The Iron Giant: Unexpected Friendship Brilliantly Portrayed

   The Iron Giant (1999) is an animated masterpiece and one of our top picks in this house. As Brad Bird's directorial debut, this film tells a tender yet frightening story utilizing both traditional animation techniques as well as digital animation means. The results are at once both beautifully nostalgic and impressively state-of-the-art.
   One of the aspects of this film that I really appreciate is the relieving omission of the "over-the-top" wacky character that seems to be a requirement in many animated movies. Instead, the funny moments are genuine and subtle, innocent and utterly lacking guile. The characters are real people, living in the late 1950's, voiced by a cast of talented actors who all seem to recognize the weighty issues tackled by this tale. Particularly, Vin Diesel, as the Giant, and Eli Marienthal, as his young friend, Hogarth, both naturally embody the shared wonder and terror their characters experience throughout this story.
   Though it did not get the attention it deserved from the beginning, The Iron Giant has received numerous awards and nominations and has even developed a bit of a cult following. This truly is a special film that does not disappoint.

The Iron Giant is on HBOFamily at 7.