Changes

|1999

|1999

|PG

|PG

|This animation espouses anti-war themes and also brief but strong anti-hunting sentiments. Firearms in general are shown in a negative light, with the phrase "guns kill" being repeated a total of three times. The titular giant is referred to as a "big gun that walks." From a conservative viewpoint, he is a poor metaphor for a real gun; unlike a law-abiding citizen who is a gun owner, the giant has no choice in his actions because he is a war machine programmed with the inability to use his weapons for good, but only to use them thoughtlessly and senselessly. The story involves him learning to hide his weapons and "not be a gun". The conclusion is that, in order to protect the public from an incoming missile, he must fly into it and kill himself rather than use his guns against it. As it is explained, "It's bad to kill, but it isn't bad to die." In addition, despite being set during the Cold War, it largely downplays the Soviet menace that was occurring during that time, as the main antagonist, Kent Mansley, is a government agent (implied to be part of the NSA) investigating the titular Iron Giant who at one point while launching a tirade against Hogarth Hughes alludes to the possibility that the Communists may have been responsible for the Giant's creation as a means to destroy America and that they must destroy it before "it destroys us" and is treated negatively for it. Also features some foul language.

|This animation espouses anti-war themes and also brief but strong anti-hunting sentiments. Firearms in general are shown in a negative light, with the phrase "guns kill" being repeated a total of three times (which was considered a "positive message" by the ultra-liberal media watchdog group [[Common Sense Media]]). The titular giant is referred to as a "big gun that walks." From a conservative viewpoint, he is a poor metaphor for a real gun; unlike a law-abiding citizen who is a gun owner, the giant has no choice in his actions because he is a war machine programmed with the inability to use his weapons for good, but only to use them thoughtlessly and senselessly. The story involves him learning to hide his weapons and "not be a gun". The conclusion is that, in order to protect the public from an incoming missile, he must fly into it and kill himself rather than use his guns against it. As it is explained, "It's bad to kill, but it isn't bad to die." In addition, despite being set during the Cold War, it largely downplays the Soviet menace that was occurring during that time, as the main antagonist, Kent Mansley, is a government agent (implied to be part of the NSA) investigating the titular Iron Giant who at one point while launching a tirade against Hogarth Hughes alludes to the possibility that the Communists may have been responsible for the Giant's creation as a means to destroy America and that they must destroy it before "it destroys us" and is treated negatively for it. Also features some foul language.

That all being said, however, despite the definite anti-gun and anti-hunting themes, the film does portray the military in a fairly positive light, as General Rogarth was shown to be even-headed and only willing to use military force if confronted with evidence requiring for it, also making clear that he was not happy about bringing out an implied large military force for what was apparently a hoax, and while the military does try to attack the Iron Giant late into the film, it was only because they had been manipulated into doing so by Kent Mansley by the latter lying about the giant killing Hogarth Hughes, and only when confronted with evidence that Hogarth had in fact been alive did the military stand down. In addition, when Hogarth left to investigate the evidence of a "martian" taking out an antenna, he proceeded to salute a photograph of his father, who was implied to have died during World War II. Also has a positive portrayal of the American icon Superman in it. There's also an anti-materialist message in it as well as an implicitly Christian message, as Hogarth talks to the Giant about how humans and other forms of life possess souls that live on even after their mortal bodies die.

That all being said, however, despite the definite anti-gun and anti-hunting themes, the film does portray the military in a fairly positive light, as General Rogarth was shown to be even-headed and only willing to use military force if confronted with evidence requiring for it, also making clear that he was not happy about bringing out an implied large military force for what was apparently a hoax, and while the military does try to attack the Iron Giant late into the film, it was only because they had been manipulated into doing so by Kent Mansley by the latter lying about the giant killing Hogarth Hughes, and only when confronted with evidence that Hogarth had in fact been alive did the military stand down. In addition, when Hogarth left to investigate the evidence of a "martian" taking out an antenna, he proceeded to salute a photograph of his father, who was implied to have died during World War II. Also has a positive portrayal of the American icon Superman in it. There's also an anti-materialist message in it as well as an implicitly Christian message, as Hogarth talks to the Giant about how humans and other forms of life possess souls that live on even after their mortal bodies die.