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Movie · Sci-fi, Drama, Animated · 1999 · PG

The Iron Giant: parents' guide

7+our pick

Best for ages 7 and up. Rated PG for fantasy action and mild language.

A touching animated adventure about friendship that suits most school-age kids, with some intense moments for little ones. In 1957 Maine, a boy befriends a giant robot from space while a paranoid government agent and the Army try to destroy it. Hunters shoot a deer, which the boy and the robot find dead, and the climax brings military attacks, a nuclear missile and a beloved character who appears to sacrifice himself. Language is mild, and adults smoke. Age 7 reflects the deer, the battles and the emotional ending; sensitive kids may cry.

What's in it

Violence

Mild

Fantasy action without injury detail: the robot is electrocuted at a power station, hit by a train, and fired on by tanks and soldiers, and it blasts back with its own weapons. Hunters shoot a deer off screen.

Language

Mild

Mild and infrequent: hell a few times, plus damn, screw, butt and an oh my God. One review counted nearly a dozen mild words in all.

Sex and nudity

None

No sexual content. A hint of attraction between the boy's mother and a beatnik artist goes no further than friendly glances.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Moderate

Smoking is shown, fitting the 1950s setting: the villainous agent lights a pipe and a secretary smokes at her desk. No drinking concerns; a laxative prank on the villain is played for bathroom humor.

Scary or intense scenes

Moderate

The robot's first appearance in a dark forest and a stormy night at sea are spooky. Later the Army attacks, the robot turns frighteningly destructive, and a beloved character appears to die, which can bring tears.

Sensitive topics

  • Animal death

Worth talking about

The robot learns that you are who you choose to be. Talk about fear of the unknown, what guns can do, and choosing who you want to be.

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, bbfc.co.uk, Plugged In, tv.apple.com, moviemom.com, movieguide.org. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.