The Iron Giant

"It came from outer space!"

1999 1h 26m EN

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 6,408

AnimationDramaFamilyScience FictionAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.

“It came from outer space!”

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Cast

Jennifer Aniston
Annie Hughes (voice)
Harry Connick Jr.
Dean McCoppin (voice)
Vin Diesel
The Iron Giant (voice)
James Gammon
Foreman Marv Loach / Floyd Turbeaux (voice)
Cloris Leachman
Mrs. Lynley Tensedge (voice)
Christopher McDonald
Kent Mansley (voice)
John Mahoney
General Rogard (voice)
Eli Marienthal
Hogarth Hughes (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brad Bird
Writers: Tim McCanlies, Kevin O'Brien, Mark Andrews
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 47% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

259+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brad Bird, shot by Steven Wilzbach. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Darren T. Holmes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brad Bird directs. Steven Wilzbach behind the camera. Michael Kamen scores. Darren T. Holmes cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
3Earned back only 47% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
427 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
5259+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
6Directed by Brad Bird, shot by Steven Wilzbach. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Michael Kamen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Darren T. Holmes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Jennifer Aniston and Harry Connick Jr. and Vin Diesel carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "It came from outer space!".
11IMDB entry: tt0129167 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 17 themes, including "friendship", "small town", "based on novel or book", "self sacrifice".

The technical file

Cinematography: Steven Wilzbach
Original score: Michael Kamen
Editing: Darren T. Holmes
Production design: Mark Whiting
Sound: David Parker
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $50,000,000
Box office: $23,300,000
Return: 47% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Iron Giant (1999)

Awards

BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film
Annie Award for Best Animated Feature
Genesis Award

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Brad Bird

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-04-13
★ 9/10
You are who you choose to be. It's the 1950s and young Hogarth Hughes happens upon a visitor from space ..... in the form of a giant iron man. Delightful animation adaptation of Ted Hughes' much beloved 1968 novel "The Iron Man". Set during the period of time when Cold War and sci-fi paranoia was prevalent, The Iron Giant embraces these themes and stokes them with lessons of friendship, hatred, death and pertinent reminders of pacifism. Directed by Brad Bird and scripted by Tim McCanilies and Andy Brent Forrester, The Iron Giant is one of those rare animation animals that delights the kids as much as it does the watching adults. Though the actual giant himself, with all his dazzling weaponry, is the star attraction on show, it's the iron colossus' inner conflict that gives the film its heart. Aided by his friend, young Hogarth, good old iron decides he doesn't want to be a big weapon, but the authorities, as is nearly always the way, just can't let it be. The unflinching attitude that ran through many of the 50s sci-fi schlockers was one of being "because we don't understand it, lets destroy it" is something that Ted Hughes and the film makers here capture perfectly. Sophisticated and intelligent in its approach and delivery, this is definitely one of the better animated film's from the modern age. 9/10 Voice work comes from Jennifer Anniston, Harry Connick Jr, Vin Diesel, James Gammon, Christopher McDonald, M. Emmet Walsh and Eli Marienthal.
CinemaSerf2024-07-02
★ 7/10
When a ship is caught up in a storm, it's captain finds the most unlikely of saviours - but nobody back in the town of "Rockwell" believes him! Hardly surprising as he claimed to have been rescued by an hundred foot robot with bright yellow eyes. "Hogarth" is an enthusiastic young lad who wants to keep a pet. His mother ("Annie") is having nothing to do with this, especially after one of his candidates manages to just about wreck the diner where she works and turn scrap man "Dean" into "Deana" in the process. Dejected at home alone, he hears some strange noises and armed with his pop gun and a torch, sets off into the forest to find the source. When he discovers that the fisherman's tale wasn't so long after all, the pair begin to bond and the story takes on a familiar look. It does have shades of "The Day The Earth Stood Still" as it shows clearly the typical reaction to something strange, new and big - the government and the army are soon in hot pursuit with little intent on diplomacy but with plenty of tanks, missiles and ultimately the "bomb" - just as destructive to them as to the "monster". It's really the characterisations that help this stand out. The style of animation is simple yet potent, the creature positively emanates a degree of decency and charisma and the relationship with the young boy that manifests itself to us is one that amiably resonates whether that be with a real friend, an imaginary one - or one from outer space who doesn't much like guns and has an almost infantile approach to life. Proof that when you have a solid story and tell it well, the gadgets, gismos (and there are a few, here) and visual effects don't matter so much as the soul of the thing.