Chris Sanders’ ‘The Wild Robot’ is a testament to the versatility of animation, proving it to be a visually captivating medium that never compromises on emotion or intellect. Dreamworks Animation’s latest offering delves into the essence of humanity through the perspective of a robot who discovers a world beyond its pre-programmed boundaries. While the storyline may seem familiar, ‘The Wild Robot’ reiterates the profound impact of kindness and the significance of defying programming.
“The Wild Robot” opens with a Universal Dynamics shipment washing on the shores of an uninhabited island teeming with wild forest animals. When curious otters examine the shipment’s contents, they inadvertently activate Rossum-7134, or Roz (Lupito Nyong’o). The task-completing robot is happy to be of service but cannot find its owner and, therefore, cannot complete its task. Its sleek and mechanical presence goes entirely against its natural surroundings. As such, Roz isn’t equipped to traverse the uncharted land or communicate with animals – all of whom are unhappy to see it and do anything to try to kill it. So, Roz quickly learns what it takes to survive in a world that doesn’t want it. It adapts by mimicking animal movements like climbing on mountain faces and running like a deer or elk. It even develops a way to communicate with all animals in a spoken language.
Though Roz believes she has become part of a community, it knows that it must return to its base of operations. That’s when a nursery of raccoons steals Roz’s transmitter. The chase gives audiences an idea of the terrain while introducing us to the other alpha beasts. It also leads Roz to its destiny as the robot accidentally crushes a goose’s nest, killing all but one of the unhatched gosling eggs. Though it is unequipped to be a mother, Roz takes it upon herself to raise the gosling all the while learning about motherhood from her fellow forest critters. It names the orphan gosling Brightbill, who becomes immediately attached to the first thing it sees.
As Brightbill grows, he too, mimicks the movements and sounds of her mother. However, the stakes are raised when winter approaches and the animals prepare for their respective hibernations and migrations. Brightbill will need to learn how to feed itself, swim, and fly long distances otherwise it will freeze to death. During the process, Brightbill is treated as an outcast by his fellow goslings because he is a runt and was raised by a robot. He also learns the truth about his family before Roz came into his life. The angry runt gosling pushes his adoptive parent away, but Roz doesn’t give up on completing what seems like an impossible task. Like any parent, Roz is protective of its youngling and refuses to pushed away.
Since Roz has taken itself upon to fulfill the crushing obligations of teaching Brightbill to survive independently, its methods are anything but conventional. So it seeks outside help from a devious but kind fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), a fearless falcon named Thunderbolt (Ving Rhames), a loving but exhausted very mother opossum named Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara), a giant grizzly bear named Thorn (Mark Hamill), and a wise elder goose named Longneck (Bill Nighy). Though the animals’ intentions are initially dubious, Roz’s unyielding kindness has an unexpected effect on the forest community. One that goes far beyond helping Brightbill succeed with his first migration and sees them working together to survive a harsh winter.
What makes “The Wild Robot” so prominent is its ability to convey themes about individuality, finding your place in the world, and the parent and child dynamics through Roz’s arc. The robot embarks on a journey of self-discovery while learning about motherhood’s complexities through its relationship with Brightbill and the concept of individuality when it goes against its original programming. However, the film breaks away from what makes it unique when it focuses on Roz’s efforts to return home. There’s no mystery of when it takes place or if humanity exists, but one has to wonder how the film would have played out had it just been about Roz adapting to her organic surroundings. However, Roz comes across an expected threat from Vontra (Stephanie Hsu), a superior robot tasked with retrieving Universal Dynamics’s lost merchandise.
As “The Wild Robot” approaches its third act, the film becomes predictable. Though the tone shifts from a robot learning to be something more than what it was originally programmed to do as it adapted to its current surroundings to an explosive escape from captivity was to be expected, it plays to the themes of Roz maintaining its individuality and the sacrifices parents make for their child.
And “The Wild Robot” wouldn’t get the recognition it deserves without its outstanding voice cast. Nyong’o’s voice work echoes that of a typical robot programmed to perform and complete tasks. It’s measured with equal hints of politeness and robotisim. It’s not quite as cold though as Nyong’o’s voice provides rings with a sense of comfort and safety. It becomes even warmer when its humanity starts to emerge as it forges a motherly relationship with Brightbill and a communal relationship with the island’s animals.
Sanders brings Peter Brown’s acclaimed children’s novel to life, staying true to the spirit of the literature, and has the animation reflecting the illustrative art on the book cover. The forest animals aren’t photorealistic, nor are they anthropomorphized; they are animals that are meant to help ground the the story. And their individual personalities not only make the film humourous and heartfelt, but they also give it a sense of humanity. Everything about the environment that surrounds Roz is organic and has a human touch. Each frame is a giant canvas for the animators to paint artwork of nature and technology working in conjunction, which is then given motion. The textures to the grass, trees, fur, and water washing on rocks are so detailed that there is a tangibility to them, yet the visuals are meant to evoke a sense that the art was created by brush strokes.
“The Wild Robot” is a bittersweet reminder of what can come from being kind to others. Sure, diametrically opposing forces of robots co-existing with animals make for an exciting dynamic and fascinating story, but underneath that is a story about a mother and child, confronting grief, and the importance of discovering your individuality.
“The Wild Robot” opens in theaters on September 27, 2024.
9.5/10
