Well animation news begets animation news... I have to say IRON GIANT is a blast script wise, but often times an animated film can lose magic going from script to sketches, then again from that to screen. Well it seems Brad Bird is doing it right, and as long as Warners doesn't do something stupid like they did with QUEST FOR CAMELOT where they jack around with the directors and animators... well this seems like it could be a fantastic film. Personally I'm dying to see the design for the characters. Hopefully I'll get something soon. Anyway, here's Oxberry...

I've been a fan of your site for quite some time, but it wasn't until I
read your recent comments on Prince of Egypt (traditional animation
rules!!!)
that I decided to write. You see, I too am a huge fan of the old school of
animation.

IRON GIANT!!!

This film is one of the best films I have seen in the past ten years!
I'm not just talking about the genre of animated films either. As you
probably know Brad Bird has total control of this film. Because of this
fact,
it is a film driven by one vision.
There are only five main characters: Hogarth( the boy who finds the giant),
Annie ( his mother), Dean McCoppin (the local beatnik) and Kent Masley (
government baddie). Because the cast is so small, you actually have time to
get to know the characters. These characters are allowed to live and
breathe.
There isn't a lot of unneeded cutting either. Most of the sequences are
long
character relationship pieces. There are no musical numbers to break up the
progression of the story. The humor in the film is very natural. Nothing
is
forced ( like an ill placed fart joke...man, am I sick of those). Brad Bird
is a brilliant writer. The dialogue is extremely well written. Everyone
talks like real people. The film also maintains the feel of the 50's.
Everything from the dialogue to the political issues of the 50's are
represented in this film.

Well, now that I've blathered on about the story, it's time to talk
about
the animation. Tony Fucile is the main sequence director. In this film
Brad
has decided to have sequence direction instead of lead character animators.
Because of this, everyone gets to work on all the characters, which really
helps to maintain the character relationships. This is exactly how the nine
old men did it. Brad is very picky about the animation and you can see that
in every frame of this film. The acting is amazing. Your not gonna see any
of the crap you saw in Quest for Camelot ( most of those guys have been
canned.). Everything is timed perfectly and the draftsmanship is
incredible.

Another reason that the animation is looking so great is because everyone
involved with the film is excited about the story. They aren't having to
animate prat falls and double takes. They are bringing real characters to
life. The animation of the giant is pretty sweet too. It actually moves
like
a traditionally animated character.

If all this weren't enough, I heard
that
Brad actually showed the film to Frank and Ollie. After the film was over,
they told Brad that he was making the kind of film that they would make if
they were still animating.

Well, I guess you can tell I am excited about this project. I wish I
could give you more details about the story, but I hate spoilers. I really
hope you post this, because this is a film that really deserves some
attention.

Just refer to me as Oxberry.

P.S.

Danny Elfman is supposed to compose the score.