The Wild Robot (2024) – 8.5/10 – Relatable family-friendly film about the power of kindness
THE WILD ROBOT is a superb animated film from DreamWorks Studio, deserving of its three Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature, Best Sound, and Best Achievement in Music. While it didn’t win any, I thought it should have for Best Animated Feature Film. It’s a brilliant and charming film that considers themes such as compassion, harmony, acceptance, nature, and the triumph of love. It’s a transcendental experience with lessons and themes that connect to humanity. The fresh feel captivated me from the start, remaining engaging. Roz, the main character, oozes with heart, guiding the island’s animals to become their best selves. While it may seem like a kids’ film, everyone can enjoy it. Roz’s kind soul leaves everyone inspired, emotional, and filled with warmth. The official tagline given for this film is “Sometimes, to survive, you must become more than you were programmed to be.” And it’s right on point!
A massive typhoon sinks a cargo ship filled with ROZZUM robots during transport. One robot, ROZZUM 7134 aka Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), ends up on an inhabited island. A curious beaver accidentally activates Roz by mistake, and Roz scares away the animals into hiding, thinking she is a monster. Instead of lashing out in response, Roz uses her AI chip to analyze and learn the language of every animal species. To succeed, her AI program must quickly learn to adapt to new situations and connect with many kinds of creatures. She bonds with a sly fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal) and helps raise an adorable gosling named Brightbill (Kit Connor). They must work together to survive as each challenge strikes the forest’s animals.
THE WILD ROBOT is relatable, funny, and touching. This animated masterpiece reminds me of Pixar films. Pixar, once the top animation studio, has been matched and often surpassed by other studios like DreamWorks in recent years. I found the best aspects of this film are incredible visuals, charming characters, emotional voice-acting, meticulous sounds, and a wonderful script. The gorgeous depictions of the forest and its animals left me awed. Ingenious storytelling and art bring Roz and the other creatures to life. The star-studded voice casters include the three mentioned above, Mark Hamill, Ving Rhames, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, and others. Nyong’o’s remarkable and poignant performance as Roz was captivating. Pascal and Connor, as Fink and Brightbill respectively, were fun and heartwarming to watch.
Would I recommend this? Yes, I recommend THE WILD ROBOT. If you’re a curious kid for life, this film is a must-watch. Even though the story may feel somewhat predictable and not original, this film left me with a sense of wonder and curiosity. It’s infused with twinkling magic and timeless spirit, essential ingredients to keeping alive and guarded from the extreme cynicism of the world. THE WILD ROBOT reminds me of TARZAN and JUNGLE BOOK. My rating is 8.5/10.
*Any trivia facts were obtained from IMDB’s trivia page and plot/name information from Wiki
