Source: The Iron Giant (1999)
Type: Film (tribute/inspiration)
In a blog post earlier this year called My 10 Favorite Giant Robots, I was called out for grossly forgetting Brad Bird's Iron Giant. Well, I couldn't forget him, because I'd never seen the film. Now I have, and everyone was absolutely right. The lovable "gun with a soul" would even breach the Top 5 in a revised list. But what does that have to do with Superman?
If you've seen and loved the film, then you already know. The boy in the film, Hogarth, shows his Giant some comics and successfully inspires him to be a good guy like Superman. Later, when they're playing in the junkyard, Giant refuses to play the villainous "Atomo", grabs an "S" from a disused sign and manifests his desire to be Superman instead. When Hogarth discovers Giant can fly, he instructs him to stick his arms in front of him to better navigate "just like Superman". It all pays off in the beautiful and heartbreaking finale, when "Superman" is the last word on the robot's "lips". There's something about the sequence that recalls the ending of All-Star Superman. I wonder whether that's part of that comic's DNA.
Type: Film (tribute/inspiration)
If you've seen and loved the film, then you already know. The boy in the film, Hogarth, shows his Giant some comics and successfully inspires him to be a good guy like Superman. Later, when they're playing in the junkyard, Giant refuses to play the villainous "Atomo", grabs an "S" from a disused sign and manifests his desire to be Superman instead. When Hogarth discovers Giant can fly, he instructs him to stick his arms in front of him to better navigate "just like Superman". It all pays off in the beautiful and heartbreaking finale, when "Superman" is the last word on the robot's "lips". There's something about the sequence that recalls the ending of All-Star Superman. I wonder whether that's part of that comic's DNA.
Comments
While it can be argued to hell and back, Iron Giant is one of Brad Bird's best, if not THE Best.
(I think The Incredibles edges it out for 1st place, personally)
Though I have a soft spot for his F&F series, its his Riddick stuff that I like best.
However his Iron Giant role is (so-far) his best voice acting ever. Maybe Guardians of the Galaxy will change all that!
(No it won't but also I AM GROOT.)