The Iron Giant

THE IRON GIANT could almost be called the first Pixar movie. It comes from Brad Bird, who later directed THE INCREDIBLES and RATATOUILLE. Unlike the Pixar films, the animation is pretty indiscernible, but in story content, it stands above. The film begins with a raging meteor from space plummeting towards earth and falling into the sea. A local fisherman is lost in the sea, and as he radios for help, he spots a couple of lights, which reveal themselves to be eyes. The film has already established a sense of familiarity, placing the Iron Giant of the title, who had to inevitably reveal himself, in a low-key setting. Rather than playing everything up with a monster in a large city, rampaging through skyscrapers and city streets, the giant is placed into a small town, with smallminded people. The fisherman who saw the giant is dismissed because he's a drunk, but the giant becomes a mysterious figure of schoolboy lore in his short time in town. One boy, Hogarth, who watches monster movies late at night while his single-mom is at work, decides to investigate. He goes off into the woods, and discovers the giant. Because this is a children's film, Hogarth befriends the giant, hiding him from G-Men who invade the small town in search of the giant they view as a weapon. But the Iron Giant is no monster, and from the kindly Hogarth he discovers that he has a choice over who he can be, despite his prerequisites. This is a simple moral, but one that is handled with ease. It's a fine film, never preachy or patronizing to any of its characters.
The Iron Giant: ★★★1/2