Pretty Packaging: THE IRON GIANT Gets A Giant Boxset

In 1999, Warner Brothers was regretting its investment in its own animation studio, and was already planning an exit strategy for it. One of the smaller titles still being released was Brad Bird's The Iron Giant, about a boy who, in the "commie-hunt-crazy" 1950s United States, befriends an alien war robot from space. Within the studio the film was seen as an oddity, merely charming at best, and given a small release to be done with it.

But upon its premiere, its excellence surprised friends and foes. It also surprised Warners, who didn't have a clue on how to market it properly, even though reviews and audience ratings were ecstatic. It was an instant classic, but only for those few who saw it before it left theatres. Director Brad Bird had made his mark though, and would quickly be picked up by Pixar, for whom he would make another awesome retro-styled animated film called The Incredibles.

To say time has been kind to The Iron Giant is an understatement. It still is without a doubt one of the purest and most beautiful animated films coming out of America in decades. And like with Blade Runner, even its owner now looks upon this beloved mongrel with feelings of kindness.

Yes, Warner Brothers is very proudly calling this film "theirs" these days, and have given The Iron Giant a classic pimped release, similar to their Wizard of Oz and Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory releases. It contains both the theatrical and the 2015 "Signature" cut of the film, and a big making-of documentary called The Giant's Dream.

It also looks pretty. Therefore, here is a gallery of shots. Click on the edge of the pictures to scroll through them, or at the centre of each to see a bigger version.