...much preferable to the sound and fury seen in so many “kids’” movies today.
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Note: Feng wrote the primary movie review and awarded the movie a Film Value rating of "8". Teh wrote about the DVD's Video, Audio, and Extras as well as a few comments about his own responses to the movie.
Thus Speaketh the Eddie:
I worked in a movie theatre when "The Iron Giant" was released. My theatre used a billboard that required the manual changing of letters since it wasn't an electronic one. The guy responsible for changing the billboard wound up spelling "giant" as "gaint", and my theatre showed "The Iron Gaint" for about three weeks before a lack of box-office returns led to my managers tossing out the movie in favor of something that could sustain the ailing Loews Cineplex chain.
Such was the response to "The Iron Giant" that we didn't even want to muster the effort to advertise it properly. A handful of staff members saw and praised it, but they weren't enthusiastic about "The Iron Giant" the way that they were about movies like "A Bug's Life" or "The Prince of Egypt". Since I worked a lot, I actually didn't see that many movies in a theatre when I was a theatre employee since I got sick of the smell of popcorn. "The Iron Giant" was one of the movies that I neglected to see.
Still, over the years, the movie's growing following piqued my interest enough that I asked my colleague John Puccio for reviewing duty with the Special Edition DVD release of "The Iron Giant". I have to say that I'm very glad to have seen the movie since its retro animation style made me feel nostalgic for Warner Bros. cartoons from the 1930s-1970s. You know how it is; you grow up watching "Tom & Jerry" and "Merrie Melodies", and a smile creeps on to your face every time that you see inspired animated mayhem leap off of your TV.
Then again, "The Iron Giant" isn't as frenetically slapsticky as its Warner forebears. In fact, it isn't slapsticky at all despite a few moments featuring a giant robot causing disturbances due to his great size. In the movie, a young boy named Hogarth (Eli Marienthal) has a vivid imagination fueled by TV thrillers. One night, after venturing into the woods surrounding his house, he stumbles upon a giant robot from outer space. At first, Hogarth is afraid of the robot, but they become fast friends due to Hogarth's curiosity as well as the robot's gentle nature.
The U.S. government is aware that something from outer space crashed on to Earth, so secret agents and the military attempt to capture the robot, either to protect America or to use it as a weapon against other countries. At first, the peaceful robot simply runs away from belligerent pursuers, though his indignation finally rouses him to take action against his persecutors. The movie ends with a moving sequence involving the robot taking Hogarth's advice about fulfilling one's potential as a hero.
"The Iron Giant" features fine voice-acting from people like Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Vin Diesel (yes, that Vin Diesel) as the robot, though the voice-acting is not given the kind of prominence that we witness with movies like "Toy Story" and "Shrek". Rather, everything is done in a low-key manner that emphasizes storytelling rather than celebrity showboating. The result is a movie that builds its case with conviction and that grows on you with subtle gestures. Hogarth and the robot develop a genuine friendship based on teaching each other values and life lessons rather than a camaraderie based on one-up-manship and tumult. This lends the movie a lyrical quality that is quietly touching--much preferable to the sound and fury seen in so many "kids'" movies today.
I would say that "The Iron Giant" is not as great as its most-avid fans claim it to be, but it's very different from the usual cookie-cutter Disney/Pixar/DreamWorks fare. Also, it has a distinctly retro feel that refreshingly pays tribute to animation's hand-drawing roots rather than dismissing the past in favor of computer newness. This movie is worth a look for people who are tired of the sameness of American animation.
Video:
Without the previous DVD release of "The Iron Giant" on hand, I have no way of making a direct one on one comparison to gauge the video quality of both DVD versions. From what I can remember, the previous DVD had both Pan&Scan and anamorphically-enhanced widescreen versions of the film, and it already looked pretty good even then. This new DVD contains only the widescreen version, measuring 2.35:1, which is the film's original aspect ratio. Touting an all-new digital transfer on the back of the cover, this Special Edition doesn't really look as if it had improved much on an already-good video transfer from the previous DVD. The video images are detailed and clean as a whistle, with vivid colors that bring the amazing story to life. There are, however, some noticeable edge enhancements, but nothing that will distract the audience from fully enjoying the film.
Subtitle options include English, Spanish, and French.
Audio:
The English language Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track included on this DVD is very dynamic. Apart from a very nice front channel spread and clear dialogue, the surround channels are also quite active, helping to envelope the audience in a memorable sonic experience that range from the minute effects to the loud and soaring action sequences. Also included is a French language Dolby Digital 5.1 track.
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[release]12454[/release]