# The Iron Man / The Iron Giant
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 14, 2014, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415 "2014-05-14T04:40:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/1 "2014-05-14T04:40:06Z")
I just read Ted Hughes’ “The Iron Man,” the very short children’s book that the animated movie “The Iron Giant” was based on.
The movie is vastly better…
What grinds the book down for me is that it is so breathlessly a children’s book. Lots of “CRAAASSHH” sound effects, a lack of any real motivation for most of the characters, grotesque exaggeration (a dragon as big as Australia!) and the stapled on happy ending.
The contest between the Iron Man and the Dragon was cute, but falls into the “If I Were The Evil Overlord” trap. If you’re a nasty evil planet-conquerer, don’t go making bets with the locals. (And if you do, and lose, break your word.)
Also, really, REALLY, there are better ways to get from the top of a cliff to the bottom. There was absolutely no reason given for the Iron Man jumping off the cliff in the opening scene.
Great movie. Schlub book.
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### Author:  [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2014, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/2 "2014-05-14T05:32:46Z")
Loved _The Iron Giant_, and I didn’t know it was based on a book. A book I should disregard, based on the OP. Thanks, OP!
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### Author:  [@Cara\_mel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cara_mel)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/3 "2014-05-15T09:01:06Z")
Also, the movie Jumanji is way better than the book, likewise The Night at the Museum.
Same can’t be said for the The Cat in the Hat, though.
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/4 "2014-05-15T09:42:32Z")
> [@SerenaPerido](#):
>
> Also, the movie Jumanji is way better than the book.
It does lack a complex involving plot, but I quite liked [the book](http://childrensbookalmanac.com/wp-content/uploads/6-4-Jumanji-image.jpg).
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/5 "2014-05-15T12:33:30Z")
I liked the book as a child, just because it’s quite poetic in places (Space-Bat-Angel-Dragon), and I loved the film from the first time I saw it.
In all honesty, it was only when I re-read the book as an adult (reading it to my children) that I saw the boy’s name was Hogarth and realised the book and film were related - they really aren’t all that similar besides.
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### Author:  [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/6 "2014-05-15T13:04:12Z")
> [@SerenaPerido](#):
>
> Also, the movie Jumanji is way better than the book, likewise The Night at the Museum.
The beauty of Chris Van Allsburg books is in the illustrations and the mystery he conveys in such few words. They’ve made a few movies from his books and they always have to stretch the material a lot.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/7 "2014-05-15T14:25:36Z")
I didn’t know that _Night at the Museum_ was a book, but found the movie quite enjoyable.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/8 "2020-04-03T17:27:33Z")
Bumped.
Just saw the movie again - great stuff! In looking around on [TVTropes.org](http://TVTropes.org), I learned that there was a deleted scene.
Brief discussion and animatic: [The Iron Giant - Deleted Scene - Robot Dreams - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05XM9huSWNU)
Finished scene, done for the 2015 re-release: [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSjqF5tR894)
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/9 "2020-04-03T18:52:09Z")
Speaking of Iron Man/Iron Giant, I remember a guy I worked with back in the mid-to-late 80s had a CD that was based on the story, but I can’t remember who the artist was. I do remember that John Lee Hooker did the vocals on a couple songs but am pretty sure he was not the main artist. Does this ring a bell with anybody?
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### Author:  [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/10 "2020-04-03T18:58:03Z")
> [@Shoeless](#):
>
> Speaking of Iron Man/Iron Giant, I remember a guy I worked with back in the mid-to-late 80s had a CD that was based on the story, but I can’t remember who the artist was. I do remember that John Lee Hooker did the vocals on a couple songs but am pretty sure he was not the main artist. Does this ring a bell with anybody?
Pete Townshend
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/11 "2020-04-03T19:36:01Z")
Pete was also the executive producer of the movie.
Here’s a video from his album version of the story: [A Friend Is A Friend](https://youtu.be/LpiYXRt5MyM)
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/12 "2020-04-03T20:25:03Z")
Another example of a mediocre book being turned into a great movie is _Who Censored Roger Rabbit?_ by Gary Wolf.
And, if we move away from children’s literature, _The Godfather_ by Mario Puzo.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/13 "2020-04-03T21:40:09Z")
Another bonus scene here - Dean and Hogarth’s mom talk in the diner: [The Iron Giant Signature Edition - New Scenes (HD) - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lB7yYKhK10)
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/14 "2020-04-03T21:47:02Z")
> [@P-man](#):
>
> Pete Townshend
Yes! Thank you.
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### Author:  [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/15 "2020-04-03T22:50:47Z")
> [@P-man](#):
>
> Pete Townshend
Who?
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### Author:  [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/16 "2020-04-03T22:57:36Z")
Don’t know who’s from where, so don’t know who’s heard of Jackanory…but it was a kind of “storytime” show on British TV for decades. And that’s where I know the Iron Man from - being read out on TV. So, when it became a film, just the fact that it was called the Iron “Giant” sounded a bit overblown and grandiose! There’s something very low-key about classic British telly…
Never seen it, but I sort of think I don’t want to. I’m happy with my memory.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2020, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/17 "2020-04-04T05:10:27Z")
> [@simster](#):
>
> Who?
No, just Pete Townshend.
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### Author:  [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/18 "2020-04-04T13:33:36Z")
> [@simster](#):
>
> Who?
Yes.
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/19 "2020-04-04T16:20:14Z")
> [@simster](#):
>
> Who?
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> No, just Pete Townshend.
The Who were listed as “Special Guests” in the liner notes for the songs “Dig” and “Fire”. (Dig was in the setlist for the 1989 “The Who on ice” tour)
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-iron-man-the-iron-giant/688415/20 "2020-04-04T17:16:18Z")
What?
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