The Iron Giant

I've read an interview with Brad Bird somewhere in which he confided that his head is overwhelmed with ideas for stories of all kinds, all he has to do is "just" get the money to make them happen. Now under the protective wings of Pixar, we can look forward to what else will come out of this interesting and inventive guy in the future, and he proved his qualities not first in his amazingly successful The Incredibles, but in this debut flop (unfairly, the distribution company was a bit late with the promotion). A funny and touching story, with animation that is not groundbreaking, but good looking, and complete satisfaction until the final ten minutes. Only the militaristic ending didn't suit me too well, with all those ultra-mega-hyper-super weapons coming out of every robot limb. There are a few funny movie references, but I wouldn’t say there’s un "unreal amount" of them, unless we really want to see them in some scenes. BTW, Diesel's drawl was perfect for the robotic voice. (07/23/2005)

Even before Brad Bird signed on with Pixar, he made his highly distinctive project, which unfortunately did not reach a wider audience. The motifs of the 1950s, the arms race, the fear of the red nuclear threat, the first conquest of space, but also the period when every boy's bedside table had Superman adventure books are excellently tied to the simple scenario of a pathetic friendship between a 50-foot robot and a lonely boy. Bird has left none of this out, and the result is an absolutely stunning blend that is unlike anything seen in the children's animation genre. Perhaps that's why this film can be appreciated by adults rather than by children, who would certainly not like the ultra-militant ending. However, it is part of it, since nobody can resist the robot's charisma, which is directly soaked in Vin Diesel's "dubbing." (07/07/2006)

I was reminded of this movie thanks to MovieZone’s VIM. That gave me the idea of going through my old VHSs and setting aside some time. I had been trying to get around to watching The Iron Giant for a while, but something else always cropped up. Now I must say that I had been missing a lot, because Brad Bird’s director’s debut is a real gem. It’s not your classic cartoon, but nor is it really a movie for adults. It skates beautifully on the edge of what Pixar is known for in today’s 3D world. The story is simple, but compelling, full of suspense and then funny in all the right places. Plus Bird conceived some scenes as a tribute to old horrors (the black and white movie on TV), to Superman and I have a feeling that it’s no coincidence that it’s set in my favorite state of Maine (yes, I mean because of Stephen King :). I’m a little sorry that due to the dubbing I was robbed of Vin Diesel’s voice, but in no way did this spoil the overall experience. (07/01/2007)

A very low-key and awfully little known film. I never heard of it, and by the number of reviews I see here, I'm not alone, and that is really a big shame. Brad Bird is a genius in this genre, and it really shows here. The nice animation is completely overshadowed by a beautiful and touching story about the friendship between a little boy and a giant robot, which has to go through a lot of problems. And those problems are mostly solved in a hugely entertaining, imaginative and, in the end, unexpectedly action-packed way. I wasn't expecting it, but The Iron Giant is an amazing animated flick for which 86 minutes seems awfully short. 100% (09/30/2011)

The story that takes place here is beautiful, but I simply found it too unoriginal. Nevertheless, I have to appreciate the excellent execution, not to mention that even though one may anticipate what will happen, and how it will unfold, it still has the right impact, and one feels the emotions they are supposed to feel. It’s one of those films that won't age, and I'm glad I finally watched it. (09/29/2016)