Director Chris Sanders is no stranger to making beautiful and emotional animated stories like the How to Train Your Dragon series and writing on all time-classic films like The Lion King, Mulan and Lilo & Stitch. That streak is set to continue with arguably 2024’s best animated film The Wild Robot, an adaptation of Peter Brown’s children’s book of the same name.
The movie’s opening frames showcase some of the best artistry produced by a mainstream American animation house, this industry so often it seems, focus more on jokes rather than the work’s artistry. Fortunately, here each scene is intrinsically fused with colour and art brush strokes that deliver some of the best animation ever seen on screen.
Lupita Nyong’o voices ROZZUM 7314, or Roz as she is affectionately known, a robot that crash-lands on an uninhabited island. Roz is programmed to assist a master, she initially searches for someone to help, leading to hilariously touching moments as she desperately tries to fulfill her purpose.
As Roz encounters the island’s quirky inhabitants, including Fink the fox (Pedro Pascal), Pinktail the possum (Catherine O’Hara), Thorn the bear (Mark Hamill), and Paddler the beaver (Matt Berry), she quickly learns that nature is both beautiful and dangerous. One of the film’s standout qualities is its fearless approach to the theme of death—once a vital lesson in children’s stories, it’s often avoided in modern animation. Here, nature is charming but can also be deadly.
The story takes a poignant turn when Roz accidentally destroys a bird’s nest, leaving only one surviving egg. When it hatches under her watchful eye, the tiny duck, Brightbill (Kit Connor), imprints on Roz as mother. In nature, runts often struggle to survive, but this one has an unexpected ally: a robot mother who has to teach her to eat, swim and fly to migrate for the winter.
“The Wild Robot” shares thematic elements with Sanders’ “How to Train Your Dragon” and “The Iron Giant,” weaving a timeless story of a robot challenging its programming. Yet, Sanders doesn’t simply replicate these influences; he crafts a unique blend of tension, humour, and elegance.
The film is filled with unexpected humour, often poking fun at the harsh realities of wildlife, yet it remains heartfelt throughout, rarely veering into manipulation. The visual beauty is complemented by some truly stellar voice performances, particularly Nyong’o, who infuses warmth into her character. Kris Bowers’ vibrant score further enhances the experience. You can sense the difference between a project driven by profit and one fueled by artistic passion, and “The Wild Robot” radiates the latter. This dedication resonates, especially in an era when much children’s entertainment feels like a cash grab.
At its core, “The Wild Robot” explores the relationship between parents and children. Roz learns that motherhood is challenging and that sometimes the best way to nurture a child is to break free from the confines of programming and follow her heart. In the end, it’s about embracing the wild within us. The Wild Robot boasts some truly gorgeous animation that is infused with a truly emotional tale that will struggle to leave a dry eye in the cinema.
The Wild Robot is in cinemas Thursday September 19 courtesy of Universal Pictures.
