Rating: 
Summary: Clever cartoon
Review: I had no idea what to expect when watching this movie, but bought it based on high reviews everywhere. Simply, this is a solid family movie that may drive you nuts if you don't go in with this in mind. However, there are several clever moments and I actually teared up at the end -- and it's a cartoon!
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly funny
Review: I got this movie simply to go with my Vin Diesel dvd collection. I didn't expect it to be as good as it turned out to be. When the agent got his head slammed in the bathroom door I nearly fell off the couch laughing -- just one of several really funny scenes. I just flat out liked this little flick. Even sniffed a bit at the ending and it's a cartoon for goodness sakes! Something good you can see with your family. Hey, what more can you ask for?? ps-If you're getting this simply as a Diesel fan, don't. Get it because it's a genuinely good movie.
Rating: 
Summary: American animation at it's finest
Review: This is an amazing film. One of the best animated films ever. Disney wishes it had stories like this to work with. Fortunately there will be more from Brad Bird and Pixar in the near future. The story is about self-determination and the will to take the power of anger and see through it to the consequences of acting out of anger, before these decisions are made. The characters stay true to their personalities. Good and bad is not as obvious as it seems even in the most selfish cast members. The cast is great. Jennifer Aniston puts in a great performance as does Harry Conick Jr. The entire cast was fantastic. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston make a cameo appearance as train conductors as well. The animation itself shows us the possibilites of seamless 2D/3D animation as well. You never see the giant as out of place or visually jarring. His place is firmly seeded in the environment that we see him in. If animation has a hope it is in stories like these. Get this movie. You will love this story. Minor technical issues with this dvd have to do with the compression, which can be seen in some of the larger expanses of color in this film. Most of the reviews that are 3 stars or less have to do with the fact that people don't like the swearing or the perceived anti-gun message of this movie. I take issue with both of these counts because they are story appropriate. Cursing happens under extreme duress of the characters who (in character) swear in their exasperation. The title character is a weapon from another planet. He is a gun. He chooses (get that ?!?) not to act violently. This person chooses not to kill. That is the whole premise of the story. These were concerns with Warner Brothers and it caused the botching of this amazing movie because of thier concern that people like this would not be happy. What a sad state to be in. Held in check by the lowest common cultureal denominator. Now if you are someone who is concerned with this, I'd suggest watching other great animated stories that you can see daily on TV like The Simpsons. Having said this, if you do find yourself in need of a story that touches the mind and the heart. If you can see the morals, the true value(s) of this film will give you something enjoy and share with your loved ones.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT movie; DVD marred by overcompression.
Review: One of the best animated films in recent years, and it's a dead shame that Warner Bros. dismantled the team that made it and had no idea what they had on their hands. This carelessness with a beautiful film is also reflected in the DVD: the compression was done as if for live-action. In the widescreen version, jaggies and compression artifacts abound, and the datarate hovers in the 4-5 range--not nearly high enough for flat-color animation. In the scene where Hogarth goes into the forest with his popgun, a little cloud hovers right over his eyes. Save your money and wait for the rumored new DVD release.
Rating:
Summary: "You can fly? YOU CAN FLY!"
Review: Everyone knows the close bond that can form between a boy and his dog. Brad Bird's "The Iron Giant" is a chronicle of such a bond - only the dog has been replaced by a giant robot from outer space. What results is a charming film full of wit and clever political commentary that outshines everything Disney has put out since "Beauty and the Beast." With the inclusion of G-Men, B-grade monster films, Cold War paranoia, beatniks, Sputnik, Superman comics, and nuclear bomb drills, "The Iron Giant" is also a loving tribute to the bygone 1950's. Amidst a sleepy Maine town nervous about the implication of a new Russian satellite in orbit, a giant robot arrives with no memory of who he is. At the outset, no one except a young boy named Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal) knows of the iron stranger in their presence. Hogarth hides him from his snooping mother (Jennifer Aniston) and an annoying federal agent (Christopher McDonald) all the while dreaming of the possibilities a pet robot can provide to a young boy. As the two spend more time together, Hogarth discovers that his new companion may have been created for more dastardly purposes. Yet, through the friendship he shares with Hogarth, the Iron Giant discovers that he can exceed his programming and become what he chooses to be. The one element that elevates "The Iron Giant" from other recent animated fare is its sophistication of story. It does not simplify its material for the sake of young minds but instead challenges them to comprehend complex ideas and messages. This film is an ambitious attempt to educate viewers who were not even alive in the 1950's about that decade and an entertaining nostalgia trip for adults who actually lived through that unique period. In sum. "The Iron Giant" is a worthwhile film experience for young and old alike.
Rating:
Summary: So-ho good
Review: I could not believe how fabulous this movie was. I bought it initially for the fact that Vin did the voice of the giant. To my (pleasant) surprise I fell in love with it. Any movie (especially a cartoon) that can bring you to tears (tears of sadness AND laughter) gets a thumbs up. This is a great movie. Had me holding my stomach from laughing so hard at one point.
Rating:
Summary: A classic through and through
Review: It's always cool to see movies you're dying to see and not be disappointed. Although when you see a movie you're not expecting much out of and it turns out to be one of your favorites, you can appreciate it that much more. Such is the case with The Iron Giant- a brilliant animated classic. The Iron Giant is mainly about a kid named Hogarth who discovers a giant robot who falls out of the sky. A government agency is tracking it down, mainly by Kent Mansley, who sees it as a threat to humanity. Hogarth enlists the help of Dean McCoppin, a scrapyard owner, to hide the giant. The one thing I immediately noticed about this movie is that it very much doesn't have what society expects in animated features. There's no convoluted love story. There's no out-of-place singing and dancing. There's no plucky animal comic relief. All this is pushed aside to concentrate on an excellent story that never feels sappy or cliche. Of course it still has some great comedy bits and lines. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at anything that was played on the television and Dean's little squirrel mishap. As for the animation, it's excellent as well. The Iron Giant character may be computer generated but he's digitally colored to fit in with his surroundings and it completely works. One scene where the giant is shot out of the sky and crashes into the ground is extremely well done. The characters are very likable and Kent Mansley is one of the best "villains" in any animated movie. I really wish they could have added more to the DVD extras. The only main extra is a behind-the-scenes that aired on TV. Let's hope a deluxe edition will eventually be released one day so the movie can get the proper DVD treatment. Warner Brothers should have had more faith in this one, as it was so poorly marketed. There's nothing I can say I didn't like about this movie. It ranks just behind Princess Mononoke as my favorite animated movie of all time. And I have one thing to say to the people who bought it for their young kids and complained- PG- Parental guidance suggested, some material may not be suitable for children. This rating has been around for decades. It's nothing that should come as a surprise.
Rating: 
Summary: Technically excellent, but intellectually dishonest
Review: There so are many good things about this movie that I really wish I could write a positive review. First of all, the animation is great. On par with Princess Mononoke. The characters are likeable, with the exception of the sterotypical paranoid government agent. The story line for the first two thirds of the movie is both funny and touching. Unfortunately, it goes down hill from there. After throughly enjoying the first two-thirds of movie, my viewing experience was ruined when the later third degenerated into an anti-gun rights, anti-government diatribe. If you want your children indoctrinated into that type of extreme left-wing dogma, then this is the movie for you. Otherwise, I recommend you skip this one.
Rating:
Summary: Is this really a cartoon?
Review: One day during the usual boring times that can come with summer, there was an all day marathon of "The Iron Giant" featured on the cartoon network. Wondering to myself that if a movie is to be on for 24 hours straight that it must be worth seeing no matter what (look at the classic like 'A Christmas Story' being played 24 hours and tell me you haven't seen it at least once). I watched for the next showing and sat down and watched it. I was immediately impressed to see the animation had its own style, it was neither Disney, nor trying too hard to be realistic (such as the almost caricature head shape of Mansley). Next, the movie does not fail in the least bit to deliver convincing voice overs from the actors, Jennifer Anniston does a great job of bringing her character to life and one even forgets that she is playing the part. The relationship that develops between the boy and the robot becomes very strong. Some deeper meanings present in the movie are the robot being a tool of destruction, yet being completely oblivious (and therefore innocent) to its powers. This movie cannot simply be brushed aside as a cartoon, it is an incredible movie, and you may even forget that's what you are actually watching.
Rating:
Summary: "You Are Who You Want To Be..."
Review: Regardless of whether it's animated or not, this is a GREAT movie! It's the story of how a young boy finds a robot designed to be a weapon of war, but convinces him to do good("Be like Superman!" the boy tells him). The characters are humourous and the plot meaningful, with a really emotional climax("You are who you want to be!" the boy yells to the Iron Giant, en route to saving the town from an incoming nuclear warhead; Giant closes his eyes and says to himself, "...Superman", just before impact; the boy watches the explosion, then says softly, "I love you..."). I'm not ashamed to admit that if I had been lucky enough to watch this for the first time in a full-size theatre(instead of at home on VHS), I'd have been crying like a baby.
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