7) The Iron Giant (1999)
Brad Bird found huge success working at Pixar, but before The Incredibles and Ratatouille made the big bucks, the director first released The Iron Giant. Loosely based on Ted Hughes’s classic novel, The Iron Giant quickly became a cult favourite among big kids like myself due to its intelligent characterization and a poignant story that ripped the hearts out of anyone watching.
Turns out that most audiences are soulless though, as the touching story of a boy’s love for his robot friend failed to pull in big numbers at the box office. The Iron Giant is an underrated gem that deserves revisiting and if given the attention it deserves, Bird’s feature debut could be reworked into a modern day E.T. for a new generation of movie lovers.
Vin Diesel found huge success voicing the CGI character Groot in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, so his return to the project as the titular character could help boost its chances… that is if a producer actually reads this and decides to give The Iron Giant another go. Today’s special effects have proven that even characters rendered fully in CGI can be relatable now, hopefully preventing future generations from having to endure another Jar Jar Binks.
