What a wonderful movie about friendship and fear.
This movie made me think of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and also Dean kind of looks like Joey from FRIENDS
Finally watched it, touching underrated movie.
This movie was released when I was nineteen. I didn't see it then, I saw it today, at forty three.
What I'm trying to say here is The Iron Giant is a kid's movie. Does it deal with heavy subject matter? Oh, yes. Does it play down to the audience? No, not at all. Is it a little rushed? I think so.
This was a Warner Brothers' release, however it very much has the look of a Disney movie. Parts of the story felt like King Kong, others like Frankenstein, Hell, maybe even a little bit of Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
I could have dealt with an extra fifteen minutes or so devoted to our characters; with this being such an emotional journey, we really need to have time to build a complete bond, and understand motivations.
As it is, a good story about kindness, judgment, and wanting to be better than nature or nurture has lead us.
A childhood favorite that holds up incredibly well on re-watch. Now, don't judge me, but I'm going to repurpose a portion of my recent review of The Princess Bride, because it is equally relevant here (just the first paragraph below).
Before we started the movie, I was surprised to see its length: less than 90 minutes! I was incredulous. How could the countless incredible scenes that I remember from my childhood be packed into such a small package. I soon found out the answer. The entire movie is just those incredible scenes. There is no filler. It cuts from one highlight to the next without a superfluous scene, dangling plot thread, or wasted line of dialogue in the entire film. It puts on a clinic in terms of efficiency of storytelling and other than one character doing an unnaturally rapid double 180 toward the end (When Dean goes from okay with Giant, to scared of Giant, to okay with Giant in a matter of 15 seconds, which just so happens to correspond with an equally rapid weather change for cinematic snowfall. Notably, even this sequence was barely a hiccup), the pacing never feels like a problem. It just feels like masterful writing.
Beyond the writing, you've also got top tier voice acting with memorable deliveries of quotable lines in virtually every scene (or at least me and my siblings quote them, e.g. anytime one of us is looking for attention the default response is an unenthused "we're watching, we're watching" in the style of Dean on his lawn chair at the lake). The film also manages to be something that kids can enjoy, while not feeling like it was made for kids, which is a difficult balance. All in all, a ridiculously impressive film. It's got humor. It's got heart. And it's got Vin Diesel.
As a final positive, the last 15 minutes were pure joy for my 8-year old self. What other animated kids movie has well directed military action sequences with jeeps, tanks, jets, aircraft carriers, and nuclear submarines!
Old cartoons are so funny and heartbreaking at the same time. I really miss classic cartoon style in movies and tv series. We need more creations like this one!
What a beautiful movie. I wish there was a sequel.
I'd RULE THE WORLD MUHAHAHAHAHAHA! But seriously a nice heart warming film
Great movie for all ages. Loved it!
Such a beautiful film, story wise and visually
A bit overrated if you ask me. I mean, it’s good and a fun watch even if you’re not a kid, but it’s not anything special. Might be the nostalgia talking, but I just like Disney’s classics from the 90’s. Also, even for the time, it doesn’t look that good…
Wow, 1999 was home to some STELLAR animated movies
I liked it, even with its lefty undertones, was still a decent film
To put it bluntly, "The Iron Giant" is one of the most criminally overrated movies of all time. If you're expecting a beautifully animated film, you're going to be disappointed. It's choppy and unfinished with the occasional smooth movement/shot at best. If you're looking for a heartwarming story about a boy and his robot, you're also going to be disappointed. You're going to feel more watching the live action "Bumblebee" movie. If you're a liberal? Well, you're going to love it. Why?
Because it's a perfect example of anti-authority, anti-military, and anti-gun sentiment being repackaged into a movie meant for children. If you're one of the idiots who think defunding the police and the military are good ideas, this is your film, because seriously - this show doesn't humanize anyone who's part of either group. Why would it? It has a simple message and it's one that's been spread for decades on end. The real meaning of this movie is that
Guns.
Are.
B A D.
Guns KILL.
I kid you not, these are lines in the movie. I'll applaud it for trying to be profound, but when you make an entire movie based on an agenda, it shows, especially in a kid's cartoon. The message is about as subtle as an elephant that's been painted purple. There's no exaggeration when I say the movie literally teaches kids that the military is incompetent and that fire weapons only harm people and kill things, which is b a d.
Literal propaganda.
"I know you feel bad about the deer, but it's not your fault. Things die. That's part of life. It's bad to kill, but it's not bad to die."
"Souls don't die."
The smartest animated movie ever crafted and blessed onto movie-goers. Brad Bird delivers the magnum opus of his career and he hasn't topped it since. He blew his creative load out into his first feature and it really shows. The meaning of life, the uselessness of war, death, fear-mongering, and parting of a loved one are all topics tackled wonderfully in this seemingly "made for kids" movie. Who knew a movie like this would be able to talk about 50's war propaganda in such a revealing and hard-hitting way that most movies wish they could dream of doing?
But on top of it's extremely mature themes, it's a fun adventure comedy movie for people of any age. Hogarth Hughes is an instantly lovable boy who just wants a friend, and eventually gets one who happens to be a 50-foot giant robot. Dean McCoppin is a junkyard owner who gave us one of the best memes on the internet, and Kent Mansley manages to deliver some amazing gags in-between his war-mongering freakout moments.
I love the setting the concept artists chose. The 50's look isn't just for aesthetic, as it does serve the time period to hit home the anti-war message, but it's just as fun to look at as ever. The Duck-And-Cover nuclear bomb classroom video, the classic diner with all the waitresses in dresses, the cheesy black-and-white horror movies playing late at night, etc. etc. It's such a fun movie to look at, just for the time period it's set in.
The Giant, I don't even need to elaborate on. Everyone's already written 20 page essays on why he's the greatest silent character ever animated, but I'll just repeat it in a sentence. You cry for a giant metal robot who only says a few words the whole movie.
It's a brilliantly crafted and gorgeous movie that actually manages to make adults cry at 2D drawings. The best written and animated movie ever made.
Shout by indeed2015VIP BlockedParent2014-03-02T13:41:01Z
Mansley, you sir are an asshole & all that implies