Rating: 
Summary: Beats out ANY Disney movie for Cartoon of the Decade!
Review: As far as I'm concerned, I could scrap all of my Disney movies and I'd be happy with just this one masterpiece! The animation is absolutely flawless, the characters (especially the Giant) are just fabulous, and the voice-overs are absolutely flawless! I dare anyone to show me a cartoon that was better than this one, in the last 10 years; there isn't one! This is the perfect family movie, it reflects a lot of good values without "shoving" them on you, and --besides a little bit of swearing-- is a perfectly decent film! And the comedy is absolutely halarious (I commend the person who wrote the screenplay!)! Do yourself or someone you know a favor: Buy this movie! You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Today I am buying the DVD!
Review: I have read all the 69 previews I found here. Could not help noticing that every 5th or 6th of them mentions Disney products as something very different from the Warners masterpiece. But Warners is taking it's first steps in full-length animation and of course quite eager to make a name for itself at the market. Do you seriously expect them to duplicate the Disney formula of incessantly singing heroes/heroines traveling exotic landscapes in a company of mischeviously giggling sidekicks? Of course the first releases of the major studio have to be innovative. Warner is ready to earn less but make it's presense felt in the market, to back up it's ambitions with something worth mentioning. So the superbly creative team got the adequate funding and now we have this rare gem. I suppose that was the case in Disney's early years but now it's mostly routine and marketing overkill. A lot of reviewers mention the Cold War relics making the film ring true but I see another All-American tradition behind the plot. Remember Shane? Yes,yes,yes! Retired gunfighter befriending a boy. It's a Western in all it's archetypal splendor! In which inter-galactical battles the big guy took his deadly part part? Who knows? He came out of nowhere. -" You are not a gun!" - But when the baddies close in he is spitting fire - and what the difference if it's space blasters that make enemy run for cover - not the six-guns of the great tradition? The Iron Giant is laconical, galant with the ladies and children - he is a bit of a child himself. He is rushing unflinchingly towards his destiny to save the loved ones. Do you need more similarities? As for the quality of animation it made me happy every time I saw The Giant move with such UNPREDICTABLE ease. When you see the great chunk of metal you expect him to creak and limp but what really happens takes your breath away. Characterization is above all praise. The people are really alive! Neurotic beatnik yearning for the contact with fellow humans, owerworked single mother - and the boy! Every one of them is worthy of Oscar nomination. They look more real and endearing than the majority of Hollywood's flesh and blood progeny. The movie got the highest rating from my 7-year old son. -" It's like Wallace & Gromit." - Meaning it's real art and the DVD has to be bought in the next few days.
Rating:
Summary: The best American animated film made this decade
Review: 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!".
Rating: 
Summary: The Iron Giant
Review: I was disappointed in this DVD. I assumed that a DVD produced in 1999 would be in Dolby Digital 5.1, but the menu didn't give any alternative to the stereo default, and the stereo sound was poor quality at best. As a result, the poor stereo recording resulted in ghost images (if you have external speakers) that were very distracting throughout the movie. Save your money and purchase the VHS instead.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Movie!
Review: I can't believe this was not a bigger hit when it was released theatrically. This is exactly the kind of animated film everyone says they'd like see, so why didn't they go? It is very entertaining for adults and children alike. The end could be upsetting for very young children, but watch it with them so you can talk to them afterwards and it will be ok. SEE THIS MOVIE! You will be glad you did, and you'll want to see it again.
Rating:
Summary: Now THIS is a MOVIE!
Review: You will laugh, you will cry. You will cheer, you will be on the edge of your seat to see what will happen next. Forget that this movie is animated, it is easily one of the best movies I have ever seen. But even though it is a cartoon, I would not recommend it for children under the age of 8, due to some of the more mature themes dealing with war and death. (Nothing too heavy, just not really appropriate for younger children.) But, when all is said and done, this is one of those rare movies that you can watch togehter with your 8 year old child, and your 80 year old grandmother, and everyone will thoroughly enjoy it. :)
Rating:
Summary: a boy and his robot
Review: The "Iron Giant" is a wonderfully told story about a boy who finds agiant metal robot who eats metal.The tale takes place in a New England town during the "Red Scare" of the late 1950's. The boy befriends the giant ironman after saving it from being electrocuted (it tried eating the town's powerstation). The giant's intentions are peaceful but the boy keeps the giant away from the townspeople because he fears they will think that it's a secret weapon from Russia. The director, Brad Bird, has created a film that captures the paranoia that was sweeping our country at that time.The giant is a loveable misfit who cannot understand human nature. The boy, Hogarth, develops a touching relationship with the giant as it tries to discover why it came to earth.The movie is a joy to watch and is a future classic. It makes for excellent family viewing. A must for the video library!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies of the year
Review: This is a brilliant film, and one that is as pleasing to adults as it is to kids (I watched it with my 5-year-old nephew, and he loved it as much as I did). Although it follows a very basic movie formula - that of the lonely outsider who finds a friend, only to lose him, and who grows up in the process - the film is otherwise delightfully original in all of its details. Set in 1950's red-scare America, the film uses the historical setting to invent characters that we rarely see on screen (including the surpising "Giant" himself). Both funny and sad. A must-see!
Rating:
Summary: AN ABSOLUTE JEWEL
Review: This film is exquisite. It is one of the best films that I have seen in the last year, and one of the best animated films that I have seen in the last decade. It easily equals or surpasses the recent efforts of the Disney machine, both live action and animated. Be sure to purchase the widescreen edition as this film is in true widescreen (2.35:1 aspect ratio)and would only suffer in pan & scan format. It is rendered with breathtaking imagination and beauty by the artists. I missed this in the theaters and am sorry. I own it now. Don't miss your opportunity to own this wonderful film.
Rating:
Summary: Iron Giant is one the best of 1999.
Review: I never got a chance to see this little gem in the theaters because it was pulled so quickly. I really wish I would have, because now it's one of my favorite films of the year! The story is wonderfully written with plenty of action, humor and heartbreak. (Yes, I was crying like a little girly-man at the end, too.) Don't let all the E.T. comparisons distract you, this story was written a good twelve years before Spielberg's film. Its refreshing to see an animated film without any silly musical numbers and annoying sidekicks voiced by the comedic flavor-of-the-month. This film should be rewarded for treating kids with respect and not pandering to them like a certain special effects blockbuster of this past summer. (HINT:out of place doo-doo jokes in a Galaxy far, far away...) The animation is simply superb. It harkens back to the great early Disney cartoons of the 40s and 50s. (Which makes sense since Iron Giant is set in 1957.) Two veteren Disney animators even make cameos as the train conductors. The robot was beautifully designed and rendered by these very talented artists. The voice-over actors were all outstanding. Eli Marienthal played little Hogarth Hughes with the right amount of spunk and intelligence. Harry Connick Jr. was one cool beatnik, Daddy-o and Jennifer Aniston was wonderful as the young caring mother. The supporting cast was also great, but what would you expect from the likes of M. Emmet Walsh and John Mahoney? The Iron Giant was another in a long line of great overlooked films in 1999. (Rushmore, Election, The Limey, The Straight Story, Three Kings .) Poor marketing by Warner Bros. and an already over- crowded summer movie schedule killed this film at the box-office. Please help resurrect this little animated treasure.
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