Our Review

               Movie: THE WILD ROBOT

            Rating: PG, action/peril and

                           thematic elements`

                             Length: 1:41

           Release Date: September 27, 2024  

Jeanne: THE WILD ROBOT is a magnificent accomplishment in animated storytelling. Adapted from Peter Brown’s award-winning bestseller of the same name, this insightful tale of a robot shipwrecked on a deserted island --- except for a menagerie of animals --- is a ”See It Now!” for the entire family.

Rozzum unit 7134 or “Roz” (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) is struggling to find a purpose after realizing she didn’t make it to her intended destination. And all the creatures are afraid of her, except for Fink (voiced by Pedro Pascal), a red fox, and an orphaned gosling who now thinks Roz is his mother.

This itty-bitty guy, whom Roz has named Brightbill (voiced by Kit Connor), must learn how to swim --- and fly --- by the time Fall comes so he can join his fellow geese on their migration. Longneck (voiced by Bill Nighy), the wise leader of the geese, has taken an interest in Brightbill despite the bullying he’s received from some of the other younger geese. And Longneck has given specific instructions to Roz for his training so Brightbill will be prepared for the long and arduous journey.

As Roz and Fink coach Brightbill, other animals on the island become engaged with the threesome. Pinktail (voiced by Catherine O’Hara) and her brood of baby possums are a hoot, especially when one --- presumed dead --- pops back up and reassures her it’s fine --- poor, weary Pinktail takes it all in stride.

Thorn (voiced by Mark Hamill) is the resident grizzly bear and Paddler (voiced by Matt Berry), a beaver, has a long-standing goal of toppling the largest tree on the island. Aiding Roz in her training is Thunderbolt (voiced by Ving Rhames), a majestic falcon who becomes Brightbill’s in-air flight instructor.

To state that the animation design of THE WILD ROBOT is spectacular doesn’t do it justice. Writer/director Chris Sanders, a three-time Oscar-nominated director, had very distinct objectives: celebrating the story’s bold qualities, pushing the look and style of the visuals and highlighting the complex themes --- and emotions --- mingled throughout the narrative. Blending traditional animation with advanced digital techniques, along with an impressionist painterly style, the artists at Dream Works have created an animated experience like no other.

THE WILD ROBOT touches on a multitude of important lessons for young people --- and adults. It isn’t simply a story about survival, it also focuses on self-discovery, acceptance, love, kindness, parenthood --- and loss. This wonderful film accomplishes all this while being immensely funny and overwhelmingly entertaining.

The soundtrack by Oscar-winning composer Kris Bowers, who also produced last year’s Academy Award-winning documentary short film, THE LAST REPAIR SHOP (a must if you haven’t already), is totally in sync with the animation and story --- absolutely phenomenal.

I have written this before --- and will again --- but one cannot miss seeing THE WILD ROBOT. If you have children or grandchildren --- take them. If you don’t, borrow someone else’s --- or go alone. Just make sure you see it in a movie theater.

Opinion: Strong See It Now!

David: As one would expect, the animation by Dream Works Animation is nothing short of sensational in THE WILD ROBOT. Equally important is the music from Oscar-winning composer Kris Bowers (GREEN BOOK, THE LAST REPAIR SHOP) and the glorious cinematography led by Chris Stover. The vast crew labored for years under the direction of triple Oscar nominee Chris Sanders (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON).

But just as critical is the storyline adapted by Sanders from the New York Times Number One bestselling novel --- aimed at middle school youths --- by Peter Brown. The author opines that “robots and animals have quite a bit in common”. Why? Because animals behave robotically in many instances. And the relationship between Rozzum unit 7134, a.k.a. Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) and a whole lot of animals is the crux of THE WILD ROBOT.

After Roz is shipwrecked on a remote island, she is treated mostly with animosity and fear by the many denizens of the land who consider her a monster. But when she finds a goose egg about to hatch, it changes everything. As Roz carefully peels the shell to reveal the adorable gosling inside, the little bird believes Roz to be his mother --- scientists call it stamping as you probably learned in biology class.

Roz names her new “son” Brightbill (voiced by Kit Connor). She is instrumental in his development to swim and fly, along with the urging of the head goose named Longneck (voiced by Bill Nighy). She is also nudged along by a wily red fox named Fink (voiced by Pedro Pascal) and the mother of a bunch of opossums named Pinktail (voiced by Catherine O’Hara).

Roz is the product of manufacturer Universal Dynamics. But she gradually becomes the black sheep of her ilk because she can feel emotion. The ominous presence of the company that made her is always lurking in the background. At one point, another robot named Vontra (voiced by Stephanie Hsu) is dispatched to bring Roz back to where she came from, much to the dismay of all those species who have grown to love her, particularly Brightbill.

There is one line that stood out for me, essentially about Brightbill forgetting to tell his mother that he loves her. The follow-up line to that is a remark about the heart knowing what the heart wants. The dialogue in THE WILD ROBOT is so precious that the film demands to be seen more than once.

Some 47 species of animals are represented in this movie. And know this: there is a fantastic migration sequence that features 28,710 geese who collectively have 102,838,147 feathers. The hard-working crowd and effects team also created 80,000 butterflies for a moment in the film that lasts mere seconds.

In lieu of exclusive CG special effects for their movie, the filmmakers used a technique akin to a “painting coming to life”. This according to producer Jeff Hermann who came from the KUNG FU PANDA franchise. The result is a beautiful panoply of colors, shapes and landscapes marvelously presented.

With THE WILD ROBOT, Dream Works has dipped its toe into the artificial intelligence genre. Is it possible for AI beings to feel emotion? The filmmakers seem to think so. Once Roz shows her kindness and understanding, and most especially as she provides a haven from a dreadful storm, the animals come to love her. And Brightbill, the target of scorn and derision initially from other young geese, earns their respect leading them on a long migration flight.

THE WILD ROBOT is a story about change, love and friendship. This is depicted in wonderful style as all the animals --- predators and prey alike --- gather in a safe environment away from the storm. The most fearsome of this (mostly) four-legged group is a big grizzly bear named Thorn (voiced by Mark Hamill). The voice cast is rounded out by Matt Berry as a beaver named Paddler and Ving Rhames as a falcon named Thunderbolt who helps little Brightbill learn to fly.

This exceptional movie is one for the whole family. There is much for adults to appreciate, as some of the dialogue and events on screen will pass over the heads of smaller children.

Opinion: Strong See It Now!