The Iron Giant (1999)

The robot's appetite for metal is funny; his desire to understand Hogarth, a local boy, is what makes the friendship stick. Brad Bird gives the enormous body a child's curiosity, so small acts of learning matter before the machinery becomes frightening. You want the Giant to be allowed a purpose beyond the one others see in him. A particularly satisfying animated choice for expressive creature behaviour, with a powerful emotional payoff and military danger inside the warmth.