Well-crafted, funny, and touching, with great visual appeal

Rating: 8/10 (9 July 2003)

The Iron Giant presents a well-written and visually appealing story that works better than most Disney movies. Set in 1957, it explores half-seriously, half tongue-in-cheek the stereotypes and the reality of "G-men" and the US military mindset, the cold war, and life at the start of the space age.
The story is told from the point of view of the boy, Hogarth, who is a believable and sympathetic character. A couple of anthropomorphic elements can be seen in the robot, but it's not hard to suspend disbelief since these elements are subtle and not the primary driver of character development. The robot character is somewhat enigmatic/alien, which only serves to make the story more intriguing rather than confusing.
The other characters are enjoyable, even though they are somewhat flat (to varying degrees). The humor is not as sophisticated as, say, The Simpsons, but it's never annoying, overly juvenile, nor over-the-top as it can be in most Disney movies.
By the conclusion, I found myself unexpectedly moved, thanks to the well-crafted sympathy-inviting character development. Despite the use of some standard plot devices, The Iron Giant is certainly a movie I plan to share with my future children, and one that I will enjoy right along with them. Highly recommended. Overall score: 9.