The Wild Robot Movie Review

DreamWorks makes best film since the how to train your dragon movies delivering emotion, wonder, and stunning animation

The Wild Robot proves that animation can deliver some of the best storytelling out there, that it deserves more respect and not put in a box by people who write it off as kids fluff. The animation, music, voice cast, and the direction come together to create a film that is on par not only with the best of DreamWorks but of Pixar, Laika, and Studio Ghaibi. It combines adventure the heart of unlikely family coming together, great humor that is organic to the characters in the situations they are in that does not feel like MCU humor that feels the need to throw out a bad quippy line to get a cheap laugh out of the audience. The influences of classic fairytale trappings like a fox that is mischievous but subverting it showing the longing for community and friendship underneath the snarky exterior really make the film feel familiar but fresh at the same time.

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose. The direction of the film by Chris Sanders is phenomenal the way he paces the story, especially after the opening 10 minutes was so well done at first, I wasn’t sure if the film knew what it wanted to do then Roz the robot meets Fink the fox and Bright bill then the film hooked me from that moment forward. Sanders does a great job with the tone of the film going from fun adventure to funny moments, to moments that are heartbreaking that go seamless together without being jarring, like a lot of marvel movies that have bad humor that under cuts the stakes which is jarring to watch.

The voice cast of the film is stellar across the board starting with Lupita Nyong’o as Roz the robot who finds bright bill as an egg then raises him as her own, she sells her growing care for bright bill, her heartbreak when he rejects her as his mother is heartbreaking and Lupita makes you feel that so powerfully. Kit Connor as bright bill is great, he embodies this young kid as a bird who wants to fit in the flock but is mocked, judged, not accepted at first but then is able to prove his worth when he leads the flock out of this felicity, and it is so rousing when that happens in the film. The scenes of him being angry at Roz great in the story he sells it so well then when he comes back to reunite with her it makes you tear up its beautiful. Pedro Pascal as Fink the fox is awesome at first had no idea it was him then looking at the cast my mind was blown, he knocked it out of the park combining the classic mischievous charm of the thieving fox combined with a pain, loneliness, and longing of having friends and a community to fit in to.

The animation of the film is stunning combining 2d and 3d animation honestly among the many into the spider verses achievements is getting the animation industry out of doing the same standard boring computer 3d animation has been such a breath of fresh air. The way the forest comes to life makes you feel like you’re there and makes you wish you can be part of this world has that reach out and touch it feel rather than there being a glossy sheen that prevents you from being immersed in the film like 3d computer animation. The action scenes are so well animated they are exciting and like all great action has character moments which tell a story there not just there to have an action sequence they have great emotion to them to make you care. The character designs of the characters are so great so expressive in the both the emotional and comedy moments like when Roz and bright bill reunite the emotions on her face really pull on your heart strings along with the incredible score of this film make those moments even more memorable.

The story, themes, and the relationships of the film is what makes this the best animated film of the year in my opinion the script is so well written that every character from our main 3 of Roz, bright bill, and Fink to the other animals they meet and befriend along the way are so fully realized that when the bug showdown with the company that created Roz wants her back you are cheering for them to not succeed. In this confrontation every side character gets their moment to shine from longneck, thorn, Vontra, thunderbolt, and pink tail they all kick ass in this final fight to make it so enjoyable to watch as the viewer. The main story of unlikely found family of Roz, bright bill and Fink is fantastic you believe when they first meet to them building their house, the anger bright bill feels at Roz because he can’t fit in with the flock to Fink seeming like a selfish prick but really has been longing to find someone to be his friend all works brilliantly.

Final thoughts on the film are it is such a great surprise while DreamWorks may not be at the level of Pixar or Studio Ghibli when they make a good movie its phenomenal whether its Wild Robot, Shrek, or How to train your dragon movies they can be as good as anybody’s. I will give this film a 4 out of 5 one of my favorites of the year please go see it or when it’s on physical media or Video on demand you won’t regret it.