The Iron Giant
A boy's best friend is his robot in this animated adventure from Brad Bird, best known for his TV work on such series as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and The Critic. Set in 1957, The Iron Giant focuses on Hogarth (voice of Eli Marienthal), an imaginative nine-year-old boy who daydreams of alien invasions and doing battle with Communist agents. One day, Hogarth hears a local fisherman talk about something that surpasses anything he could dream up: a fifty-foot robot that fell from the sky into a nearby lake. Needless to say, Hogarth's mom, Annie (voice of Jennifer Aniston) finds this a little hard to swallow, but when Hogarth finds the robot (voice of Vin Diesel) and fishes him out of the water, his pal Dean (voice of Harry Connick Jr.), a beatnik sculptor who also runs a junkyard, offers to help by hiding the robot with his salvage. A government agent named Kent Mansley (voice of Christopher McDonald) soon gets wind that there's a mechanical invader of unknown origins in the neighborhood and wants to wipe out the potential threat. However, the robot (which loves to eat metal and is learning to talk) turns out to be friendly, and the boy in turn tries to teach his new pal the ways of humans. The Iron Giant is loosely based on the book The Iron Man by late British poet Ted Hughes, previously adapted for the stage by rock musician Pete Townshend, who executive produced the film. more..
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Eli Marienthal,Vin Diesel,Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick, Jr., Christopher McDonald
Heart and tenderness are rare in cartoon movies. But in an age of frenetic children's fare, the new animated adventure The Iron Giant dares to show a lot of both, and it comes up a winner.
At times, The Iron Giant is more serene than it needs to be, but it's a lovely and touching daydream.
Both a step back and a step forward from the trends of modern animation, it feels like a classic even though it's just out of the box.
Not just a cute romp but an involving story that has something to say.
An animated tale equipped with heart, humor, blazing action and not a sappy song in earshot.
Best Home Video Release
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2000)
Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature
Annie Awards (1999)
Best Feature Film
BAFTA Awards (2000)
Best Movie
Chlotrudis Awards (2000)
Best Animation
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards (2000)
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