A wonderful piece of film making

Rating: 9/10 (21 January 2005)

It is a tremendous shame that this film has reached such a small audience as in my humble opinion, its one of the finest animated pictures to come out of the US. Sure, it does not pack the epic scope of The Lion King, but it is a very touching (but not schmaltzy) work and is one of those films that can literally bring a smile to your face that will not leave for days.
Set in the 1950's, it tells of a young American boy obsessed with science fiction comics and movies, who befriends a massive, alien robot that has crash landed in the countryside surrounding his home. The two form a bond as he gradually teaches the giant about his world and the story then focuses on his attempts to keep the giant hidden from a US government official and the military. Not easy when you're a 30 feet tall, clanking mechanical marvel with footprints the size of cars.
Along the way, there are plenty of sly touches. The feel of the 1950's is perfectly realised with milkshake shops, bad horror films and the sense of paranoia that came from being one of two super powers dominating the world. The animation too is beautifully done, with even the metallic eyes of the Giant displaying tremendous emotion behind them. The story at times is very sentimental, but it's also loaded with a knowing sense of wry humour and though this may be a film with a child audience squarely in mind, I defy even the toughest of souls not to feel a little choked up come the ending.