An extraordinarily fine science fiction film hidden within children's animation fare - don't miss it!

Rating: Null/10 (11 August 2000)

On The Iron Giant video box is an excerpt from The Tuscon Citizen movie reviewer: "The best animated film of the decade...". I wholeheartedly agree. Problem is, why doesn't the rest of America? The film apparently grossed one sixth of Toy Story's gross and, as a more expensive film than Toy Story, its profits amount to far less than its cost to make - i.e. it lost money.
This film's lack of popularity is the same as the lack of popularity of Columbia Tristar's Indian in the Cupboard. The underlying cause of this is found in the fact that, unlike Toy Story, Star Wars etc., Iron Giant and Indian In the Cupboard are films with more intelligence than pizzazz, consequently causing the mainstream public to not be as interested in patronizing them into blockbusters. Neither film is difficult for any child over the age of 5 to understand. It's just that films that are even the least bit intelligent cause them to achieve the IQ of a book, and that translates to box office failure. Never mind that The Iron Giant is in a league of the greatest films ever made; it's just not cute or cool enough for profitable merchandising.
Within this fact lies the nutshell of the problem with American entertainment. That is, basically there's not enough respect for intelligence. The film industry is not to be entirely blamed, however, like junk food chains are not entirely responsible for American obesity. For if the people are too stupid to know what's good for them, one may rest assured that someone will come along selling what's bad for them, and they will promptly eat it up. America is Pinocchio and certain of Hollywood's producers are the sly fox & company who lead Pinocchio to the children's prison hiding behind a carnival front. But the Iron Giant - he thinks he's Superman, and he really is this time. That is, his movie is really a saving grace in a tide of less intelligent fare. In terms of Pinocchio, this 100 foot robot is America's fairy queen.
That said, I should say what's so good about this film. Problem is, there's so much that I don't know where to begin. This is one of those animation films, like Cats Don't Dance, that uses animation's strengths - such as that it doesn't have to rely on live actors, sets, lighting etc. - to its greatest potential. There isn't a single second of dead space in the entire film. Moreover, the script is impeccable and, as the opening page reviewer eloquently stated (read it; it's a fine, poignant review), what's left out of the story line is a boon for the audience's imagination. This only works if the script is good & adequately performed. It is, with exceptional attention payed to timing and witty dramatic effects. Not special effects, mind you - this is animation, and it doesn't need those. I'm talking dramatic effects, such as hints at plot twists, perfectly hip slapstick set-ups that aren't dumb & dumber like so many Jim Carrey bits, intelligent jokes & asides on religion, morality, nationalism, the beatnik culture, the science fiction comic strip genre so popular in the 50s (which is the setting for the movie), and many characterizations, all perfectly realized and all of which entertain & bring the audience into the action and keep us happily interested and wondering what's next. This is a definition of fine drama; it works in any of the dramatic genres, and it is undeniably what every intelligent human being desires from dramatic entertainment. In my humble opinion, the producers of this film thus understand the most basic, important elements of drama, and are therefore rare geniuses of dramatic production, on the level with Shakespeare, Rogers & Hart, you name it; even the music was as finely orchestrated and whimsically placed in cues as Bernstein, Copland & Stravinsky would have accomplished.
Indeed, everything in this film was better than anything one should have expected from a children's animation feature. This apparent mis-match was surely its death warrant at the box office. But once again, time will reveal the true genius from the flash in the pan. The Iron Giant is a supreme classic, the product of film making geniuses. Its sentimentality made me cry, its fable made me rejoice, its subtle slapstick left me grinning and, perhaps most importantly, it allowed me to attend a film, and later many video replays, with my young son without having to feel that I was taking my son to some tawdry carnival that would lower his intelligence & impress upon him low expectations of humanity. If all American children's films were this good, America would truly be the great nation it is cracked up to be.