I feel like I liked the book when I read it. Then I saw the movie and hated it. Then I went back to the book and also hated it. Not because of the movie, but reading it a second time made me realize how terrible the book was in the first place.
If you like it you like it, I'm not going to knock you.
They completely misused the Iron Giant for pure nostalgia bait. The whole movie is that. The whole book is the main character being a Marry Sue, after the problem presents itself.