Why I Love The Iron Giant

I sometimes forget that this is my absolute favourite movie of all time. Everything about it is pitch-perfect, from the beautiful animation, with just the most fluid motion for both the main character, Hogarth, who moves exactly like an energetic little kid would, to the giant, who also moves like an energetic kid. (to wonderful effect.)

There also aren't many movie characters that I instantly identified with like I did with Hogarth. The innocent kid who wants nothing but good things for anyone, but who is starting to lose hope in people, spending his time by himself finding new pets and watching science fiction movies on TV while his mom works overtime at a restaurant. When Hogarth befriends the giant it seems like it's exactly the beam of hope and inspiration that could save a kid like that from becoming cynical and marginalized from a world that doesn't understand him.

The sweetness of the movie goes extraordinarily well with the wicked social satire of the cold war era United States. The 'duck and cover' school propaganda film is understated but totally goofy in a 'Dr. Strangelove' sort of way if you actually pay attention to it. You can see Brad Bird's “Simpsons” heritage coming out here and in other places, like how the adults mostly seem less sensible and more irrational than Hogarth, who's just a kid.

Oh, and the climax of the movie, when the Giant says “Superman” - niagara fucking falls, every time.
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