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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that’s so skillfully done and full of care and raw emotion that it leaves you completely blown away. The Wild Robot is one of those movies. The Wild Robot is the latest directorial effort from Chris Sanders (Muppet Babies, Beauty and the Beast, The Croods) and adapted from the book series of the same name by Peter Brown. Sanders previously co-directed Lilo and Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, so it’s no surprise that The Wild Robot is on par and arguably surpasses those movies.
What exactly is The Wild Robot about? Of course, the simplest answer is that it’s about ROZZUM 7134 (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), or Roz for short, a household assistant robot who shipwrecks onto an uninhabited island. On this island, Roz attempts to fulfill her programming by assisting the island’s animals, but they don’t take kindly to her help. They view her as a monster and shun her. Eventually, Roz finds a task by raising a runt goose, Brightbill (voiced by Kit Connor) whose family is dead. With help from Fink (voiced by Pedro Pascal), a fox shunned by the community, Roz does their best to raise Brightbill.
Motherhood is Wild
However, beyond that, The Wild Robot is about so much more. Its simple narrative allows for a deep exploration of a lot of themes. Most obviously, it’s about motherhood. Roz is not equipped to be a mother and is forced into this role unexpectedly. It changes her entire life. Roz is quite literally not programmed for motherhood. She has to change everything about her life, from how she perceives the world to herself. The world is no longer just a place where she exists. Now, it’s full of threats to her child. She is no longer just a robot following programming because there is no programming for motherhood. It’s a thoughtful painting of what it means to be a mother.
The Wild Robot also wouldn’t be half as impactful were it not for Lupita Nyong’o’s performance. Nyong’o gives Roz a voice that is robotic but never cold and uncaring. Even as Roz develops more and becomes more human, for lack of a better term, that roboticness is still intact but morphed into something loving. It’s a massive credit to her skill, especially since Roz has no facial expressions. There is a physicality to Roz, but the heavy lifting is on Nyong’os voice.
Nature and Nurture
Beyond just what it means to be a mother, The Wild Robot explores nature versus nurture. Again, Roz isn’t programmed to be a mother. It’s not in her nature. Yet, due to the circumstances presented around her, she must change.
With that said, this theme is most clearly seen in Brightbill, who by nature, is a goose. This character has natural goose instincts. Because of how he was raised, he acts more like Roz at times. He mimics her robotic movements and speech patterns at times. He is at odds with himself on how to behave and doesn’t fit in with the other geese. This orphaned goose doesn’t quite fit in with Roz and Fink. Whether or not he can find a way to balance these two sides is a central tension of the movie. Connor sells the angst of Brightbill well. He is relatable but never whiny, and it’s a very genuine performance. Everything with Roz and Brightbill is a delight to watch and all is so well done. Both Connor and Nyongo’s performances make it easy to become invested in their relationship.
Furthermore, this push and pull can be seen in Fink, a fox who naturally preys on geese. Yet again, because of the extraordinary events of the film, this character finds himself almost as a father figure. Beyond that, he finds a friend in Roz. Of course, Pascal portrays Fink with the charm and emotion he is normally known for. It’s a great performance and Pascal and Nyong’o have wonderful chemistry.
In the End its Love
Even more broadly, the entire community of this island must contend with their nature versus the circumstances in front of them. Can they adapt and be accepting of Roz and Brightbill? Even if they do, will it last? These are big questions for the movie to tackle, and the movie answers them in ways that are heart-wrenching if a bit flawed. This leads to The Wild Robot’s final and most moving idea.
The movie’s answer to the difficulties of motherhood as well as the push and pull of nature against nurture is love. It doesn’t matter that Roz is a robot and Brightbill is a goose because they have a deep love for each other. This love allows them to overcome whatever challenges come their way, and there’s not just parental love. Fink and Roz have deep platonic love that similarly keeps them going through hard times. Both are easily the most deeply moving parts of the film and work well as allegories.
Where the movie falters a bit is in its allegory for a community coming together. The predator and prey of the island come together in the final act to protect it. It delivers a great message about how we should all band together and set aside our differences with our local communities to solve problems. However, it doesn’t quite land when the movie demonstrates that the predator and prey dynamic is a natural and needed part of the survival circle. It doesn’t ruin or detract from the movie. Yet, it is a slight wrinkle in something that is otherwise so good. This is especially when it features great performances from the likes of Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, and Matt Berry.
Every Frame a Painting
Beyond these themes and performances, the final pillar that makes The Wild Robot so good is its visuals. This is Dreamwork’s third film with these more stylized visuals. It was first seen in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Bad Guys. The character models and world are still three-dimensional but all with this hand-painted look. Everything in this movie is gorgeous. Even the simplest frame is packed with detail and care. It evokes the look of classic Disney animation and Hiyao Miyazaki films but with its own distinct look. It helps that Kris Bowers’s incredible score matches every scene so well, heightening the emotion of it all.
Every single frame, scene, or sequence draws you in. Beyond even just the look of the film, there is so much storytelling done visually. One frame about halfway through the film was incredibly impactful and tells so much about the larger world of The Wild Robot. It’s not directly related to the narrative but informs and shapes everything about it. It’s just breathtaking and so refreshing to see more major studios invest in unique animation styles.
Final Thoughts on The Wild Robot
From pitch-perfect performances to the gorgeous art style, The Wild Robot works on every level. You will laugh, you will cry, and leave completely satisfied. It is easily one of the best animated movies in recent memory, and one of the best movies of the year.
Score: 5/5
The Wild Robot is now playing in theaters!
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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.