25 Great Movies That Flopped
3. The Iron Giant (1999)
The result was a critically acclaimed film that’s been called warm, funny, original and heart-breaking that ended up not being noticed.
The film is notable for a variety of reasons not least of all for being the directorial debut of Brad Bird.
The talented movie maker would go on to direct Tom Cruise in the hugely successful fourth film in the “Mission: Impossible” film franchise, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.”
The film is also notable for starring Vin Diesel as the voice of the robot, but he only has a single line spoken at the end of the film.
The film blends traditional animation with CGI. The story begins with a giant alien robot crashing into earth from outer space. After becoming tangled in electrical power cables, the robot is discovered by a nine-year-old boy named Hogarth Hughes. The boy rescues the robot and the two become firm friends.
The movie is set in 1957 when relations between Russia and the United States were strained due to the Cold War. Through the friendship between the boy and the robot, the story touches on issues such as war, conflict, free will and humanity.
