The Iron Giant - Plot

Plot

In 1957, a large alien robot crashes from orbit near the coast of Rockwell, Maine with no memory. Shortly after, the Iron Giant wanders off into the mainland. Nine-year-old Hogarth Hughes follows a trail of the forest's destruction and frees the robot, who is stuck in the power cables of an electrical substation. After being rescued by and befriended by Hogarth, the Giant follows him back to his house, where he lives with his mother Annie. Upon their return, the robot attempts to eat the iron off the nearby railroad tracks. Alarmed at the sound of an incoming train, Hogarth tells the giant to repair the tracks. The robot attempts this, but takes too long, causing the train to collide with his head. Hogarth hides the damaged robot in their barn where he discovers the robot is self repairing.

Later that night, Hogarth returns to the barn with a stack of comic books to read to the Giant. The robot is impressed with Superman, but distressed when he discovers a comic about an evil robot; Hogarth tells the robot that it can be who he chooses to be. Investigating the destroyed substation, U.S. government agent Kent Mansley discovers evidence of the robot and decides to continue his inquiries in nearby Rockwell. Finding a BB gun Hogarth left near the substation the night he found the Giant, Mansley takes up a room for rent at Hogarth's home and trails the boy to learn more. Hogarth says to the robot to dive in the lake which it does, creating a tsunami that sweeps Dean onto the road. Mansley is paranoid about an alien invasion and alerts the U.S. Army to the possible presence of the robot. Worried that they will get caught, Hogarth evades Mansley and takes the robot to beatnik artist Dean McCoppin who passes off the robot as one of his works of art when Mansley and Lieutenant General Rogard investigate. Hogarth inadvertently activates a self-defense mechanism (SDM) in the giant with a toy gun, but Dean saves Hogarth. Commanding the robot to leave, they soon realize that the robot cannot control the SDM, and they chase after it before reaching town.

In Rockwell, the robot saves two boys, but Mansley, having seen it, orders an attack to stop it. The robot flees with Hogarth until he is shot down by a missile, and after crash landing, the robot believes Hogarth to be dead, causing the enraged robot to activate its weapons and attack the Army, who are no match for the advanced firepower. Mansley lies to Rogard that the robot killed Hogarth, before telling him to lure the robot out to sea so they can destroy it with a nuclear ballistic missile from the USS Nautilus. Hogarth (alive the whole time) wakes up and calms the robot down, causing it to deactivate its weapons. Dean tells Rogard and his men to stand down. Rogard, realizing that Mansley lied to him, is about to tell the Nautilus to stand down, but Mansley snatches the walkie-talkie and calls the Nautilus to launch the missile anyway. Realizing the deadly mistake, Rogard argues with Mansley and informs him that the robot, along with everybody in Rockwell will be destroyed when the missile falls. Mansley refuses to take note of the town's fate and tries to escape Rockwell in order to save himself, but the robot stops Mansley, who is then arrested by the Army. When Hogarth tells the robot about Rockwell's fate, the robot flies off to intercept the missile, as a hero, not a weapon. The robot and missile collide, causing a massive explosion high up in the atmosphere. The people of the town recognize the giant as a hero, but everyone, especially Hogarth, is deeply saddened by the robot's sacrifice.

Some time later, Annie and Dean have a romantic relationship and Dean creates a statue honoring the robot. Hogarth receives a package from Rogard, containing the only piece of the robot they found, a small jaw bolt. That night, Hogarth awakens to a familiar beeping coming from the bolt, which is trying to get out his window. He knows the robot is repairing itself somewhere and he opens it to let the bolt out. On the Langjökull glacier in Iceland various parts of the robot travel across there where his head rests, eyes glowing, as the robot wakes up and smiles.