 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Iron Giant
- Review Date: November 22, 2004
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1999
Common Sense Media says
Touching robot-kid friendship tale with great messages.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
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.
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.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what makes real friendships.
What did you think about the ending? Do you think it had to be that way? What was the alternative?
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AGE
Great movie, but too scary for under 7
Good story, lots of suspense particularly at the beginning
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AGE
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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AGE
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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AGE
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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AGE
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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AGE
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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Kid, 12 years old
April 17, 2010
AGE
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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AGE
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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| Topics: | friendship, robots |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | Brad Bird |
| Cast: | Cloris Leachman, Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 86 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 1, 1999 |
| DVD release date: | November 21, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | tension and potty humor |
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