by Tim Gordon
A robot designed to assist humans finds herself stranded on an island populated exclusively by animals in The Wild Robot.
Rozim 7134 is a service robot, designed to receive and fulfill orders. After being shipwrecked on a rugged island, Roz boots up and finds no one to give her any orders. Unable to find any work and unable to communicate with the animals on the island, Roz shuts down and starts learning. When she restarts, after being attacked, she has learned the language of the animals and can communicate but still has nothing to do. She comes across an egg that hatches and meets Brightbill (Kit Connor), a gosling. Brightbill attaches to Roz as its mother. Not knowing the nature of motherhood, a fox named Fink explains the orders necessary for her to complete as a mother which are teaching him to eat, swim, and fly. Soon Roz realizes that being a mother is so much more.
Based on the bestselling children’s books by Peter Brown, Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch) writes the screenplay and directs The Wild Robot. The film from DreamWorks Animation features the voice talents of Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Ving Rhames, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, and Catherine O’Hara.
Most of the time with voice-over acting, a bit of recognition occurs when a prestigious star uses their voice. For many in this movie that is the case. Ving Rhames plays a bear. Pedro Pascal plays the best fox since Jason Bateman in Zootopia. Their voices are recognizable. Lupita Nyong’o. Her voice is so unique and robotic, that it is strangely unidentifiable. However, it is completely adorable at the same time. Nyong’o voices most of the film and many other voices support her performance.
The screenplay for the movie is a bit of a compilation of pieces from the three “Wild Robot” books written by Peter Brown. Brown confessed that the first book was a little simple and redundant so for a film, he expounded upon the first book using the others for a more complete screenplay. Sanders’ screenplay explores not only the nature of motherhood but the nature of nature. The film illustrates the complex systems of life within the wilderness and how the introduction of foreign materials can affect the whole ecosystem. Fortunately, it feels more NatGeo than Greenpeace in its analysis.
Rated PG for action/peril and some thematic elements, The Wild Robot begins as an incredibly cute, animated film about the interaction between a robot and a bunch of forest animals. By the end, it becomes a study of what motherhood is and the extent to which parents sacrifice for their children. The movie is pleasing to watch and packs an emotional punch.
The Wild Robot is in theaters starting September 27, 2024.
Grade: B