The Iron Giant (PG)
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One night in 1957, off the coast of Maine, a 50-foot-tall robot (voiced by Vin Diesel) crashes to Earth. The robot later befriends a boy named Hogarth Hughes. The two of them also befriend a beatnik/junk yard owner/metal sculptor named Dean McCoppen (Harry Connick, Jr.), who helps Hogarth protect the secret of the Giant's existence when Kent Mansley, a special agent from the government, comes to town after reports of strange things going on. Kent rents a room from Hogarth's single mom, Annie (Jennifer Aniston), when he realizes the boy knows about the robot. Later Kent gets the military to come to town, and tries to destroy the Giant.

The Iron Giant seems to have no memories of what it is or where it's from. It also doesn't speak, at least until Hogarth starts teaching him some words. Hogarth teaches him other things, too, like that guns kill. The Giant doesn't want to be a gun, though it turns out to have an almost uncontrollable impulse to attack, if threatened. And, naturally, the army threatens it. Will Hogarth's friendship be enough to bring the Giant back to its senses? Hmmm... probably so....

Anyway, it's a good movie, good animation, good voice acting, good writing. Good lessons, I guess. It's also important to remember, of course, that this is 1957 (and all that that implies). Oh, and of course, the movie was made by Brad Bird, who would later make one of my favorite movies ever, The Incredibles. I feel like I should be saying more, but I can't think of anything else right now.