Iron Giant

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Cartoon

The Iron Giant, 1999

Starring

Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Vin Diesel, James Gammon, and Cloris Leachman

Plot

The Iron Giant is about a young boy, name Hogarth, who happens to find a giant robot in trouble and though afraid, faces his fears and saves the robot’s life. The robot, known as The Iron Giant, seeks out the boy and the two become friends. Comical scenes take place as the two bond, and Hogarth tries to keep the giant robot out of sight. Soon a government agent appears on the scene, set on advancing his career or perhaps out of total hysteria, he makes it his mission to kill The Iron Giant; putting the boy and his town in grave danger. In the end, The Iron Giant saves the boy and the town, but not before he finds his true purpose in life.

You never do find out where The Iron Giant came from or what his true purpose was, but by the end of the film you won’t care. Your heart will melt, your emotions will ring high, and you’ll walk away feeling hopeful and optimistic about life.

Review

What’s The Iron Giant really about? It’s about understanding that you choose who you want to be in life. It’s about breaking away from stereo-types. It’s about not giving into mass confusion and being strong enough to trust your own instincts. And it’s about friendship—a true rendition of what friendship should be.

The Iron Giant is a film every family should own. I became so engrossed in the film that I forgot it was animated. The characters are real, the plot strong, and the storyline emotional—so emotional in fact, I found myself teary-eyed by the end of the film.