A bit of violence and language, but it is the best Warner Bros. movie ever made.
The Iron Giant
(1999, Rated PG, Family and kids, Starring Cloris Leachman, Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Touching robot-kid friendship tale with great messages.
Themes in this movie include: friendship
updated 05.19.10
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 6 and Up
The good stuff
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Iron Giant was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that this movie provides the commensurate cartoon action that most kids love: a giant robot under attack; buildings, trains, and cars crashing; futuristic weapons firing; Hogarth, the boy hero, creeping through a dark forest looking for “trouble"; a boat caught in a storm; spooky music; and an arrogant, mean-spirited villain who threatens everyone and everything that is important. It also includes a poignant moment when a deer is shot. The filmmakers bring a point of view to the events, hoping to instruct, explain, and furnish thought-provoking ideas through which kids can view the action (i.e. “guns kill,” the collateral damage of paranoia, and taking responsibility for our choices). Set in the 1950s, one character smokes a pipe throughout and one character smokes a cigarette. Hogarth gives the villain a dose of laxative which humorously results in trips to any bathroom he can find.
Families Can Talk About
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More on The Iron Giant
What’s the Story?
Set in rural Maine during the late 1950s, THE IRON GIANT centers on 9-year-old Hogarth Hughes (voiced by Eli Marienthal), who lives with his waitress mother, Annie (Jennifer Aniston). One night, he discovers a huge robot in the woods, munching on whatever metal he can find, including the town's electric substation. Hogarth is frightened, but takes pity when the robot is enmeshed in wires, and turns off the power so that the robot can escape. The robot turns out to be the world's best playmate, whether cannonballing into the swimming hole or acting as a sort of amusement park ride. His origins remain mysterious, but his reaction to Hogarth's toy ray gun suggests that he may have served as a weapon of some kind. Local beatnick Dean McCoppin (Harry Connick, Jr.) lets Hogarth hide the robot in his junkyard, but government investigator Kent Mansley (Christopher McDonald) thinks that the giant is part of a communist plot, and presses Hogarth to turn him in. Mansley calls in the army, and suddenly the robot and the surrounding community are in real danger.
Is It Any Good?
This is a director's cut of a wonderful film that has so much humor and heart that it is one of the best family movies around. The script, based on a book by England's poet laureate, Ted Hughes, is exceptionally good. The plot has some clever twists, and some sly references to the 1950s to tickle the memories of boomer grandparents. Setting the story in the 1950s puts the government's reaction to the robot in the context of the red scare and Sputnik.
It may not have the breathtaking vistas of some of the best Disney animated films, but it is lively and heartwarming and the characters, both human and robot, are so engaging that you might forget they are not real. The robot, created with computer graphics, is seamlessly included with the hand-drawn actors, making the illusion even more complete.
Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros., Director: Brad Bird
Run time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release: 8/1/1999, DVD release: 11/21/2004
MPAA Rating: PG for tension and potty humor
Run time: 86 minutes
Theatrical release: 8/1/1999, DVD release: 11/21/2004
MPAA Rating: PG for tension and potty humor
Our Members Say
See 35 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Awesome
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
a great kids movie for 5 and older. I watched it when i was 8 and loved it, and i still do. some things u might now want your kid to watch although. Violence includes guns and tanks. One scary scene where the iron giant almost dies. Some surprising language too. people say d--mit is yelled once and h-ll, g-d, and screw are also said.
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Kids ages: 6
I rate this title on for age 6 and give it- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
A positive message of anti-violence, personal responsibility and compassion.
While viewing The Iron Giant, I was initially concerned that the violence involving guns, missiles, tanks, jets, etc., would be too much for my son. But this violence beautifully set up a powerful ending with a wonderful message about compassion, personal responsibility, choice and friendship. I was impressed.
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Kids ages: 5, 5
I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My highlights are:
Sad movie
I love this movie. It can be watched by every age and is a great movie.It has a great plot with good characters.The ending is very sad and it always makes me cry. It would especially make younger kids upset, so its not for kids under 7.
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Kids ages: 7, 9
I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
Great movie, but too scary for under 7
Good story, lots of suspense particularly at the beginning
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Kids ages: 5, 8, 10
I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great movie, but parents beware
I loved the movie and the ultimate message, but I was very disappointed in the unnecessary use of profanity (d@mn, h3ll). I was also put off by the ultimate threat of nuclear destruction toward the end of the movie. This is a development I was not prepared for and had to explain to my kids. Really, this was the most frightening aspect to them, not the robot with its guns blazing. Thankfully, my youngest didn't quite get the impending doom. While the robot does the right thing in this dangerous situation, parents should be aware of the nuclear threat aspect.
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
The Iron Giant
A fantastic classic that parents and their kids will love. Very mild language (their is a "h*ll" and a "d*mn" if im not mistaken), but sends a strong message that friendship is a key aspect to have in life.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
great movie
I have seen this movie 3 times and loved it every time. this movie is a great classic
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Kids ages: 10, 15
I rate this title on for age 6 and give it- My highlights are:
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great animated movie with a moral. Perhaps a little scary for young viewers, and also a little sad. Another great Brad Bird flick.
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
GREAT movie, bad language
I like the movie. Interesting story, engaging, funny, touching....etc. I grabbed it at the library one day, and had never heard of it before and thought it was a great family movie. Then....the language started. Lines like, "I don't know what in the he-double hockey sticks (except they say the real word) it is", repetitive use of "Oh my God" and "d@mn" are all in this movie. I just don't understand this in a kid's movie. We used it as an opportunity to talk to our kids...but nonetheless...if I knew I would have made them wait til they were older to see it.
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
An ET ripoff, for sure, but it ranks among the best in that category. Beware of some violence and language, though, and it is probably better for the children past kindergarten.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
I cry every time
Everychild should see this movie. It's sad so watch it with a boxs of kleenex near by!
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I rate this title iffy and give it
Not for younger kids
This movie is great for kids and adults past the age of reason. It has a very violent message
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I rate this title on and give it
Compelling and good!
Here's a kid's movie that doesn't talk down to them and isn't given to cutesy characters. The design is interesting and unusual and the story is moving. My son loved this movie!
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I rate this title on and give it
A great fantasy tale
This is one of the best films for kids I've seen. It has a good message and is lots of fun.
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I rate this title iffy and give it
Great story, but climax was over-the-top.
I really liked this movie as did most of my family up until the climax where the robot is threatened by the Military.
At that point it felt like the Producers and Director of the film lost their heads and threw in every alarming technological transformation of the Giant they could think of - regardless of:
1) How frightening it might be to little kids.
2) The Era the story was set in.
3) The stylistic and story incongruities.
It was jarring to witness this generally cold war-era retro-styled robot start sprouting scary looking space-age weaponry. I mean was this a Soviet manufactured secret weapon or something from outer space? It just didn't fit the story it was in.
And it's too bad because I thought it had been so good up to that point.
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I rate this title on and give it
A Powerful and Moving Fable
The Iron Giant is a moving, timeless animated classic for the whole family that even has an anti-gun message. A must see.
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I rate this title on and give it
a bit scary in places but really quality
This is a really good movie. The characters are 3D, the plot a good versus evil. It's scary and sad in places but a real rest from the pap that so many of these movies can be
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