So, I didn't believe the hype of The Iron Giant. And now I seriously do.
Let me preface this by saying that I have seen The Iron Giant. I watched it once when I was a kid, and I do remember enjoying it, but it was also slightly before my time. While I did grow up watching some of the best franchises out there, I became a child during a time when animated movies were changing.
I'm talking about how most major animation was shifting from 2D to 3D during the 2000s, with the overtaking of studios like Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, and more. While there were certainly some 2D films from the late '90s and early 2000s that still stand on top—like the phenomenal Prince of Egypt, Disney's The Princess and the Frog, (featuring my amazing role model Tiana)—more and more films during that era were going the way of 3D animation.
However, I decided to check out The Iron Giant again since I discovered that Brad Bird directed it. Considering he created one of my favorite superhero families ever with The Incredibles, which is getting a sequel with The Incredibles 3, I decided to see if this film was worth the hype.
And wow… yeah, it totally is, and I get it. Completely. I'm about to get into why (and that includes some spoilers from the movie!)...
The Voice-Acting Is Top Tier But Vin Diesel As The Iron Giant Is Unforgettable
Voice-acting in an animated film can either be absolutely fantastic or average. Regardless, I take voice acting performances seriously, especially when I play so many video games and watch so much anime, where actual voice actors are the characters most of the time, and not necessarily A-list celebrities. But the voice cast of The Iron Giant? Steller, phenomenal, exceptional – I could go on for hours.
Heck, I could really point out every character, from Harry Connick Jr.'s character, Dean, to Eli Marienthal's Hogarth, to Jennifer Aniston's Annie. All do a fantastic job.
But Vin Diesel as the Iron Giant – man, that was a match made in heaven.
I don't know why I never realized that Diesel was the Iron Giant. It never clicked in my brain, and after hearing his voice acting for other movies, it makes a lot more sense. But there's just something about his delivery that gets to me. I actually found myself choking up a few times, and that's hard for me to do with animated films.
I Also Just Can't Get Over How Sweet The Iron Giant Is In General
There are aliens that we grow to love, and then there's the Iron Giant, who is just another level.
I don't know what it is about the Iron Giant that I love. Maybe it's because he's a weapon meant to destroy, but he has a heart of gold. Perhaps it's how he treats others or how he selflessly sacrifices himself in the end. I'm not sure, but all I know is that I truly wish he were my best friend.
It's because I just got the Iron Giant. There have been so many times in my life when I've thought that I was in a bad situation, and I react involuntarily. I get defensive. Sometimes, that can lead to me either protecting myself or hurting others, and with the Iron Giant, it's the same thing.
It's amazing that somehow, I connected with a giant, 50-foot creature from outer space better than most animated characters nowadays, and that's really saying something.
This Story Makes Me Want To Viscerally Sob
Yeah, I mean, do I even need to get into why this movie made me just sob?
They don't make films like this anymore. Granted, there are certainly some diamonds out there that have stood out—I could point to many of the best Pixar films, including Inside Out 2 and its portrayal of anxiety. I could speak about the handling of the topic of death within Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Or I could talk about the importance of being thankful for what you have from one of my favorite stop-motion animated films, Coraline.
However, some animated films just feel… soulless sometimes, at least nowadays. As I said, many of them lack a compelling story and tend to fall flat with voice-acting. I hate to sound like an old person, but they don't make them like they used to.
The Iron Giant is clear proof of that. We have this utterly breathtaking story about someone trying to learn how to be what he believes he isn't capable of – a good person, someone that people can look up to, like Superman. We see a tragic ending that also brings a little bit of hope towards the very end. We have a story that truly sets a tone and sits with you for years on end.
I was crying. I was viscerally sobbing at the end of this, and I can't say I do that very often, even as an emotional person. It's just… the perfect story.
The Animation Is Crisp And Clean And Better Than I Remembered
As someone who loves animation despite some movies not feeling the same anymore, I've always had a soft spot for 2D. Maybe it's because I grew up not only watching Pixar but, of course, the fantastic Disney Renaissance films, so I got prime 2D animation on my TV as a kid.
But is it just me, or is The Iron Giant beautifully done? It's so crisp. When I watch it, I automatically feel like I'm in the fall or something. It makes me think and feel at peace.
The movie itself isn't visually beautiful—there aren't intense colors or visuals or crazy art styles. But it's the way it is animated that makes me feel like a kid again. It's like a fantastic school morning, and I'm waiting for the bus to school, ready to take on another day.
I've never had animation invoke such a strong feeling within me, but that's what The Iron Giant is.
Why Did This Film Bomb So Hard At The Box Office?
Yeah, why the heck did this film bomb?
I'm probably about to age a lot of people by saying this, but in 1999, when The Iron Giant was released, I wasn't even a year old yet, and I'm now in my mid-twenties. I could not contribute to this film's box office total, but I demand to know why this movie tanked so hard at the box office when it came out.
Was it marketing? It couldn't have been the storyline or the animation or even the lack of stars because it clearly had a celebrity line-up. One of the best horror movies ever released that weekend was The Sixth Sense, but those two crowds don't even line up. Why did The Iron Giant underperform so severely? I cannot make sense of it.
I mean, it doesn't matter now, years later, because it's clearly received the fame and praise it deserves. It's widely considered one of the best-animated films of all time, and of course, Brad Bird has made his mark on the industry as well. I can't believe that it took so long for this movie to be seen as the masterpiece it deserved to be. And I'll always love it.
I'm honestly really glad I rewatched this film because now I get it. I get the hype and the love, and why my brother, who's five years older than me, swears this is one of the greatest movies ever. And yeah…I think we found something new to bond over because I believe that as well now.
