The Wild Robot

Voices of: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Boone Storm, Alexandra Novelle
Directed by: Chris Sanders
Rating: PG
Genre: Animation, Science Fiction, Adventure
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A robot named Roz arrives on a secluded island after a shipwreck. She begins interacting with the animals there, slowly integrating herself into their lives.

Review:

Tim: I absolutely loved Dreamworks' The Wild Robot. It's one of the best animated films of the decade. This might be even more impressive because I'd actually read Peter Brown's book first. My (at the time) 9 year-old son had to read it for school and he loved it so much, he insisted I read it. I liked Brown's story and the characters were solid, although as a book itself, it felt only slightly above average. For Chris Sanders to take that novel and transform it into this beautiful animated film is quite an accomplishment. That's always rare, but should be celebrated- this is a case of the film being better than the book.

This movie takes Brown's solid original story and ups the drama and the emotion from beginning to end. The film remains faithful to the book, but it tightens the story up, expands characters in effective ways, and tells its own version of the story, designed to maximize effectiveness in a visual medium. I loved the story. It's certainly a variation of the "fish out of water" story that is so familiar. In this case, it's a robot stranded in a wilderness. The robot has programming that is supposed to guide its behaviors, but that doesn't work quite as well when it is surrounded by animals instead of people. The journey Roz goes on is stunning- from the length of time to learn to speak the animals' language, to understanding their society, to finding ways to help, to building trusting relationships with very different creatures- this is one of the more powerful, emotional, memorable journeys I've seen in an animated film. Kids will get caught up in the story and enjoy watching it, but adults will find much to mine here beneath the surface.

It does help that the surface is so beautifully rendered. The computer animation here is fantastic- the animators deserve immense credit for bringing this story to life. The characters all feel unique and instantly recognizable, but it's the beauty of the island itself that often causes us to catch our breath. There were numerous moments when I whispered, "Wow!" at something I saw on screen. The migration with the sun in the distance is one of those scenes, but there were many throughout the film. The approach, almost mimicking a moving watercolor painting was gorgeous. It feels like animated films hit a plateau a few years ago- they all felt kind of equally beautiful and that minimized the awe you felt. Several films have broken through this and once again have truly impressed with their visuals. The Wild Robot is one of those.

The voice cast is excellent. Lupita Nyong'o is so good as Roz, it's hard for me to find the words. She transforms herself into this robot, perfectly hitting the more robotic aspects to the character, but slowly seeming more human as Roz travels on her journey. Nyong'o brings real warmth to her dialogue. I was amazed at what she did vocally- I can't imagine any other actress doing as well as she did. I loved the character of Roz, and so much of it was due to Nyong'o's performance. Pedro Pascal is also excellent as Fink. This is one of the great changes made in the film. In Brown's book, Fink is a minor character who I honestly didn't even remember. He's a major character in the film and plays an essential role. He rounds out the trio between Roz and her adopted son, Brightbill. He is a constant source of humor, and he has his own emotional story added into the mix. Pascal is unsurprisingly brilliant as Fink. His comedic timing is excellent, but he's also able to make us feel for this fox. Pascal seems like he somehow continues to place himself among so many of the greatest projects today, I could only laugh- of course, he's in one of the best animated movies of the 2020s. And, he's not just along for the ride- his emotional performance elevates the film.

Kit Connor gives a nice performance as Brightbill, instilling a bit of complexity into this character. I loved hearing Bill Nighy as Longneck. The character is excellent and my only complaint is that I wish we had more scenes with him. Stephanie Hsu adds a great performance. It was fun hearing Ving Rhames in a small role, and I loved Mark Hamill's performance- it was nearly unrecognizable as Thorn. He truly is one of the all-time great voice actors. Catherine O'Hara is wonderful as well. The voice cast really makes the movie better.

The Wild Robot is such a great film. I loved that it was nominated for 3 Academy Awards- Best Animated Feature, Best Sound, and Best Original Score. It absolutely crushes me that it didn't win any. I haven't seen Flow, so I can't intelligently comment, but I would be stunned if that animated movie was better than this one. That was the biggest disappointment on Oscars night- my kids were rooting so hard for this film (and I was, too). My son has seen the film three times and my 6 year-old daughter twice. They completely love it, and they are wise in that assessment. My son has been raving about it, and he's absolutely right. The Wild Robot is a beautiful, emotional, remarkable film about otherness, about making connections despite differences. It has so many lessons for kids to take away. It's funny, it's entertaining, and yes, maybe I had to wipe a small tear away here and there. It's the kind of film that reminds you how powerful animated films can be. It's a film I truly loved.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, Robots