Genuine sentiment without corn

Rating: 10/10 (13 August 1999)

Like all high quality animations, this is a movie for kids and adults. The vividly drawn relationship between the giant and the boy is the most...human...and touching (without being maudlin) that I can remember in recent years, and that includes both children's films and so-called adult drama. For that reason, maybe, it drew genuine emotion out of me, something that hasn't happened since I first saw Barry Lyndon (of all things) years ago.

It's sad that Disney has such a stranglehold on the genre. I was so grateful that there was not a single syrupy pop song in this movie that on the strength of that alone I might award it a "10" on IMDb. But fortunately, Iron Giant succeeds more for what it is than what it isn't.