A startlingly good animated film that seemed to come out of nowhere. Amazingly well done.

Rating: 9/10 (14 September 2000)

The Iron Giant is an animated film that probably did not get the attention that it deserves because it was not made by Disney. When I saw this movie, I did not know anything about it and I didn't expect much from it, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The story involves a young boy who discovers a crash landed (?) robotic giant in the woods near his home, where he lives with his single mother.
Despite the predictable ending and the rather unoriginal story ("Cool, my own Terminator!"), The Iron Giant is a heartwarming tale of friendship and family that provides excellent entertainment for all ages. It is unlikely that the giant is able to learn so much about humans (emotions, soul, acceptance, life, etc), but that's beside the point. I mean, they never even hinted as to where the giant came from, who made him, or why he was endowed with such jaw-dropping artillery. Is he some sort of alien Bicentennial Man? Even though the giant's entire background is left a mystery, the film is still able to tell a wonderful story. Let's just hope they make a sequel in which the giant's home is portrayed more.
The cast was also excellent. In particular I enjoyed Harry Connick Jr.'s performance as the endlessly tolerant Dean McCoppin, and most of all, ironically enough, Christopher McDonald as the government agent Kent Mansley. Christopher McDonald almost always plays a jerk of some sort in all of his movies (Happy Gilmore, Dirty Work, and SLC Punk, to name a few), and he was endlessly amusing in The Iron Giant ("...no, Bob, big things happen in big places. And the sooner I fill out my report, the sooner I can get back to them."). Great stuff.
The Iron Giant is a movie for all tastes. I strongly believe that anyone who didn't like this movie did not give it a fair enough chance, because it was just so well done. It is one of those rare films (especially animated) that has an ending that virtually forces you to smile. You can't walk away from this movie unhappy, it is touching, it's fascinating, it's entertaining, and it should not be missed.