The Iron Giant

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Even though I'm not a big animation fan, I was interested in seeing The Iron Giant. I'm glad it was on the Disney channel one day or I'd have never given this movie a chance. It's definitely worth a place in anyone's movie collection. It's a beautifully animated work with a heart-felt story that has a great balance of drama and comedy. The characters are well thought out and multi-dimensional, and at times it's easy to forget they're cartoon characters at all. I would recommend this movie to anyone; it's entertaining for all ages. Don't judge this movie by it's title or it's cover. It's a lot more than it seems.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, the Special (sort of...) Edition
Review: I've been waiting for this one. The film that vanished from theaters in 1999 faster than you could say "best reviews of the year" has finally been granted special edition status. Sort of. It's apparently been available in other countries for years, and not much has been added since. On the other hand, it's quite a coincidence that the release coincided with the appearance of his latest project, the also well-reviewed 'Incredibles.' But enough grousing. Everyone knows that it's a great film, but how does the new deluxe version hold up?

Not so well, I have to admit. The commentary is the only truly noteworthy aspect of this release, and it stars Brad Bird as well as three other people heavily involved in the project. That should make fans happy, and it's long overdue (the story of Warner's unwillingness to fund the project from day one is well-known). Sadly, the other features are fairly mediocre and uninformative. The hidden-in-plain-sight Easter Eggs involve about 45 seconds of material, the deleted scenes are a pastiche of storyboard material given an animated halflife (fair enough, given the medium, I suppose), and just generally feels tacked on (Quote alert!).

The print and audio quality are good, however, so that shouldn't be a concern. And like I said, it's a brilliant film that-- given the current state of US affairs-- is as timely as timeless. And its initial price is lower than the original DVD release! Looks like Warner Brothers is still committed to pinching pennies with this one, but The Iron Giant is a movie that will only gain status with the passage of time, and it's dynamite viewing for children and adults. Especially adults.

Five stars for the film, which is a bona fide American classic of animation that is as entertaining as it is educational. Three stars for the half-baked (but very affordable) special edition.

Rating:
Summary: ALWAYS a hit! Loved by kids and adults! A definate win!
Review: It seemed to be a sleeper in the theatre and no one I've met (with or without kids) has heard of it, but the Iron Giant is an underground classic. Great film for kids and adults. The story is told very well and the "cinematography" is wonderful. Don't pass this one up. I've given it as gifts to my friends with kids and their parents have reported back that it's been an instant, "can't get enough" hit.

Rating:
Summary: Great Family Flick
Review: I saw this animated film when it first came out, but had since forgotten about it. When my children and I watched the film this year (Dec 2004), I couldn't help but feel it was a shame that I had forgotten such a wonderful family flick!

The plot is so rich and heartfelt I honestly forgot I was watching a cartoon. There were moments of huge laughter, followed by tears. In the end, I left inspired to become a better friend than I already am to my family and friends.

Wonderful life lessons, and kid fun. You can't go wrong.

Rating:
Summary: Destined to be a classic!!!!!
Review: I have just loved The Iron Giant after seeing it in theatres 5 years ago. With it's heart, wit and engrossing story, it far surpasses anything to come out of Disney or Dreamworks. It truly is a pity that Warner Bros. did not promote it better than they did. A definite must for any DVD collection with tons of enjoyment for both the kids and the parents.