REVIEW: The Wild Robot (2024)

Movie Reviews

When I first saw a trailer for The Wild Robot, I was pretty sure the film would make me cry. DreamWorks has been upping the quality and versatility of its animation lately, and more importantly, this is the kind of story that always hits home. Roz, the robot (Lupita N’yongo), saying, “I don’t have the programming to be a mother,” had me sold. The trailer also gave me Wall-E and The Iron Giant vibes, with the robot juxtaposed with wildlife and lush greenery. If that wasn’t enough, The Wild Robot has an all-star cast directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon). Can a movie deliver on such lofty expectations and an already touching, gorgeous trailer? Let’s find out. 

The Wild Robot takes place on a secluded island where all wildlife exists in a strict hierarchy, just trying to survive and eat before they get eaten. However, things begin to change when a helper robot (N’yongo) crash lands there. At first, everyone is afraid of Roz, running away as soon as they see her. They rob her for parts whenever she’s vulnerable and treat her like a freak. Roz considers returning to her factory when she cannot find a task to complete, but she is given the unexpected directive to raise an orphaned runt gosling (Boone Storm). She befriends a fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), who overcomes his predatory nature to help raise the baby. Roz continually overrides her programming to best care for Brightbill (voiced by Kit Connor as an adult) until it’s time for the geese to migrate. Brightbill makes contact with his own kind, who cruelly reject him and mock his unusual upbringing. However, Longneck (Bill Nighy), the leader of the geese, encourages Roz not to give up on Brightbill’s progress. Can Brightbill get ready in time to migrate for the winter, what will become of the animals on the island, and can Roz become more than what she was made for?

You can already pick up on many well-worn tropes from films like this: parenthood, overcoming your “programming” to achieve something greater, found family, where you truly “belong,” etc. A lot of this can be seen in Sanders’ other work, except for The Croods, which I’ll be ignoring because I don’t like it. Stitch also literally crash-landed on Earth in an unfamiliar and unintended new home, and the animals’ fear of Roz could obviously be compared to Hiccup and Toothless’ relationship in How to Train Your Dragon. However, I don’t consider these similarities a failing, just something that came to mind. Roz feels unique as a character, and I really enjoyed her bond with Brightbill as well as Fink. Fink is an entertaining character, and I enjoyed his progression the most. I wish he got more credit for co-parenting Brightbill in the movie; without Fink, there were several times Roz would have inadvertently killed the gosling out of ignorance. Fink is an essential member of the “family,” and I feel like he gets short-changed in the end.

The cast is an absolute highlight in The Wild Robot. Lupita Nyong’o gives an unrecognizable vocal performance as Roz. I like how she sounds different as she becomes more emotional and involved with her new friends. She initially sounds extremely robotic, but by the end, her cadence is almost human. Pedro Pascal is understated as Fink, but I like the tough exterior and how we learn more about him as the film progresses. I love Bill Nighy and will never, ever complain about him doing voice-over work. Mark Hamill plays a bear named Thorn who comes to appreciate Roz and stand with his community of animals. I thought Paddler the beaver sounded familiar, but he’s actually voiced by Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows). I’ve never seen/heard him in anything before, but he gives a good performance here. Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) voices Vontra, another robot who appears later on. She’s pretty funny and quirky, but I wish they gave her more to do. She’s an amazingly funny and versatile performer, perfect for this type of work. 

The other draw for The Wild Robot is the lovely animation. This was evident in the film’s marketing, which displayed some of the most memorable shots, but not all of them. DreamWorks flexed its creative and technical muscles in The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and now The Wild Robot, which is another step in the best possible direction. I wish Disney was as bold and creative as studios like DreamWorks and Sony Animation. I have been blown away by this modern revolution in mainstream American animation since the first Spider-Verse, and I hope we continue to be amazed.  

I don’t want it to sound like The Wild Robot is the best movie ever made. That’s the only thing in the marketing that gave me pause: the level of praise from critics. I remember quotes about it being the best DreamWorks movie and one of the best movies, period. That’s high praise. Anyway, my only concerns are with the film’s humor and the pacing in the first half. Once Roz first gets Brightbill, I think we needed more time to see him grow. This is very endearing, and I think the payoff near the end would hit even harder. The comedy isn’t a big deal; it can just be a tad juvenile and obvious at times. I guess I’ve finally gotten old because the kids in my theater laughed often and loudly. I think a mixture of this type of humor and something more sophisticated would have been appreciated. 

Overall, I enjoyed The Wild Robot. I’m not sure it’s quite as magnificent as I had hoped, but it’s certainly very good. I nearly cried twice, the animation has to be seen to be believed, and the cast shines both for recognizability and sheer talent. The comedy and pacing leave something to be desired, but they don’t detract from the character arcs and pure emotion on display. I suspect parents and their kids will get a lot out of Roz’s mission, but I would recommend this movie to anyone. We all have parents, and I think anyone can find meaning here.

***

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