MOVIE REVIEW: THE WILD ROBOT

 

Shipwrecked on a deserted island, a robot named Roz must learn to adapt to its new surroundings. Building relationships with the native animals, Roz soon develops a parental bond with an orphaned gosling.

Director: Chris Sanders

Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames

Release Date: September 27, 2024

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements.

Runtime: 1h 42m

Review:

The Wild Robot is simplistic in its storytelling, but its eye-catching visuals and emotional punch makes it one of the most impressive, animated film from Dreamworks in a longtime.  Chris Sanders' film has a dreamlike look to it thanks to an impressionist animation style for the backgrounds and non robot characters.  Its visually impactful throughout as there's nary an inch wasted onscreen as the island vibrantly brought to life.  There's an impressive efficiency to it all as he gives you a sense of the geography as we're introduced to the colorful cast of anthropomorphized animals.  The character designs are naturalistic which serve in contrast to the shipwrecked robot at the center of the story Roz.  Her slinky arm and legs give the character a fun sense of motion, particularly as she emulates the varied wildlife she encounters.  Her large camera lens eyes paired with wonderful voice work from Lupita Nyong'o really make the character live and breathe.  Nyong'o has an ability to bring a sense of humanity and authenticity to all her performances and it serves this film as the beating heart of story.  It makes the character's emotional arch as a surrogate mother even more impactful which makes certain moments, especially in the final act, primed to elicit waterworks from even the most cynical viewer.  The supporting cast is solid, particularly Pedro Pascal, but its Nyong'o that holds it all together from start to finish.  It helps that the story is unafraid to show all aspects of the circle of life in an honest way that doesn't pander the way some animated films.  There are hints of Wall-E, especially as we are exposed the futuristic human world that exist outside of the island.  Much like that film, there's an elegance to The Wild Robot's story and overall production that set it a cut above most animated family films.  

A