IMDb > The Iron Giant (1999)
The Iron Giant
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The Iron Giant (1999) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   35,455 votes
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Director:
Brad Bird
Writers:
Ted Hughes (book)
Tim McCanlies (screenplay)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Iron Giant on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 August 1999 (USA) more
Genre:
Animation | Adventure | Family | Sci-Fi more
Tagline:
It came from outer space!
Plot:
A boy makes friends with an innocent alien giant robot that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
19 wins & 14 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(37 articles)
Directors of the Decade: Brad Bird
 (From FilmExperience. 19 November 2009, 5:07 PM, PST)
Aff Review: Alabama Moon
 (From Slackerwood. 15 November 2009, 6:00 PM, PST)
User Comments:
a masterpiece, plain and simple more (448 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jennifer Aniston ... Annie Hughes (voice)

Harry Connick Jr. ... Dean McCoppin (voice)

Vin Diesel ... The Iron Giant (voice)

James Gammon ... Marv Loach / Floyd Turbeaux / General Sudokoff (voice)

Cloris Leachman ... Mrs. Lynley Tensedge (voice)

Christopher McDonald ... Kent Mansley (voice) (as Christopher MacDonald)

John Mahoney ... General Rogard (voice)
Eli Marienthal ... Hogarth Hughes (voice)

M. Emmet Walsh ... Earl Stutz (voice)
Mary Kay Bergman ... Additional Voices (voice)
Ollie Johnston ... Train Engineer #1 (voice)
Jack Angel ... Additional Voices (voice)
Michael Bird ... Additional Voices (voice)
Devon Cole Borisoff ... Additional Voices (voice) (as Devon Borisoff)
Rodger Bumpass ... Additional Voices (voice)
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG for fantasy action and mild language.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
86 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS
Certification:
Hong Kong:I | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:L | USA:PG (certificate #36640) | South Korea:All | Germany:6 | Taiwan:GP | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8/5 | France:U | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Norway:7 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U
Company:
Warner Bros. Animation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The newspaper headline that Dean McCoppin is reading ("Disaster Seen as Catastrophe Looms") is similar to the headline that Jim Dear is reading in Lady and the Tramp (1955) and that Jiminy Cricket is reading in Fun & Fancy Free (1947). more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the scene while Hogarth is talking to the Giant in the clearing shortly after bumping into the branch, it shows the Giants head without the dent, shows Hogarth, then shows the Giants head again this time with the dent. more
Quotes:
Hogarth Hughes: [seeing the shot deer] It's dead.
The Iron Giant: Dead?
[the Giant tries to pick up the deer]
Hogarth Hughes: Don't do that!
The Iron Giant: But... why?
Hogarth Hughes: It's dead, understand? They shot it, with that gun.
[the Giant looks at the gun; his eyes narrow and turn red]
Hogarth Hughes: Hey, are you all right?
The Iron Giant: [snaps out of it] Gun.
Hogarth Hughes: Yes. Guns kill.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Pixar Story (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Blues Walk more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
125 out of 141 people found the following comment useful.
a masterpiece, plain and simple, 29 December 1999
10/10
Author: dpenny (dpenny@nf.sympatico.ca) from St. John's, Newfoundland

I'm 25 years old. I have no children. So why am I praising a 'kid's movie' which nobody saw? Because I have never seen a film pack the emotional wallop 'The Iron Giant' provided.

The film's plot is similar to 'E.T.' - a young boy meets an alien robot from outer space, who is stranded on earth, and runs afoul of paranoid government agents. Not to knock the Spielberg film, but what makes 'The Iron Giant' the better film is that the young boy is the teacher. It is he who has to teach the Giant about the beauty of life, the difference between good and evil, and choices we have to make. The Iron Giant, it turns out, is a weapon, who has to struggle against his own nature. The film has an obvious (and timely) gun control message, but its real message is about the choice we make when dealing with other people. We can use our powers for good or lash out at everyone around us.

I dare not give away the climax. All I will say is that it features a sacrifice absolutely breaktaking and emotionally shattering (albeit somewhat blunted by the ending). The animation is gorgeous, Michael Kamen's score is perfect, and the film beautifully evokes the 1950s.

Sadly, poor marketing kept audiences away in droves. All I can say is, to heck with the box office gross. Despite Warner's appearant desire to pretend the film never existed, the word is getting around about what a magical film this is, and I have no doubt it will join 'It's a Wonderful Life' as a film which bombed in theatres but became a classic over the years. See it now, so you can say you discovered it before everyone else did.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Iron Giant (1999)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Bawling like a baby scoey22
Live Action Remake? MrPink08
How well do you really know Iron Giant? grammarbitch
Is the Epilogue unnecesary? (Beware, spoilers all over the place) HaveAPinch
Very Funny Scenes! *Spoilers* Madness832
If you loved The Iron Giant .......... fortean2
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