Based on the 2016 young adult novel by Peter Brown, “The Wild Robot” has quickly become a children’s middle-grade classic. This stirring animated adaptation will have fans of the book thrilled to see Roz’s heartwarming adventure come to vibrant, tear-jerking life with the big screen treatment it undoubtedly deserves.
The Wild Synopsis
Set in a vaguely future Earth, “The Wild Robot” opens with the devastation of a storm that has sent a Universal Dynamics cargo ship crashing into a remote island inhabited by a menagerie of feral animals. Of the five utilitarian robots in the shipment, only one – ROZZUM 7134, or “Roz” for short – walks out from the wreckage. Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) is an android helper designed to fulfill every whim of its human commanders. She is eager to serve and complete every task assigned to her. With no people in sight, her zealous nature attempts to convince the local wildlife that she only wants to help.
In the chaos of her island inauguration, Roz unintentionally destroys a nest, killing a family of geese. She saves the smallest egg, the runt of the litter. With the help of a wily fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), Roz unwittingly imprints onto the impressionable baby goose she christens Brightbill (Kit Connor). Her internal memory and ironclad processor won’t allow her to fail, and Roz works tirelessly to be the mother he lost.
The ageless robot eventually succeeds at teaching the adolescent fowl to fly and swim, and despite the unfortunate circumstances that brought them together, they forge an unbreakable bond. Brightbill may be her surrogate son, but Roz has also found a community in her island neighbors, like the sarcastic mother opossum (Catherine O’Hara), the no-nonsense beaver (Matt Berry), and even the antagonistic grizzly bear (Mark Hamill). They were hesitant to accept Roz into their symbiotic ecosystem. Still, when Roz risks her existence to save them from a deadly winter storm, each learns the true meaning of community, loyalty, and sacrifice.
The Wild Message
In the film’s final act, a tracker bot (Stephanie Hsu) threatens to destroy the island and rip Roz from her acquired home. Ever the realist, Roz surrenders in just one of the film’s many emotionally triggering moments. Taking a page from Pixar’s “Wall-E,” which set the bar high for a children’s robot-led feature film that entertains while exploring elevated themes, topics, and issues, “The Wild Robot” is notably Aesopian in its quest. Though the story focuses on Roz, the journey is not confined to her singular experience but utilizes every character to deliver its messages.
Viewers will grow attached to Brightbill’s coming-of-age saga, which finds him struggling to accept the dichotomy of his upbringing: the horrific truth of his family’s demise and the undoubted blessing of being raised by Roz. Fink, the friendless fox viewed by most on the island as a selfish manipulator, learns what it means to have a relationship, even if his first is with a control board encased in metal. The stubborn beaver eventually grows to accept the help of his well-meaning companions. The grumpy bear finally opens himself up to making connections. The micro lessons are seemingly infinite, though Roz’s character arc is undoubtedly the film’s pièce de resistance that encapsulates the film’s most important themes: friendship, kindness, cooperation, acceptance, and perseverance.
Thankfully, writer-director Chris Sanders does a masterful job of maintaining an equilibrium of story and message. Humor – particularly geared at the adult chaperones – is ingrained into every scene. The heavy parts aren’t gratuitous or poorly paced. They come precisely when audiences are ready for the bird to fly the nest, so to speak.
The Wild Technique
Though animation may, to some, seem like a static medium, one that has remained relatively unchanged over the decades, “The Wild Robot” is here to make you rethink any preconceived notion you may have had about the limits of animation. Riding on the back of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and “The Bad Guys,” both from 2022, viewers may recognize a distinctly handmade style that may have felt more in the graphic novel vein.
Sometimes referred to as 2.5D, the halfway point between 2D and 3D, each frame details the hand-painted brush strokes of attentive artists. It creates an illusion of space and depth, creating more complex and visually striking images. It veers away from the photorealism of CGI and relies on hand-drawn, storybook-like animation perfect for such a personal story.
In “The Wild Robot,” the animation style also plays a heavy part in allowing the viewer to feel part of the story. Roz tearing through the forest and over cliffs in the opening sequence will provide a visceral element to the moviegoing experience. With the imagery, camera movement, and even the very minute details that make up Roz’s physicality, there is no doubt audience members will feel her emotions, even though she’s a robot. The book’s setting comes to life thanks to Sanders’ direction and the talented hands behind the scenes, and to get the true experience of the film, it is best seen on the big screen.
Know before you go
Nightmare Inducers: While there are many long-lasting chase sequences, there are several subtle, blink-and-you-miss-it moments of elevated violence resulting in death that may upset the more observant viewers who are not mature enough for this reality of life. In one scene, the head of a crow is ripped from its body. In another, a crab is thrown into boiling water, then its body parts are torn away in imitation of how humans would consume such a creature. When a noise that sounds like an attacking predator interrupts the scene, the mother opossum, one of the film’s greatest sources of comic relief, makes a casual comment alluding to the death of her child.
Conversations or implications of death and imagery surrounding the violence and brutality of nature are unavoidable in this film and are part of its undeniable charm. While the film’s overriding messages and underlying morals certainly benefit from the stark reality of Roz’s journey through the wild, sensitive audiences should proceed with caution.
Difficult Concepts or Emotions: My 6-year-old, who has not yet read the book, had many questions throughout, as did the younger viewers spattered throughout the theater. Most of the questions were about the jokes that caused the adult viewers to titter and that went over her head. But when it came down to it, the emotional resonance in the film hit both of us equally hard. The prospect of animals dying in the winter, saved only by Roz’s unending idealism and unwavering conviction to help, was emotional. Roz’s final sacrifice saving an entire island of creatures unleashed the waterworks. Brightbill’s realization that Roz had a hand in his family’s demise, as well as his consequential shunning of her, were affecting moments for all. In general, the film may bring about further conversations about animals and the brutality of nature, the inevitability of death and the consequences of human industrialism.
MPAA rating: PG for action/peril and thematic elements
Recommended age: 7+
Runtime: 101 minutes
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