General assumption time: Most adults loved animated films as kids. EVERYONE does. If you are 7 and you don’t like watching Disney movies then you are actually not a 7 year old kid and are in fact a monkey who is only interested in eating stuff off your brother’s back. Unfortunately, most people grow out of this stage… and I have to admit, I did as well.

But there was one little film that I happened to watch sometime in the mid-2000s that slapped me across the face and made me instantly pay more attention to animation. This film was The Iron Giant, and it is still my favourite animated film. It is a masterpiece in every sense, from the writing to the inspired and spot-on casting, right down to the poster for the film. It is still Brad Bird’s greatest achievement, and showcases some of the most beautiful hand-drawn animation this side of Miyazaki.

And for that, it is The Greatest Movie Ever. It is really quite unfortunate the way that Warner Bros have treated The Iron Giant. We all know the stories about the misguided marketing, and there was talk last year of a 10th anniversary theatre run which never came to fruition, but I am glad that it has become a ‘cult’ film and has finally reached an audience that adores it. Now, how about a bluray release, WB?!

(This is the first in a series of posts title THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER! where every week I post what is actually the greatest movie of all time. You will soon discover that I also love hyperbole.)