Monster Movie A Day #3

The Iron Giant (1999)

Dir. Brad Bird

In anticipation for the July 12^th release date of Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, I am offering a Monster Movie a Day review.  Here is the third of the series.

 

(movie poster created by the incredible artists at Mondo. http://www.mondotees.com/)

Following the horror or The Host and the heartbreak of King Kong, I need to stretch my monster-loving wings and include my favorite animate feature, Brad Bird’s 1999 epic The Iron Giant.  But, before I start raving about this film, I must discuss its pedigree.  The name that strikes the loudest chord is Brad Bird.  If you don’t know Brad Bird, you just don’t pay enough attention.  This is the guy behind some of my favorite films of the last twenty years.   After directing a few episodes of The Simpsons and write the screenplay for *batteries not included, Bird nabbed his first solo directing gig with The Iron Giant.  The film was so badass and near perfect that he was snatched by an animation company named Pixar, yeah he’s that awesome.  While at Pixar, Bird jumped onboard to write and direct The Incredibles, therefore keeping the superhero boom from popping and offering a working template for ensemble superhero films.  Next up for Mr. Bird, my favorite Pixar film, Ratatouille.  Both Ratatouille and The Incredibles provided Pixar with an element missing in some of their previous films – a solo, artistic style approaching pure art.  There are frames in Ratatouille that deserve to be framed and hung in the best galleries.  Bird decided to jump from the Pixar boat to direct a live action film, the surprisingly great Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol (2011).  Next is the amazing voice cast of Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr. Cloris Leachman, and Vin Diesel as the Giant.  Now, voicing a metallic, alien robot doesn’t seem like that notable, but man did he make that role so much more touching – making the robot a real, emotional being. 

Based on the book The Iron Man, by Ted Hughes, Iron Giant isn’t too different than the plot of so many retro science fiction films (i.e. E.T.).  In 1957, an alien robot shows up on Earth and befriends a troubled boy who must protect the robot from government agents.  Toying with Cold War paranoia and the space race, this script, paired with a director with a vision and ability to execute that vision successfully, The Iron Giant becomes a masterpiece. 

Now the reason you all came to this blog, the monster.  While not exactly a monster, the Iron Giant is an alien robot, but the sheer magnitude and presence the Iron Giant holds is special.  The Iron Giant is a militarized robot, built to cause mass destruction. He is large and menacing but his emotions and gentle humanity allow him to understand innocence and build connections with people. Audiences can relate to the robot as he has to defy the purposes of his existence and make his own path despite his expectations and programming – a freedom to be who one chooses.  While seemingly cold and stoic, the giant is true Superman with powerful feelings of grief, heroism, anger, and duty.

While only available on DVD at this moment, I cannot recommend this film more.  Truly spectacular.

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