One of 1999's ten best

Rating: 9/10 (2 June 2000)

I don't ever want to hear a parent gripe again about the lack of quality family films these days. Brad Bird's "The Iron Giant," an animated triumph about a 1950s boy who befriends a 100-foot metal giant from another world, was a complete box office failure, suggesting that unless it bears the Disney name, parents won't bother. The few people who did bother with this enchanting adventure were rewarded with the best family film of the year.