One of the best animated films of the last fifty years

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2015)

This combination hand-drawn/computer animation film was the directorial debut of Brad Bird. There will be spoilers ahead:
This is an extraordinary mix of two different animation techniques and it manages this amazingly well. Based on an excellent novel by Ted Hughes, though it was critically acclaimed (deservedly so) it performed poorly in its initial run at the theaters, probably because the marketing left much to be desired. It's managed to find its audience through home video and word of mouth and it now gets the appreciation it deserves.
I'll just to a basic synopsis of the plot and discuss the technical aspects a bit. Set in 1957, just after Sputnik's launch, a huge robot crashes just off the coast of Maine. It comes ashore and eventually meets a young boy named Hogarth. After a series of misadventures and the robot's near destruction and recovery, Hogarth starts teaching the robot various things through reading him comic books. The robot is impressed with Superman.
Needless to say, the crash of the robot and his actions draw the attention of the authorities, represented by a smarmy jackass working as an FBI agent and an Army general. Hogarth tries to hide the robot, which, given its size, is no easy task. He gets the help of a proto-hippie/beatnik/sculptor who runs the junkyard (this comes in handy, because the robot eats metal).
The FBI and the military become aware of the robot eventually and through a series of misunderstandings and outright lies, the military moves to destroy the robot, even to the point of setting up a nuclear strike from a sub. The jackass government agent sets in motion certain destruction of the town, only to have the robot perform an heroic act to save everyone. The ending of the film is perfect.
The technical aspects of the film are great, from a top-notch script through great voice work, magnificent animation, a perfect score for the film and the timing is excellent. The film won a good many animation awards and was lauded by critics at the time. It's a fantastic film.
This film is available on DVD and was released on Blu-Ray this year (2015) in a "Signature Edition", which I have yet to see. Regardless, this film is most highly recommended.