Iron Giant Book
The Iron Giant, Ted Hughes, Andrew Davidson (Illustrator); Paperback
A huge, mysterious iron man stands at the top of a cliff, surveying the ocean. His eyes glow white, red, infrared. Then, he lifts one
enormous foot and steps out into nothingness. Crraaasssssh! His head, arms, legs, ears, hands all break off as he tumbles onto the rocks
below. The end of the story? No, it's only the beginning of this modern parable of peace in the universe. The Iron Giant has an
insatiable appetite for barbed wire, tractors, and rusty chains. While farmers and townspeople run around trying to stop him, destroy
him, capture him, only one boy understands what must be done. Meanwhile, an even bigger threat looms over the land, in the shape of
an evil-looking space-bat-angel-dragon. How will the people of the world survive the impending doom?
Ted Hughes, poet laureate of England, first wrote this compelling tall tale in 1968. Clearly, the need for its message of peace has
not diminished in the decades since. Simple, repetitive sentences carry the mesmerizing spirit of traditional fairy tales. And Andrew
Davidson's black-and-white illustrations, with their menacing air and timeless appeal, drive the point home in vivid style.
Iron Giant Movies
This gentle reworking of Ted Hughes's 1968 novella was the unseen gem of 1999. Hogarth, a young boy who lives in the Maine woods
during the cold war, befriends a giant robot. As with E.T., the iron giant is a misunderstood outsider who becomes a child's best
friend, and Hogarth does his best to hide the massive figure from his mom (voiced by Jennifer Aniston) and the local scrap-yard
beatnik (Harry Connick Jr.). Soon the suspicions of neighbors and a government agent (Christopher McDonald) spell trouble.
With no songs, no sidekicks, and no cheap ending, The Iron Giant is a refreshing change - like an off-Broadway production compared
to the glitz of Disney's annual animated extravaganzas. Director Brad Bird may have Family Dog and The Simpsons to his credit,
but this film doesn't have that brand of scatological humor. As with the best family entertainments, there are gags that adults
will howl at while the kids are watching something else (see Bird's interpretation of cold war propaganda). And the star is one
cool piece of animated magic. Voiced by Vin Diesel and filled with more gadgets than a Swiss army knife, the giant is a wonderful thing
to behold. And like another famous movie tin man, our hero has heart. Superb entertainment for ages five and up.
The Iron Giant, DVD
The Iron Giant, VHS
The Iron Giant, Widescreen, VHS
Iron Giant Links
