The Iron Giant

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The Iron Giant

PG,

1999,

1h 26m,

Kids & Family/

Adventure/

Fantasy/

Action/

Animation

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96%

141 Reviews

Tomatometer

90%

100,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

141 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

In this animated adaptation of Ted Hughes' Cold War fable, a giant alien robot crash-lands near the small town of Rockwell, Maine, in 1957. Exploring the area, a local 9-year-old boy, Hogarth, discovers the robot, and soon forms an unlikely friendship with him. When a paranoid government agent, Kent Mansley, becomes determined to destroy the robot, Hogarth and beatnik Dean McCoppin must do what they can to save the misunderstood machine.

Critics Consensus

The endearing Iron Giant tackles ambitious topics and complex human relationships with a steady hand and beautifully animated direction from Brad Bird.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Jun 18, 2018

The Iron Giant captures and crystallizes its source material's anxious, humane spirit. It might be the most empathetic and exhilarating mainstream American animated feature ever made.

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Kate Muir

The Times (UK)

Feb 11, 2016

4/5

Tender, moving and exciting for kids (and their secretly tearful parents).

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Feb 11, 2016

4/5

Watching this again 17 years after its original release, I savoured again the resemblances to Spielberg, Wilde and Brian Forbes's Whistle Down the Wind.

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Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

Apr 12, 2025

Every bit deserving of its instant classic standing.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Sep 24, 2024

5/5

The Iron Giant more than holds up over a quarter-century after its release.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Aug 19, 2023

Brad Bird’s cartoon fable in science fiction clothing and fairy tale trappings is a delightful throwback to the classic era of hand-drawn animated movies and delivers the most amazing little boy wish fulfillment fantasies.

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Albus R

Apr 28, 2019

Before his collaboration with Pixar, Brad Bird created this now iconic hidden gem of an animated feature. The animation was impressively done, and beautiful to look at. The voice acting and characters were great. Along with a phenomenal story, great comedy, and nice setting. But it really shines thanks to the spectacular character interaction and the realistically emotional themes and messages on friendship, war, and death. What a fantastic kids film I have just witnessed.

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Hagrid G

Apr 26, 2019

Truly a Giant in the world of animation.

Poe G

Apr 19, 2019

Another Brad Bird Favorite, Brad Bird You Are The Best! The Iron Giant is a really cool family-fantasy flick.

Rey S

Apr 17, 2019

This movie had a painful low box office, but its now a classic and one of the best animated movies ever made.

Kylo R

Apr 10, 2019

Another beautifully animated, short, and simple Brad Bird movie. The story is the simplest it can get: a robot falls from space and a boy finds him and become good friends. The boy teaches the robot good morals and how to be friendly even though majority of the people are afraid of him. It's a cute movie, the boy trying to father a towering metal man, I found myself smiling at some parts. Being less than an hour and a half, I did feel like it dragged in the middle, I actually got a little bored. It did pick up a lot afterwards so it kind of made up for it. This was on my list for a while and I'm glad I watched it, being somewhat a kids' movie (but with good adult humor in it).

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Albus W

Mar 22, 2019

Iron Giant is superb. It animation is stunning, its character identifiable and endearing, its relationships handled skillfully, and its themes so (bare with me) human. It's an animation landmark.

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Brad Bird

Director

Jennifer Aniston

Annie Hughes

Eli Marienthal

Hogarth Hughes

Harry Connick Jr.

Dean McCoppin

Vin Diesel

The Iron Giant

Christopher McDonald

Kent Mansley

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The Iron Giant: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In this animated adaptation of Ted Hughes' Cold War fable, a giant alien robot crash-lands near the small town of Rockwell, Maine, in 1957. Exploring the area, a local 9-year-old boy, Hogarth, discovers the robot, and soon forms an unlikely friendship with him. When a paranoid government agent, Kent Mansley, becomes determined to destroy the robot, Hogarth and beatnik Dean McCoppin must do what they can to save the misunderstood machine.

Director: Brad Bird
Producer: Des McAnuff, Allison Abbate
Screenwriter: Ted Hughes, Brad Bird, Tim McCanlies
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Warner Bros. Animation
Rating: PG (Mild Language|Fantasy Action)
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Action, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 4, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 3, 2008
Runtime: 1h 26m
Sound Mix: Surround

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