The Iron Giant

A young boy befriends a giant robot from outer space that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy.

Maine, 1957. Nine-year-old Hogarth Hughes, an only child living with his mother, discovers and befriends a colossal metal alien. When the US military and one suspicious federal agent seek to destroy the titular Giant, Hogarth takes it upon himself to protect the peaceful machine. If this sounds awfully similar to the premise of E.T., that’s because it is. Make no mistake, though: Brad Bird’s directorial debut is entirely its own, and a personal project from the same man who would go on to create both The Incredibles and Ratatouille. The genius lies in its conceit, at once a satirical piece on Cold War hysteria in small-town America and an advocate against gun violence (Bird’s sister was shot and killed during production of the film). It is partly for this that, despite failing financially upon release, The Iron Giant is remembered and beloved by many to this day; above all, however, it has a potent emotional core which transcends age, or any other barrier. Gorgeously animated through cel-shading, featuring a talented voice cast including Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel and Christopher McDonald, delicately orchestrated by the legendary Michael Kamen, and all wrapped into a terse runtime of only 86 minutes, this is not one to miss.

Chris Mantafounis