Attack of the Film Poll XVIII

[DKT]

Have you seen Labrynth with David Bowie?  It's kind of like that, only not as funny and without the David Bowie songs.  I rewatched the Dark Crystal a few years ago and I didn't hate it.  It was okay, a product of its time for sure. 

[CammoBlammo]

I remembered it as a warm, insightful children's fantasy, maybe a bit cheesy, but put aside the adult skepticism, disengage the cliche detectors, fire up the soppiness shields and you could enjoy it like The Iron Giant or The Princess Bride or The Neverending Story.

I loved the Iron Giant. Somebody on Slashdot was gushing over it, and I happened to come across it in my search for family safe viewing later that day. We all endded up in tears. They left it wide open for a sequel too, but I'm kinda glad hey didn't risk it.

I read the Neverending Story several times when I was a teenager. I thought it was fantastic (you know what I mean!) and when I finally saw the movie I was really disappointed. The movie itself was okay, but the book was one of the best things I read while in High school. Sometimes you just have to know what order to view/read in.

[wakela]

I took a long time for me to watch Iron Giant.  It looked like one cliche after another, and it was.  But it was so fun and charming that somehow it beat the odds. 

Yeah, Dark Crystal came out on the same rails as Labyrinth and Never Ending Story.  Maybe Legend was in there, too.  Maybe that's why I never watched it, the others were enough for me.  Though I have to applaud the attempt break the fantasy genre away from Middle Earth.  I think it's Peter Beagle who with his writing buddies follows the rule: NFE.  No Fucking Elves.

[Tango Alpha Delta]

I'm sure you guys probably know this already, but for posterity's sake:  Iron Giant was the work of Brad Bird, who went on to helm "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" for PIXAR.  In my book, he's done pretty well, since we all adored Incredibles in our house, and I was even pleasantly surprised (like the food critic!) to enjoy something by/about a talking Rat.  Appropriate choice for their first Disney work, though.