Reviews (317)

An absolutely first rate animated film.
It is a shame that Warner Brothers chose to give an uninspired prerelease publicity campaign to the gentle, joyous and original animated movie, The Iron Giant. Precious few saw it in theaters.
Thank God for film preservation in the form of DVD!

Like the book, the picture takes place in 1957, during the height of The Cold War. The Soviet Union's satellite, Sputnik, flies across American skies. Our country is filled with paranoia. What else may they have launched?

One stormy night off the coast of Maine, a huge object falls from the sky. A frightened sailor sees it and swears that it is a giant made of metal. The townsfolk chalk the tale off to the sailor's love of drink. A giant made of metal, indeed!

A night or so later, young Hogarth Hughes, whose Mom is working overtime at the local diner, gets mad when his TV starts acting up. He goes to the roof to check the antenna and finds it missing. He then notices huge footprints leading away from the house and into the woods. He grabs his deceased Dad's old army rifle and a flashlight and goes off in pursuit. He soon discovers that there is indeed a metal giant. In fact, he saves it when it bumps into some high voltage utility wires. The adventure has begun.

Rarely has a movie for children - or adults! - addressed the need to search for a peaceful solution to our problems as gently or as wisely as The Iron Giant. It never preaches and is always accessible. It does not address us from on high. It remains at our level. It also shows how clever we can be at overcoming the most unexpected obstacles. It reminds us that things alien to us are not always hostile to us. In fact, it is we who often initiate the hostilities. Perhaps best of all, The Iron Giant examines these and other issues in the guise of a wonderful story that should hold almost anyone's attention.

The animation is first-rate. Most of the voices are good, especially Harry Connick, Jr.'s as Dean Cooper, a hip young artist. As Hogath's voice, Eli Marienthal speaks like a real boy, not a cartoon boy. Speaking for Hogarth's mother, Annie, Jennifer Anniston gives her a loving quality. Vin Diesel does well with the most difficult voice, that of The Iron Giant.

Rated PG for a couple of spooky scenes and a few mild profanities. Recommended without reservation for children seven and up.

The Iron Giant has Landed
Vin Diesel and Jennifer Aniston lend their voices in the first-rate animated adventure "The Iron Giant". In the dawn of the Cold War, a curious New England boy discovers a gigantic metal-eating robot (voiced by Diesel) from another world. Their special friendship is put to the test when the boy must protect his new pal from an ambitious government agent and the US military. "The Iron Giant" is an amazing animated wonder that rivals Disney's best. From director Brad Bird ("The Simpsons"), the film combines a well-written story and some memorable characters. The talented voice cast also includes Eli Marenthal, Christopher McDonald, John Mahoney and Harry Connick Jr. as artistic scrap yard owner Dean McCoppin. The animation is colorful and quite enjoyable. The animated feature is presented in both 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and standard full screen formats. The DVD contains a detailed video transfer and a well-balanced 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Its supplemental extras include a delightful "Making of The Iron Giant" featurette and a music video. Despite a lack of supplemental extras, "The Iron Giant" earns a pleasing "B+".

It's about time.
Here's what we can expect with this true release of The Iron Giant:

-Anamorphic widescreen format with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

-Eight never-before-seen additional scenes with introductions by Brad Bird, including an alternate opening sequence.

-13 mini documentaries revealing the origin and the in-depth development process of The Iron Giant.

-Interviews with creative consultant Teddy Newton on the storyboard sequence development process.

-The Voice Of The Giant: Brad Bird and Vin Diesel discuss voicing The Iron Giant.

-Scene-specific commentaries by filmmakers

-A motion gallery of original animation

-A letter from Ted Hughes, author of the original book upon which the film was based.

-DVD-ROM access to the original web site and Easter eggs revealing the behind-the-scenes filmmaking process.

The only thing I see wrong with this is the box/case. Click on the image here to see a larger version, and you'll see that it's the horrid snap cases. Oh well, at least the movie's getting the treatment it deserves. Pick this up when it comes out.

Now this is what we've been waiting for.
Here's what's going to be on this true edition of The Iron Giant:

-Eight never-before-seen additional scenes with introductions by Brad Bird, including an alternate opening sequence.

-13 mini documentaries revealing the origin and the in-depth development process of The Iron Giant.

-Interviews with creative consultant Teddy Newton on the storyboard sequence development process.

-The Voice Of The Giant: Brad Bird and Vin Diesel discuss voicing The Iron Giant.

-Scene-specific commentaries by filmmakers

-A motion gallery of original animation

-A letter from Ted Hughes, author of the original book upon which the film was based.

-DVD-ROM access to the original web site and "Easter eggs" revealing the behind-the-scenes filmmaking process.

This is the treatment the movie should've got in the first place.

ONE OF THE BEST ANIMATED MOVIES EVER MADE!
This is seriously one of the best animated movies I have ever seen. Unfortunatley it got poor advertising when the movie came out, and it cost the movie, which did very poor in the box office. But it came back in a big way with the DVD release. I cannot recommend this movie enough to people, and with director Brad Bird now directing the upcoming Pixar movie "The Incredibles," this DVD should do better. If you like a good story, and well done animation I highly suggest this movie for you! ... Read more

Reviews (317)

An absolutely first rate animated film.
It is a shame that Warner Brothers chose to give an uninspired prerelease publicity campaign to the gentle, joyous and original animated movie, The Iron Giant. Precious few saw it in theaters.
Thank God for film preservation in the form of DVD!

Like the book, the picture takes place in 1957, during the height of The Cold War. The Soviet Union's satellite, Sputnik, flies across American skies. Our country is filled with paranoia. What else may they have launched?

One stormy night off the coast of Maine, a huge object falls from the sky. A frightened sailor sees it and swears that it is a giant made of metal. The townsfolk chalk the tale off to the sailor's love of drink. A giant made of metal, indeed!

A night or so later, young Hogarth Hughes, whose Mom is working overtime at the local diner, gets mad when his TV starts acting up. He goes to the roof to check the antenna and finds it missing. He then notices huge footprints leading away from the house and into the woods. He grabs his deceased Dad's old army rifle and a flashlight and goes off in pursuit. He soon discovers that there is indeed a metal giant. In fact, he saves it when it bumps into some high voltage utility wires. The adventure has begun.

Rarely has a movie for children - or adults! - addressed the need to search for a peaceful solution to our problems as gently or as wisely as The Iron Giant. It never preaches and is always accessible. It does not address us from on high. It remains at our level. It also shows how clever we can be at overcoming the most unexpected obstacles. It reminds us that things alien to us are not always hostile to us. In fact, it is we who often initiate the hostilities. Perhaps best of all, The Iron Giant examines these and other issues in the guise of a wonderful story that should hold almost anyone's attention.

The animation is first-rate. Most of the voices are good, especially Harry Connick, Jr.'s as Dean Cooper, a hip young artist. As Hogath's voice, Eli Marienthal speaks like a real boy, not a cartoon boy. Speaking for Hogarth's mother, Annie, Jennifer Anniston gives her a loving quality. Vin Diesel does well with the most difficult voice, that of The Iron Giant.

Rated PG for a couple of spooky scenes and a few mild profanities. Recommended without reservation for children seven and up.

The Iron Giant has Landed
Vin Diesel and Jennifer Aniston lend their voices in the first-rate animated adventure "The Iron Giant". In the dawn of the Cold War, a curious New England boy discovers a gigantic metal-eating robot (voiced by Diesel) from another world. Their special friendship is put to the test when the boy must protect his new pal from an ambitious government agent and the US military. "The Iron Giant" is an amazing animated wonder that rivals Disney's best. From director Brad Bird ("The Simpsons"), the film combines a well-written story and some memorable characters. The talented voice cast also includes Eli Marenthal, Christopher McDonald, John Mahoney and Harry Connick Jr. as artistic scrap yard owner Dean McCoppin. The animation is colorful and quite enjoyable. The animated feature is presented in both 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and standard full screen formats. The DVD contains a detailed video transfer and a well-balanced 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. Its supplemental extras include a delightful "Making of The Iron Giant" featurette and a music video. Despite a lack of supplemental extras, "The Iron Giant" earns a pleasing "B+".

It's about time.
Here's what we can expect with this true release of The Iron Giant:

-Anamorphic widescreen format with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

-Eight never-before-seen additional scenes with introductions by Brad Bird, including an alternate opening sequence.

-13 mini documentaries revealing the origin and the in-depth development process of The Iron Giant.

-Interviews with creative consultant Teddy Newton on the storyboard sequence development process.

-The Voice Of The Giant: Brad Bird and Vin Diesel discuss voicing The Iron Giant.

-Scene-specific commentaries by filmmakers

-A motion gallery of original animation

-A letter from Ted Hughes, author of the original book upon which the film was based.

-DVD-ROM access to the original web site and Easter eggs revealing the behind-the-scenes filmmaking process.

The only thing I see wrong with this is the box/case. Click on the image here to see a larger version, and you'll see that it's the horrid snap cases. Oh well, at least the movie's getting the treatment it deserves. Pick this up when it comes out.

Now this is what we've been waiting for.
Here's what's going to be on this true edition of The Iron Giant:

-Eight never-before-seen additional scenes with introductions by Brad Bird, including an alternate opening sequence.

-13 mini documentaries revealing the origin and the in-depth development process of The Iron Giant.

-Interviews with creative consultant Teddy Newton on the storyboard sequence development process.

-The Voice Of The Giant: Brad Bird and Vin Diesel discuss voicing The Iron Giant.

-Scene-specific commentaries by filmmakers

-A motion gallery of original animation

-A letter from Ted Hughes, author of the original book upon which the film was based.

-DVD-ROM access to the original web site and "Easter eggs" revealing the behind-the-scenes filmmaking process.

This is the treatment the movie should've got in the first place.

ONE OF THE BEST ANIMATED MOVIES EVER MADE!
This is seriously one of the best animated movies I have ever seen. Unfortunatley it got poor advertising when the movie came out, and it cost the movie, which did very poor in the box office. But it came back in a big way with the DVD release. I cannot recommend this movie enough to people, and with director Brad Bird now directing the upcoming Pixar movie "The Incredibles," this DVD should do better. If you like a good story, and well done animation I highly suggest this movie for you! ... Read more

Reviews (92)

JACK FROST a holiday classic!
Cheap, silly, goofy characters and an extremely low budget all but help to make JACK FROST the EVIL DEAD of the 90's. The director must of known that the premise of a killer snowman wouldn't be taken seriously by an audience no matter how good the script was, so instead he plays the movie for laughs with lots of camp and B-style effects. On top of that, JACK FROST actually introduces us to really memorable characters who we come to enjoy. And once Jack Frost himself appears he's like a cold chilly version of Freddy Kruger with good smart remarks and a nasty attitude. What makes JACK FROST even funnier is watching as the prodcution values and acting get worse and worse towards the end. It goes from a good B movie to a really bad B movie all in 90 minutes! Its awsome! As long as you keep an open mind and learn to enjoy cheap fun, JACK FROST is a holiday treat. I have yet to see Part 2, but I have recently ordered it from amazon and can't wait to see it!

if you want a good laugh.......
Its hard to say if this movie is good or bad. All I can say is that i deffinantly reccoment it. If you like hilarious horror movies than you will love Jack Frost. I saw this movie last summer with a friend. We were searching for a funny horror movie and when we saw the great cover of it at blockbuster we knew we had to watch it. The movie is basically about a mass murderer named Jack Frost who was just caught and about to sentenced to execution. However of course things dont quite work out as planned. Jack Frost gets into an accident and somehow transforms into a killer snowman. Jack in the form of a snowman continues to be a psycho killer. He goes after a family with an exremely annoying child who unfortunantly is not killed and the people in this town. What makes this movie so funny is the way the snowman kills people. At one point he kills a woman with christmas lights and as a snowman rapes a teenage girl in a bathtub. oh yeah where did the carrot go around this point? Also while he kills these people there is strange upbeat music in the background. The acting in this is also horribly funny. i reccomend this movie for anyone who gets a laugh out of cheesy horror movies because id have to say this is about the cheesiest i have ever seen.

He's chillin' and killin'!
Dang this movie is sure campy and extremley bad as a movie, yet it is very entertaining all the same. I first rented on VHS wjile spending a week at my grandparents house, after viewing it, I just had too have it on DVD. Too bad it got trashed by the critics!

The plot is: a serial killer named (oddly enough) Jack Frost gets doused with some genetic liquids during a lite blizzard and dissolves into the snowy ground (this is the only actual scary scene in the whole movie). Inside the snow is where a
strange mutation takes place: the spilled genetic fluids combined with Jack's personality turns Jack into a MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN! After that, Jack sets out to kill the man who caught him in the first place: Sherrif Samuel Tyler!

The dry humor and death scenes is what ALMOST makes this B-grade flick a classic. There was this one scene where Jack thrusts an ax down some old guy's throat, and "walks" off saying, "Gosh, I only axed ya for smoke!" That was priceless! In another scene, Jack busts into the sherrif's house and calls himself things like "F*ckin' Frosty" and "The world's most pissed off snowcone!" I can't stop laughing at that scene!

I almost had to be sent to the hospital after watching JACK FROST, because it's so d@mn funny!

Great B-Movie With Style
I just finished watching this movie, and I have to say it was a great B film. The pure camp, humor, and fun of it all makes takes this right up there with Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and the slick direction, and clean, well shot feel of it all make it an easy watch.
The movie is obviously cheesy, and plays for laughs most of the time. But it still comes through in the gore department every once in a while. And while it isn't a total splatter fest, there are some nice death scenes, all with some good one liners from the title Killer Snowman.
It also helps that the director has real style, and uses the camera, and the cheap budget to his advantage. Even the fakest looking scene (like the van flipping in the begining) works, because the director uses his mole hill, and exploits it, creating one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Plus, even the Jack himself looks VERY fake, he still gets some nice shots in the movie.
Acting wise, well, it's all very B grade, with over acting, and under acting done perfectly for the parts at hand. No characters are all that deep, and most of the time you could care less weither they live or die. Although there is one somewhat likeable character who gets an extremely grissly end to their life. Still, decent acting. And Shannon Elizabeth even comes out seeming like a decent, if not stiff, actress.
For some great B movie fun, with some style, some gore, and a whole lot of humor, check out Jack Frost. Who knew a Killer Snowman could be so fun.

A Second Chance to be the Coolest Dad...Whoops, Wrong Film!
Although often touted as a horror comedy, the most amusing aspect of this 1997 direct-to-video clunker is the fact that it is often confused with its saccharine family-flick namesake, a commensurately clunky and similarly themed Michael Keaton vehicle released in theaters the following year. Interestingly, the titular character of each film is a snowman that has somehow come to life. However, those planning a nice evening with the youngsters will be in for quite a shock if they purchase or rent the wrong movie. The snowy dude in Keaton's film is a benevolent father figure who wants to help out his real-life family; the icy hombre in the 1997 horror flick is animated by the soul of an escaped convict with a penchant for rape and murder.

Outside of the amusing thought of 1997's JACK FROST getting an accidental showing at a kiddie party, this film has very little to offer. The special FX are amateurish, the script is so inane that it is nearly impossible to suspend one's disbelief for the duration, and much of the acting is horrid. While some films can be admired for their cheesiness--Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD (1981) comes immediately to mind--JACK FROST falls way beneath even THAT standard. Writer-director Michael Cooney seems unable to decide if he wants to spoof the horror genre--there are scenes that mimic horror clichés but few, if any, that parody or satirize them--or simply make, á la Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), a scary film with humorous characters and an amusing premise. The film vacillates between both styles without gaining sufficient footing in either, and the result is a slushy thematic jumble that is neither scary nor entertaining.

JACK FROST is not without a few near-redeeming qualities, however. There are lots of amusing Python-esque puns and jokes sprinkled throughout the film, the kind of verbal gags that make you simultaneously chuckle and...well, GAG. And this film also marks the cinematic debut of gorgeous actress Shannon Elizabeth, who here has some, ah, revealing moments with the eponymous snowman. Unfortunately, these elements do not elevate the film enough to make it worth wasting an hour-and-a-half of one's life.

Don't be fooled by the artwork on the DVD's packaging--that cool skull made of snow does not appear in the film. In truth, 1997's JACK FROST is an ice-cold stinker that few discerning horror fans will want to add to their collections. ... Read more