A boy meets an enormous machine and teaches it that it can choose what it is. The Iron Giant was released in 1999.
A genuinely big-hearted animation for any age, with an ending that earns every feeling.
The Iron Giant is the sort of recommendation that becomes more useful once you know the mood it serves. It is a deliberate alternative to the obvious choice, with enough character to justify making time for it.
Save it for a night when discovery is the point. The best hidden gems do not need to be obscure for obscurity’s sake; they offer a particular texture that the usual front-page options rarely do.
