Review: ‘Iron Giant Signature Edition’: Phenomenal on the Big Screen, 5 stars
Hosted by Fathom Events, The Iron Giant: Signature Edition is a remastered version of the original 1999 classic including new scenes and a brief peek of the upcoming making of the Iron Giant documentary – all hosted by Fathom Events.
Besides the exciting story of Hogarth Hughes befriending the giant metal alien man, The Iron Giant includes some of the best examples of traditional animation, perfectly executed in one of Brad Bird’s finest. One of the Disney Pixar frontmen, Bird’s drive to create a creative and original film was revealed during the Signature cut. He also discusses his love of 2-D animation, versus the predominantly digital artwork that currently drives the industry, and how even the tiny mistakes in The Iron Giant are somewhat charming, showing the immense amount of work that goes into the making of a traditional cartoon. He also references the new scenes in the movie, and though they’re short, they are really important to the plot.
Maybe I’m biased from the nostalgia of the Iron Giant, the 16 year old movie reminding me of childhood, but I completely agree with all of the views of Brad Bird. The large format of the Iron Giant reveals the mistakes Bird was talking about, and while they’re extremely subtle, these visual errors are almost appreciated now that the director has pointed them out, becoming sort of Easter eggs in their own way.
The attention to detail in the artwork is also very apparent in theaters, with such details about subjects like Hogarth’s dad are only conveyed visually in the background. With that, the deleted scenes are so much more amazing on the big screen. One in particular partially reveals the origin of the Giant, that he was sent to Earth as a destroyer of worlds, and there’s an army of alien robots just like the Iron Giant blowing up planets. It’s incredible to think that this scene was left out of the film, leaving the Giant’s origin a mystery, because the speculation of aliens or Soviet weapons of mass destruction is possibly just as interesting as the truth.
Seeing the Iron Giant in theaters, especially as an admirer of animation, is unmatched. And It’s even more charming with the interviews and discussions from the director, showing the real love that went into the film to produce a classic.
Overall The Iron Giant receives a stronger 5 stars out of 5 stars
Bird has confirmed the Signature Edition on Blu-ray with remarks on Twitter with Warner Bros stating that the film will be available digitally in the fall.
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