← Back to Reviews
in
The Wild Robot follows ROZZUM Unit 7134, or Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), a service robot that has been left stranded on a remote island after a shipwreck. Without anyone else needing her services and trying to adapt to her surroundings, Roz becomes the caretaker of Brightbill (Kit Connor), an orphaned goose, along with Fink (Pedro Pascal), an initially opportunistic fox with a good heart. Together, they help Brightbill prepare for his eventual migration, while working out clashes among the rest of the wildlife, battling the elements, and preparing for the inevitable retrieval of Roz by its manufacturer.
This is one of the animated films nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar and you can clearly see why. You can say The Wild Robot follows the same beats as other films like The Iron Giant, or countless others where you have reluctant parties working out their differences for a common goal. But even though it doesn't really tread a lot of new ground, it does what it does with an undeniable heart and charm while boasting some solid casting and gorgeous visuals.
The voice work from Nyong'o and Pascal is nearly flawless. One interesting thing is that I didn't really notice who they were until later, which means that their "starpower" wasn't necessarily distracting from what was on screen. They are also complemented by an impressive cast that includes Mark Hamill, Bill Nighy, Ving Rhames, Catherine O'Hara and Stephanie Hsu, among many others. Even though one might argue there is a bit of overload of characters, as far as vocal performance goes, there really isn't a weak link among all of them.
The other thing with the film is how gorgeous the animation is. I found the way the colors pop and the animation flows to be very pleasing and beautiful. All of these assets are paired with a charming and touching story that, although somewhat predictable and not necessarily innovative, still manages to raise some interesting questions about human/not-human nature and what our purpose in life might be, which I found to be very effective. Not only did my kids loved it, but so did their father (i.e. Me!)
One of the main plot-points of the film has to do with Roz overcoming her initial programming to be and do much more. This is highlighted by the above quote which she repeats a couple of times, but it also applies to Fink, and other creatures in the film. It is a beautiful message that tells us how we can be so much more than what others expect. As far as the movie goes, it certainly became more than I thought it would be, and would be my top pick for the Oscar (if it wasn't for a certain cat).
Grade:
THE WILD ROBOT
(2024, Sanders)
(2024, Sanders)
"Sometimes to survive, we must become more than we were programmed to be."
The Wild Robot follows ROZZUM Unit 7134, or Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), a service robot that has been left stranded on a remote island after a shipwreck. Without anyone else needing her services and trying to adapt to her surroundings, Roz becomes the caretaker of Brightbill (Kit Connor), an orphaned goose, along with Fink (Pedro Pascal), an initially opportunistic fox with a good heart. Together, they help Brightbill prepare for his eventual migration, while working out clashes among the rest of the wildlife, battling the elements, and preparing for the inevitable retrieval of Roz by its manufacturer.
This is one of the animated films nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar and you can clearly see why. You can say The Wild Robot follows the same beats as other films like The Iron Giant, or countless others where you have reluctant parties working out their differences for a common goal. But even though it doesn't really tread a lot of new ground, it does what it does with an undeniable heart and charm while boasting some solid casting and gorgeous visuals.
The voice work from Nyong'o and Pascal is nearly flawless. One interesting thing is that I didn't really notice who they were until later, which means that their "starpower" wasn't necessarily distracting from what was on screen. They are also complemented by an impressive cast that includes Mark Hamill, Bill Nighy, Ving Rhames, Catherine O'Hara and Stephanie Hsu, among many others. Even though one might argue there is a bit of overload of characters, as far as vocal performance goes, there really isn't a weak link among all of them.
The other thing with the film is how gorgeous the animation is. I found the way the colors pop and the animation flows to be very pleasing and beautiful. All of these assets are paired with a charming and touching story that, although somewhat predictable and not necessarily innovative, still manages to raise some interesting questions about human/not-human nature and what our purpose in life might be, which I found to be very effective. Not only did my kids loved it, but so did their father (i.e. Me!)
One of the main plot-points of the film has to do with Roz overcoming her initial programming to be and do much more. This is highlighted by the above quote which she repeats a couple of times, but it also applies to Fink, and other creatures in the film. It is a beautiful message that tells us how we can be so much more than what others expect. As far as the movie goes, it certainly became more than I thought it would be, and would be my top pick for the Oscar (if it wasn't for a certain cat).
Grade: