The Iron Giant

In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.

In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices. Read the rest

13scenes to know about

  • 3 very strong
  • 6 strong
  • 4 mild
Your child’s age
What the levels mean

A low rating can still include your child’s fear.

MarkAges 5–7Ages 8–10
0 · LowLittle upset in the dialogue.Little upset in the dialogue.
1 · MildBrief scare, worry, or sadness.Brief, pretend, or comic danger or sadness.
2 · StrongChasing, being trapped or lost, or lasting fear.Lasting danger, injury, or humiliation.
3 · Very strongAn attack, a child taken, or someone dying or seeming to die.Someone dies or seems to die, a child is taken, or family is in serious danger.

For a 4-year-old, use 5–7; expect some scenes to feel stronger.

Not checked. The subtitles cannot tell us. It is never shown as a zero.

Tap a marker to jump to that scene.Tap a scene below for details and skip times. · This guide lists no scenes after 1:18:43.

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Showing all 13 scenes.

Tap a scene for details and skip times.

  1. MildShip Lost in Storm0:01:14–0:01:41

    Skip from 0:00:44 to about 0:01:56.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    A fishing boat captain radios for help as his boat takes on water in a storm and he loses his bearings near rocks.

    • Darkness
    • Deep water
    • Storm
    • Caught in danger
    • Panic
  2. MildSomething Unseen in the Dark0:07:17–0:08:31

    Skip from 0:06:47 to about 0:08:46.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    Alone at night, Hogarth hears strange sounds and something unseen eats the TV antenna, leaving him frightened and confused in the dark.

    • Darkness
    • Robot
    • Panic
    • Something unseen
    • Sudden scare
  3. MildHogarth Missing at Night0:11:27–0:14:02

    Skip from 0:10:57 to about 0:14:17.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    Hogarth's mother searches desperately for him at night calling his name, and he is heard crying for help before she finds him safe, both of them shaken.

    • Darkness
    • Chase
    • Child lost
    • Crying
    • Panic
  4. MildMeeting the Giant Robot0:18:23–0:21:55

    Skip from 0:17:53 to about 0:22:10.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    Hogarth lures a huge, unfamiliar metal giant out of hiding by offering it metal to eat, an encounter that starts unsettling before becoming friendly.

    • Darkness
    • Robot
    • Attack
  5. StrongGiant Hit by Train0:24:59–0:26:14

    Skip from 0:24:29 to about 0:26:29.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    The giant robot is struck by an oncoming train and appears destroyed, with Hogarth fearing he has died before discovering he can repair himself.

    • Crash
    • Darkness
    • Robot
    • Caught in danger
    • Crash happens
    • Panic
    • Thought dead
  6. StrongThe Deer is Shot0:50:38–0:53:56

    Skip from 0:50:08 to about 0:54:11.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    The giant and Hogarth watch hunters shoot and kill a deer in the woods, leading to a sad conversation about death, guns, and souls.

    • Monster
    • Grief
    • Someone dies
    • Weapon used
  7. Very strongMansley Threatens Hogarth0:54:09–0:55:59

    Skip from 0:53:39 to about 0:56:14.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    A government agent interrogates Hogarth under a harsh light, threatening to take him away from his mother unless he reveals the giant's location.

    • Betrayal
    • Child taken
    • Panic
    • Threats
  8. StrongGiant Attacked, Turns into Weapon1:01:19–1:03:36

    Skip from 1:00:49 to about 1:03:51.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    Soldiers with guns confront the giant in the junkyard, causing him to transform defensively into a weapon and fire, terrifying everyone including Hogarth.

    • Gun
    • Robot
    • Chase
    • Panic
    • Transformation
    • Weapon used
  9. StrongBoys Trapped, Giant Rescues1:04:12–1:04:40

    Skip from 1:03:42 to about 1:04:55.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    Two boys cling to a high structure crying for help as they nearly fall, and the giant swoops in to save them just in time.

    • High places
    • Robot
    • A fall
    • Family in danger
    • Panic
  10. StrongArmy Attacks the Giant in Town1:04:55–1:10:12

    Skip from 1:04:25 to about 1:10:27.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    The army opens fire on the giant as he moves through town with Hogarth, causing chaos, near misses with vehicles, and a desperate flight before he catches Hogarth mid-air.

    • Crash
    • Gun
    • Robot
    • Scary-looking character
    • A fall
    • Caught in danger
    • Chase
    • Crash happens
    • Panic
    • Sudden scare
    • Weapon used
  11. Very strongMissile Launched, Facing Death1:10:10–1:14:40

    Skip from 1:09:40 to about 1:14:55.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    Military leaders decide to launch a nuclear missile to destroy the giant even though it will kill everyone nearby, and characters brace for what they believe is certain death.

    • Crash
    • Explosions
    • Gun
    • Hospital or illness
    • Robot
    • Battle
    • Caught
    • Caught in danger
    • Crying
    • Panic
    • Thought dead
    • Weapon used
  12. Very strongThe Giant's Sacrifice1:14:41–1:16:33

    Skip from 1:14:11 to about 1:16:48.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    The giant tells Hogarth he loves him and flies off alone to intercept the incoming missile, sacrificing himself to save the town.

    • Explosions
    • Robot
    • Crying
    • Grief
    • Someone dies
    • Thought dead
  13. StrongMissing the Giant1:17:20–1:18:43

    Skip from 1:16:50 to about 1:18:58.

    These times include a margin before and after the scene. Timing can vary by edition.

    Sometime later, Hogarth and his friends quietly grieve the giant, with Hogarth admitting he misses him after receiving a piece of the giant that was recovered.

    • Crying
    • Grief

How this guide was made

This guide uses the film’s subtitles, cast list and plot summary to identify scenes that may scare or upset a child: when it happens, what happens, and how strong it is for ages 5–7 and 8–10.

Subtitles cannot see, and these ones only carry speech. A scare that is only shown, or only heard, can be missed.

Times follow one subtitle release. Another edition or streaming version can run a little earlier or later.

Children under 5 are not rated. If you use the 5–7 marks for a younger child, expect some scenes to feel stronger.