The Wild Robot Review: Parenting in the Wilderness
Theatrical Movie Review - Animation/Family
I am a firm believer that kids deserve good movies. Sure, kids can be entertained by whatever you put in front of them, but how much better if the media they consume treats them like thoughtful individuals? In his new film The Wild Robot, director Chris Sanders provides both children and adults with a beautiful, powerful film about parenthood, community, and carving your own path.
When ROZZUM7134 (Lupita Nyong’o, A Quiet Place: Day One) wakes up on an island, she immediately begins the search to fulfill her prime directive - to assist anyone needing help. When she accidentally crushes a nest trying to escape a predator, she finds that the tiny gosling Brightbill (Kit Connor, Heartstopper) is the being that she needs to offer aid. When she speaks to the opossum mother Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice), Roz is informed that Brightbill must learn to eat, swim, and fly by the fall migration. To aid her in this quest, she is joined by the island pariah, the fox Fink (Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us), who helps her overcome some of her limitations as a robot and lean more into what it is to be a parent.
What sets The Wild Robot apart from other films of this sort is the way that it approaches parenthood, and specifically motherhood. This movie looks unflinchingly at the realities of life in the wild, as well as the everyday trials of raising a child.
The animation in this film is some of the most spectacular I’ve seen. It is this gorgeous blend of hyper-realism and a dreamy, impressionistic style that draws you in. We watch Roz go from a pristine robot to having parts replaced with organic material and being covered by moss. Fink has a blurred edge that makes him look so soft and cuddly, while his razor-sharp teeth show another part of his nature.
The voice work is truly beautiful. In many films, there is a hint of the actor’s real-life look in most of their animated counterparts, but in this, they bring the characters to life strictly with their voices. Nyong’o and Pascal, in particular, bring a stunning sense of humanity to the anthropomorphic characters they portray. The softening of their voices through the story is subtle but effective.
This film also does an excellent job of balancing humor, excitement, and drama. The Wild Robot takes you on an emotional journey, but never in a way that leaves you feeling whiplash. It is a simple story, for sure, but there is enough uniqueness in this unlikely bedfellows tale to keep the audience engaged.
Because Brightbill is raised by a robot rather than another goose, he struggles to fit in. While learning to fly, he is told, “Fly like you, not like them.” Of all of the messages of The Wild Robot, this is the one that resonated with me. Roz learns to parent in her own way. Fink learns to be a friend in his own way. Brightbill learns to be a leader in his own way. All of them thrive by embracing what makes them unique. That’s a lesson worth learning.
This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on September 29, 2024.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this movie! The blend of hyper-realism and impressionistic animation sounds awesome. I can't wait to see this one!