The Iron Giant (1999)

A young boy befriends a giant robot from outer space that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy.

Director:

Brad Bird

Writers:

Tim McCanlies (screenplay by), Brad Bird (screen story by)

Stars:

Eli Marienthal, Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Aniston

20 wins & 18 nominations.

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	...	Foreman Marv Loach / Floyd Turbeaux (voice)
Cloris Leachman	...	Mrs. Tensedge (voice)
Christopher McDonald	...	Kent Mansley (voice)
John Mahoney	...	General Rogard (voice)
Eli Marienthal	...	Hogarth Hughes (voice)
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Earl Stutz (voice)
Jack Angel	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Bob Bergen	...	Additional Voices (as Robert Bergen)
Mary Kay Bergman	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Michael Bird	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Devon Cole Borisoff	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Devon Borisoff)
Rodger Bumpass	...	Additional Voices (voice)

Storyline

This is the story of a nine-year-old boy named Hogarth Hughes who makes friends with an innocent alien giant robot that came from outer space. Meanwhile, a paranoid U.S. Government agent named Kent Mansley arrives in town, determined to destroy the giant at all costs. It's up to Hogarth to protect him by keeping him at Dean McCoppin's place in the junkyard.

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | robot | government agent | friend | friendship | 

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Taglines:

It came from outer space!

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for fantasy action violence, language, some thematic material and smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene where the Giant's hand was in the living room, watching a Maypo cereal commercial, was changed in the "Signature Edition" to an ad for the Disneyland attraction, Tomorrowland. Brad Bird had originally wanted the Tomorrowland ad in the movie, as an homage to his mentors, but Disney would not give him clearance to use it. Coincidentally, Bird ended up directing the movie Tomorrowland (2015).

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Goofs

One of Hogarth's classmates calls him Pointdexter, most likely in reference to a character in Felix the Cat. The story takes place in 1957, three years before that character first appeared on the show.

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Quotes

Dean McCoppin: Get back! I said get back! I mean it!
The Iron Giant: No. Stop. Why?
Hogarth Hughes: It was an accident. He's our friend.
Dean McCoppin: He's a piece of hardware, Hogarth. Why did you think the army was here? He's a weapon, a big... big gun that walks.
The Iron Giant: I... I not gun.
Dean McCoppin: Yeah? Then what's that?
[Points at huge hole the Giant's ray left on a bus]
Dean McCoppin: You almost did that to Hogarth!
The Iron Giant: No!
[Runs away]
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The Warner Brothers logo is done in 50's art deco, as the Sputnik signal is heard.

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Alternate Versions

Two added scenes overseen by Brad Bird were animated for the theatrical release of The Iron Giant: Signature Edition.

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Connections

Featured in AniMat's Classic Reviews: The Iron Giant (2015)

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Soundtracks

Capitolizing
Written by Babs Gonzales
Performed by Babs Gonzales
Courtesy of Blue Note Records
A division of Capitol Records, Inc.
Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Guns kill.

An ambitious take on Ted Hughes' 1968 children's book The Iron Man, director Brad Bird's The Iron Giant works well as both archetype-infused allegory and heartstring-tugging tale of friendship. Set in small town Maine in the 1950s at the height of Cold War paranoia, the film explores the relationship between a lonely, fatherless boy (a photo on a nightstand hints that the father was a combat pilot killed in WWII) and a monstrously huge, hulking metal behemoth (the origins of which are brilliantly left to the imagination). The animation marks a welcome contrast from the virtually ubiquitous Disney template, with the human characters bearing a stylized, comic book exaggeration that fits perfectly with the story material. The Iron Giant has more than enough imagination and sparkle to interest kids and adults, and nicely balances its action-adventure aspirations with a solidly-crafted sense of moral purpose.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Iron Giant

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,732,614, 8 August 1999

Gross USA:

$23,159,305

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,180,087

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Feature Animation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min 90 min (Signature Edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (Digital DTS Sound) SDDS DTS Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1