The Wild Robot

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2 (out of 5)

Chris Sanders is the creative directional mind behind the innovative worlds of Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods. His newest project takes on the imaginative escapades of ROZZUM, unit 7134 or for short, Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), who was given life by author/illustrator Peter Brown. As the final in-house project of Dreamworks animation, this may be one of the best animated films of recent memory.

When a Universal Dynamics cargo ship is wrecked on the shores of an uninhabited island, Roz, this service robot, is the only survivor and must make her own way. Despite being designed to serve humanity in an urban atmosphere, she must find her way in the wilderness and discover how to serve the local ‘residents.’ Eventually Roz learns the language and ‘culture’ of the various creatures that inhabit the island. Until she accidentally destroys a goose’s nest and saves the surviving egg from the clutches of the fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal). This leads to the egg hatching, and the gosling quickly imprints on the service robot, leaving her to care for the small bird and name him Brightbill (Kit Connor). Even though Roz attempts to communicate with the head office, she decides her role for the foreseeable future will be to raise the young goose to eat, swim and fly.

What is noticeable from the outset is the groundbreaking animation that samples past classics with a taste of the anime influence of animated movies and nuanced computer-generated styling that includes an artistic splash of Monet. There will be whispers of Bambi and The Iron Giant for those who love the hand-drawn effects complemented by the advancements of Roz’s animation, which epitomise this ‘fish out of water’ storyline. This visual spectacle would stand alone even without dialogue amongst the characters. Still, thankfully, this beautiful canvas provides an immersive background to this engrossing story of family, community, sacrifice and love.

Peter Brown’s tale is exquisitely captivating within the simplicity of the narrative. Initially, imagining how this connection between technology and nature will work is hard. Still, there is no doubt this story works. Stripped of any potential political or modern additions, Roz and Brightbill’s familial ties are believable and emotionally charged. Regardless of the exceptional talents of Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, and Mark Hamill behind many of the voices, they all manage to melt into the beauty of this ensemble adventure designed for audiences of all ages. The comedy is not contrived, and the relational bonds never feel forced or lead to emotional manipulation. The Wild Robot has to be one of the year's best films, animated or not. An experience that needs to be seen in theatres to be truly appreciated and one that will capture the hearts of young and old for years to come.

What should parents know about The Wild Robot? You need to see this movie with your children. Unlike Inside Out 2, designed for teens, and Despicable Me 4, designed for Minion fans, this Dreamworks production was meant for everyone. There are no agendas, only a beautiful story of sacrificial love that will hopefully become a classic. Some darker moments are reminiscent of Bambi, but this will be an excellent film for all ages.

Possible discussion points:

How do you talk with your children about death and grief?

For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. - Romans 14: 8

What do we do when we are different from other kids?

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27

Have you ever engaged with the story of Noah’s Ark? This film surprisingly opens that door, too.

They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. - Genesis 7:9

If you want to discuss these questions from this film, contact us at Third Space. We would love to chat about this and more.