 Hogarth
Hughes is a little boy with a very big problem.
No, it's not his name. After staying up too late
one night, Hogarth (Marienthal) stumbles across
a giant, 50-foot robot from outer space (Diesel)
that looks as though he came straight from one of
the boy's favorite science fiction shows. And if
that weren't bad enough, his new friend has a thing
for eating huge amounts of metal, which causes all
sorts of problems for his 9-year-old guardian. From
mangled train tracks to a nearly demolished power
sub-station, the Iron Giant is attracting all sorts
of wrong attention, including that of government
agent Kent Mansley (McDonald).
 Things
go from bad to worse as the young boy attempts
to explain his world to the Giant. The gentle
robot has trouble understanding the mortal concept
of death but readily accepts and identifies with
the image of Superman, struggling to overcome
the destructive and combative urges he's been
programmed with. And when the giant is finally
discovered, Hogarth struggles to maintain the
peace and prevent the communist paranoia from
spreading through his small town. The resulting
battle has him caught between loyalty to his new
friend and the prejudice his fellow townsfolk
feel towards their uninvited guest.
 Diesel's
first children's movie, Iron Giant utilizes one
of his most distinguishing features, his voice.
Reportedly spending as much as six to ten hours
in the studio at a time doing the recording for
the Giant's gravelly voice would often leave Diesel
unable to speak for long periods. However the
movie remains one that Diesel is especially proud
of and one that fans will fall in love with.
 The
Iron Giant boasts the famous voices of Jennifer
Aniston (Annie Hughes), Harry Connick, Jr. (Dean
McCoppin), James Gammon (who pulls triple duty
as Marv Loach, Floyd Turbeaux, and General Sudokoff)
and John Mahoney (General Rogard). When you marry
this much talent with a touching story of tolerance
and understanding that will forever stand as an
enduring message to all, the result is a pleasurable
viewing experience for the whole family.
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