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| Special Features: |
22-minute Documentary "The Making of the Iron Giant"
Music Video by Eddie Platt
Trailer
Full-screen and widescreen anamorphic formats
DVD-ROM Features: Weblinks, Web Events & Web Chat Access
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| Video Format: |
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)
[DS-SL]
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| Languages: |
English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
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| Captions: |
English
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| Casing: |
1-Disc Snap Case
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How families overlooked this wonderful film when it came out in 1999 is beyond me. A heartwarming
adaptation of Ted Hughes's classic 1968 novella "The Iron Man", "The Iron Giant" is a unique look at
America's paranoia with cold war Russia and outer space in the 1950s, through the eyes of an imaginative young boy
and his friendship with a mysterious gigantic alien robot who crash lands in a small town in Maine. A
throw-back to the traditional animated films of the past (though stealthily, animators used 3-D computer
animation to create the splendid giant), director Brad Bird has created a refreshing addition to the animation
realm. Bird and his animators are funniest in their cleverly sarcastic take on the cold war propaganda
of the times, exploiting the infamous "Duck and Cover" safety videos, as well as other equally silly atomic
era paranoia films. But what sets this film apart from most of the mainstream offerings from Disney and the
like is the endearing nature of the characters, particularly the ambitious feat of developing such a warm and
gentle soul in its star, a cold, massive, metallic iron robot. "Iron Giant" is a wholly original film that
will capture the imagination of children and adults everywhere.
Warner Bros. had a hard time marketing the film to the public in 1999, watching their light $48 million budget bring back and even lighter $23.1 million in ticket sales. Apparently that was a big enough loss to prevent them from putting any effort into the DVD, which has very little in terms of extra features. Transfers on animated films always seem top notch, and that is clearly evident here. But more in depth coverage of the beautiful animation in the film and a director's commentary would have made this disc an immediate addition to any DVD library.
Picture Quality: 10/10
The film bursts with colors, and is one of the most spectacular animated films I've ever seen. Art Director Alan Bodner brilliantly fuses the feel of America in the 1950's with the color of childhood imagination. Warner Bros. has done a fantastic job preserving the feel in their transfer to DVD.
Sound Quality: 9/10
Thunderous bass and a magestic score fill this wonderful 5.1 digital audio track. The vocals come in sharp and the scenes with the Iron Giant put my subwoofer to the test.
Menu: 7/10
The extra features menu is a bit weird, but thankfully (at least for the menu) there are only three features, which makes it much less painful. Overall, nice and simple.
Extra Features: 2/10
For a film as special as this, you would think Warner Bros. would have made a better effort in sprucing up the extra features. Not so. The only real extra feature on the disc is a making-of documentary hosted by Vin Diesel (voice of the Iron Giant). It's pure fluff that probably made the rounds on all the childrens' channels before the film's debut. Warner Bros. doesn't even cut out the lead ins/outs for commercial breaks that obviously do not occur while watching the disc. Simply bad.
The Final Word:
A hidden gem of 1999, "The Iron Giant" is a charming story about a robot with a soul, that will capture the imagination and hearts of children and adults alike. A fantastic addition to anyone's animated film library.
Stephen Wong
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