The characters are well-rounded. The voice talents are ideal, from the Giant's rumble to Hogarth's wide-eyed wonder (for a welcome change, a pre-adolescent boy does the voice instead of someone trying to sound like one).

Most interestingly, the movie makes such a dynamic, empathic character of the titular hunk of metal that we genuinely care about his fate. At the film's climactic scene, I was ashamed at the tears running down my face, until I saw that my three friends (all of us twenty-something, manly guys) were misty-eyed as well.

Anyone over the age of 8 will love this film. If you don't like animation, try this on for size. If you love all types of animation, see it NOW. Even though the film's marketing department apparently doesn't want you to see it, you'll be glad you did.


An absolutely first rate animated film.   March 22, 2002
Matthew Horner (USA)
79 out of 82 found this review helpful

It is a shame that Warner Brothers chose to give an uninspired prerelease publicity campaign to the gentle, joyous and original animated movie, The Iron Giant. Precious few saw it in theaters.
Thank God for film preservation in the form of DVD!

Like the book, the picture takes place in 1957, during the height of The Cold War. The Soviet Union's satellite, Sputnik, flies across American skies. Our country is filled with paranoia. What else may they have launched?

One stormy night off the coast of Maine, a huge object falls from the sky. A frightened sailor sees it and swears that it is a giant made of metal. The townsfolk chalk the tale off to the sailor's love of drink. A giant made of metal, indeed!

A night or so later, young Hogarth Hughes, whose Mom is working overtime at the local diner, gets mad when his TV starts acting up. He goes to the roof to check the antenna and finds it missing. He then notices huge footprints leading away from the house and into the woods. He grabs his deceased Dad's old army rifle and a flashlight and goes off in pursuit. He soon discovers that there is indeed a metal giant. In fact, he saves it when it bumps into some high voltage utility wires. The adventure has begun.

Rarely has a movie for children - or adults! - addressed the need to search for a peaceful solution to our problems as gently or as wisely as The Iron Giant. It never preaches and is always accessible. It does not address us from on high. It remains at our level. It also shows how clever we can be at overcoming the most unexpected obstacles. It reminds us that things alien to us are not always hostile to us. In fact, it is we who often initiate the hostilities. Perhaps best of all, The Iron Giant examines these and other issues in the guise of a wonderful story that should hold almost anyone's attention.

The animation is first-rate. Most of the voices are good, especially Harry Connick, Jr.'s as Dean Cooper, a hip young artist. As Hogath's voice, Eli Marienthal speaks like a real boy, not a cartoon boy. Speaking for Hogarth's mother, Annie, Jennifer Anniston gives her a loving quality. Vin Diesel does well with the most difficult voice, that of The Iron Giant.

Rated PG for a couple of spooky scenes and a few mild profanities. Recommended without reservation for children seven and up.


One of the best animated films ever made   November 30, 1999
Cosmo Kramer (Los Angeles)
51 out of 53 found this review helpful

In the recent age of Disney films, the classic art of animated story telling has given way to 3d vine surfing and rock music. THE IRON GIANT is here to tell the world that the old art is alive and well. This is such a well made and touching film, with humor and heart, and superb voice overs. It resonantes like E.T., tackling childhood innocence, danger, death, and rebirth with the same funny and touching aplomb. It both pokes fun at and sympathises with the fears and prejudices of adults with equal care, demonstrating a lesson without demonizing anyone. As someone who writes and produces feature films, I am quite jaded, and usually leave a theatre fealing empty and critical. But THE IRON GIANT made me run out and tell everyone who would listen to go see it. They didn't, and it is their loss. So BUY THIS, watch it on your own, and with your kids as many times as they want. It's either this or Pokemon. Let them see what a real family film is all about.


The best American animated film made this decade   December 7, 1999
R. A. Prieto (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
29 out of 30 found this review helpful

This is a movie for all to enjoy. Kids, parents, and animation buffs of all ages will be impressed by this masterpiece. Some parents might be wondering about the PG rating -- it means just that; the parents should see it with their kids, but they don't really have to unless they are terribly sensitive towards certain subjects. Some parents might object to having their children hear about death ("It's bad to kill, but it's not bad to die, it's part of life" explains Hogarth, the boy, to the Giant) and such. But this is a far better movie in content and design than anything Disney has produced in the last several years, perhaps the decade. The animation is a lot of CG (the Giant is pure CG, believe it or not) disguised as old fashioned cell animation, and it looks spectacular. All of the characters were well done. 1)Hogarth, the boy, was actually pretty cool, never annoying. 2)The Giant was amazing animationwise and as a character, he is NOT a big dumb hulking mass. 3)The villain was creatively done and quite deceptive. And it is a breath of fresh air to have a (very, very) funny kids movie WITHOUT forced, saccharin-happy, sing-song scenes or completely lame comic relief "sidekicks". As for the violent scenes, Tarzan, Mulan, heck even the Little Mermaid, were worse. If anything, the superior animation might make the violence more impressive looking in "Giant". The only thing that could be classified as gore or maiming was a bloody nose Hogarth got when he ran into a tree. Oh, and somebody shoots a deer (offscreen). As for objectionable language, Hogarth says "Oh my God" and the villain and a military General say "hell". As for the dramatic scenes, they were impeccably done. The characters displayed emotions that were convincing (even- nay -especially the Giant) Nothing felt artificial, nothing made me gag. The ending made my eyes water, my girlfriend cried, and my cynical, sourpuss brother whispered "wow!".


"a very good movie"   December 2, 1999
28 out of 29 found this review helpful

I loved it. I liked the kid, I liked the giant, and I understand why the villain was the villain.. The "acting" in the movie was so real, and I was so touched by the characters, and antagonized by the bad guy! The movie was so strong, so well rounded. I think it could have been done in live action, but I understand why it was animated. It's more than just telling a good story...it's telling it in the most beautiful way possible. That's what animation does. By making the characters alive, and giving them depth and feeling, animation makes any story better than a live action counterpart. Sadly many companies in America make animated features to attract children, then go up, putting mature humor into the mix to keep the adults happy. The Iron Giant does the opposite. Adults will have a lot more fun with this movie, but kids will absolutely love it. I like cartoon features anyway, but after seeing this I'm beginning to understand what really makes one feature better than another. This movie seems so independent. It doesn't go for the bucks, it goes for the heart. Isn't that what movies are made to do? Isn't that why movies get oscars? Hopefully this one won't go unnoticed at the Academy Awards, but even if it does, I have it on tape, and that's all that matters. I'm so glad I saw it, so glad it was made. The best movie of 1999, and it's a cartoon! Beleive it! See it for yourself!