This week on The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast, Rem, Ian, Jonathan dig deeper into “The Iron Giant” from 1999 and directed by by Brad Bird.

The Positive
We loved how the The Iron Giant (Based on the Ted Hughes book ‘The Iron Man) really captures the Cold War paranoia of the late 50’s and gives us that realistic sense of how we’d respond to a perceived external threat.  This is a wonderful that the whole family can watch, and the central them ‘You choose who you want to be’ is a message that could hold great value for youngsters.

The Negative
The only thing Ian didn’t like was that he didn’t discover this movie sooner! Jonathan found the portrayal of the military seemed a bit stereotypical and one noted, calling them “Trigger happy Yabbo’s”.  Rem liked that the Giant survived and the end, but Jonathan thought the value of the Giant’s sacrifice was diminished because didn’t die.

The Verdict
The Iron Giant might not be essential Sci-Fi viewing, but it’s a sweet and inspiring movie that you can share with the kids.

Director: Brad Bird

Writers: Brad Bird (screen story) & Ted Hughes (book)

Cast
Jennifer Aniston – Annie Hughes (Voice)
Harry Connick Jr. – Dean McCoppin (Voice)
Vin Diesel – The Iron Giant (Voice)
Christopher McDonald – Kent Mansley (Voice)
Eli Marienthal – Hogarth Hughes (Voice)