The Iron Giant

In class, we often talk about our favorite movies, TV shows, and music. I always tell people about my own favorite movie, The Iron Giant.

The Iron Giant is an animated science-fiction movie from 1999. Put simply, it’s the story of a boy who befriends a giant robot. The robot fell from space, and at first no one really knows why it’s there.

The setting is in America in the 1960s, at a time when the U.S. and the Soviet Union had a very tense relationship. Many people think the Iron Giant is some kind of weapon, and they don’t trust him. But the boy, whose name is Hogarth, helps the Giant hide and keeps him safe.

I don’t want to say exactly what happens in the movie, because I hope you’ll watch it yourself someday!

When I was a kid, I loved this movie because it had action and adventure and, of course, a giant robot! But I still love it now because it’s a story about friendship and sacrifice, and about doing the right thing.

Some facts about this movie:

1. The voice of the Iron Giant is Vin Diesel, who you might know from the Fast and the Furious (ワイルドスピード) movies.

2.  The director was Brad Bird, who later directed Pixar movies The Incredibles and Ratatouille.

3. The movie was not popular when it was first released, but gained a cult following later.

Vocabulary:

befriend - ～と友達になる

the Soviet Union - ソビエト連邦

tense relationship - 緊迫（きんぱく）した関係

sacrifice -　犠牲

do the right thing -（人として）正しい行いをする

cult following - 一部の熱狂的なファン