Quite simply, this is the best non-Disney animated movie.

Rating: 10/10 (27 October 2004)

I'm so glad that I finally found this masterpiece five year after this movie has been released. This is a really great movie and in my opinion it's one of the best animated movies ever made. I think the biggest flaw of the Disney animation is the complete lack of human characters. Disney and now Dreamworks made movies about fishes, sharks, bears, lions, dogs, bugs, ants, toys, superheroes and many other animals and creatures but you can hardly find single movie with human character from a real life . Well, all their characters can talk, feel and behave like humans but it is not the same. Most of their recent movies were good, funny and entertained but at the same time they look a bit childish and not so emotional, even cold. They are typical commercial stuff and with strong marketing studios often get good box office returns. The Iron Giant is a different case. This is a very intelligent, good-feeling and enjoyable animation with powerful and clever moral messages in its core. At first sight it looks like a kids movie but it's a wonderful movie both for kids and adults. In fact the movie idea could have been unnoticed for small kids. The story happens in 1957 in small town in Maine. It was a years of the cold war and military paranoia, a period of total fear and misunderstanding from both sides. It was really amazing to watch how brilliant was recreated the atmosphere of that period. All begins than the Hogarth, a young fatherless lonely boy found near his home mysterious Iron Giant. I think it was s a clever idea what we'll never know where this giant come from. Different and unknown doesn't always mean bad and enemy. Hogarth helped him and they become friends. He gave Iron Giant some moral lessons and even taught a basic English. But when in the town comes paranoiac special agent Kent Mansley they friendship now is in a danger. He wants to kill the Giant without any reasonable reason, just because he think what this strange robotic Iron Giant can be dangerous. Most surprising and intelligent element in the story was the fact that this movie didn't become a cheesy childish anti-gun propaganda. The message is more wise and intellectual. As Hogarth said we are what you we choose to be. Our acts are always our individual decisions and some things can't be simply bad or good, and only our choice can decide how we can use them. Also you can find in this movie many other strong philosophical ideas and thoughts. Overall, the story of friendship between young boy and The Iron Giant is very touching and emotional.
Now about animation. It was absolutely fabulous. All movie is an amazing work of art. The Hogarth character so perfectly drown that you can easily forget that it's an animated movie. He looks like a real, well acted boy. I have seen almost all famous animated movies and I suppose he is a best animated character I have ever seen. The rest of main characters also very impressive, landscapes, sky and all minor details like ships and tanks were beautiful and looked absolutely real. The Iron Giant was the only computer-generated character and he didn't look as a soulless machine. He becomes a very warm and likable character.
With excellent characters development and interesting story The Iron Giant is an extraordinary intelligent movie. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's sad but it's always enjoyable, touching and entertained movie. If you haven't seen it before just go and buy, rent or borrow it. I recommend The Iron Giant to all people irrespective of their age. A solid ten. Thanks for reading and sorry for my bad English.