Written by: Chris Sanders
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu
Rating: [4/5]
Technology and nature often sit on the opposite ends of creation, where one originates from something natural and the other from an artificial process run by humanity. Often creating technology comes at the expense of nature, which makes the fusion of these two elements in The Wild Robot a foundation for the beautiful story told. Wildly fun, beautifully animated, and incredibly touching, this film ticks all of the right boxes.
After a storm causes a cargo ship to lose some ROZZUM robots, ROZZUM Unit 7134 “Roz” (Lupita Nyong’o) appears on the shore of an uninhabited island. Now with all of these wild animals around, Roz begins to try and connect with these creatures, which understandably have a fear of this robot that has landed in their habitat.
Tales featuring robots typically carry the same prevailing message regarding their limits stem from the way they are programmed. After all, these robots do not contain sentience; their existence serves a specific purpose for those responsible for its creation. It’s in stories like these where the programming does not matter as much as the experience. It receives and demonstrates a specific beauty The Wild Robot taps into. Nature vs. nurture shows itself for all to see in the way this robot and the animals within this environment build a bond. This bond, however, does not come without some initial obstacles.
Roz’s first interactions with these animals understandably do not go well for her, as she initially wants to inquire about her surroundings, and these animals see her as a threat. You cannot blame the animals, as I would have that same fear in watching this strange robot arrive in my ecosystem and start snooping around. The more time she spends on the island, the more she learns to adapt to the surroundings and learns how these animals adapt to survive in their own way. From crabwalking up a cliff or climbing up a tree, Roz learns so much from her surroundings, but the relationship she develops with Brightbill (Kit Connor) serves as the emotional core of this movie.
Combining the outsider status of Roz with the “ugly duckling” Brightbill presents a wonderful bonding opportunity for each other as she raises the baby goose. Then also throw in the sly red fox Fink (Pedro Pascal), and we have a dysfunctional little found family whose adventures seek to warm the heart, and they very much succeed in that endeavor. They each have their reasons to operate as lone figures based on what’s expected of them and how others view them, but they manage to make it all work with each other. Brightbill has much to learn should he want to survive in an unforgiving animal kingdom, and when in normal circumstances he would make easy pickings for a predator, he has Roz and Fink there for him.
Many rightfully fear the impact technology will have on nature, and Roz does create an impact on these animals, but just not in the way one would initially think. Roz’s presence in a way upends the food chain of predator and prey, and when disaster strikes, that does raise some questions about how these animals will survive given the events that happen within their circumstances. This never exists as an issue humans would care for given our track record, but Roz, while made by humanity, sees the beauty of nature for herself. This proves the central thesis of the film, and it delivers its message quite well.
The animation on display here looks fantastic, as it displays DreamWorks has been on fire recently in the films they are releasing, not just in the animation but also in the touching stories they elect to tell. At a high-concept level, it makes sense why a film like this one would work, but the execution of it makes it all the better, as these animals look unique, and they interface so well with the design of Roz. When things begin to get bombastic and fiery, the animation also displays these wondrous colors, further displaying the lushness of this world and how the destructive elements, both natural and artificial, negatively impact it all. That alone carries the power of this film and the impression it seeks to leave on audiences.
A complete knockout, The Wild Robot presents a fun premise and delivers an emotional haymaker demonstrating the magic of movies. The love felt between these animals and Roz as she finds meaning not through her programming but rather what she experiences holds so much power. This only further accentuates the relationship she holds with the other animals, especially Brightbill, where she does not have the programming to mother this little goose yet finds a way because of the emotional connection that bonds them together. Everything on screen looks fantastic, and Lupita Nyong’o wonderfully voices this robotic friend to bring forth a lovely character within an equally enjoyable film.
