Writer-director Chris Sanders is nothing if not an expert at pairing a loveable outcast with a weird, lonely animal. One of the minds behind classics like Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, Sanders has an unparalleled knack for making us fall in love with complex, earnest protagonists, and with The Wild Robot, he achieves perhaps his greatest feat yet, crafting a beautiful tale that will have you sobbing over an Alexa-esque robot and one of nature’s most vicious and rageful beasts: the goose. Boasting a star-studded cast led by Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Connor and featuring some of the most gorgeous frames of animation you’ve likely ever seen, The Wild Robot is a jaw-dropping and tear-jerking endeavor that immediately cements itself as one of the director’s very best, and possibly one of the best films of the year.
What Is ‘The Wild Robot’ About?
Based on Peter Brown’s bestselling children’s books, The Wild Robot is about a well-meaning robot named Roz (Nyong’o), who awakens on an island where she sticks out like a sore, mechanical thumb amid the lush landscape. Programmed to help whoever she’s assigned to and complete tasks with ease, Roz is stunned to learn that the island is not populated with needy humans but rather a plethora of snarky woodland creatures.
While fending off ravenous wildlife and trying to find her purpose, Roz encounters an egg, which soon becomes an adorable gosling runt. As she takes on the task of raising the young Brightbill (Connor) with the help of the sardonic fox, Fink (Pascal), Roz sheds her stoic robot sensibilities and embraces all that the wild has to offer, learning that motherhood might be her most challenging and rewarding mission of all.
Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Connor Form an Unexpected Family in ‘The Wild Robot’
Anybody who’s seen Lupita Nyong’o perform knows that the Oscar-winning actor’s range knows no bounds. As Roz, Nyong’o’s melodic voice is nearly unrecognizable in its largely monotonous range. However, in forgoing the traditional, stilted robot cadence, she brings much-needed warmth to the character, immediately making us empathize with Roz’s confusion and isolation. Pascal likewise brings great depth to Fink the fox, delivering trademark Dreamworks humor but also a vulnerable sincerity, and heavy-hitters like Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, and Mark Hamill also lend their voices to the ensemble as Pinktail the possum, Longneck the goose, Vontra the tentacled bot, and Thorn the grizzly bear.
When Brightbill goes from a precious baby gosling (voiced by Boone Storm) to an awkward adolescent, we briefly miss the innocence of his young counterpart, but Kit Connor quickly proves that a gangly teenage goose is just as charming as a tiny fuzzy one. Putting on a remarkably convincing American accent in his performance as a goose raised by a robot, Connor holds his own in a cast of seasoned stars.
‘The Wild Robot’s Animation and Score Are Immaculate
Featuring colorful characters and transformative lighting, The Wild Robot looks like a storybook, and features some frames of animation so striking that you would probably be thrilled to have them framed and hung in your home. One particular scene in which a baby Brightbill imprints on Roz features such dazzling light and color that it looks like it belongs in the Louvre, rather than in the frames of a robot movie.
Coupled with the visuals, an original score by Kris Bowers is one of The Wild Robot’s greatest assets. Scenes of geese soaring over stunning landscapes are punctuated by his grand, sweeping music, and soft, tender moments are similarly aided by his evocative musical touch. The score becomes another character in this film, and just as Roz helps Billbright to find his wings, Bowers elevates an already-great film to new heights. Accompanying the score are two original songs sung by Maren Morris, which further ensure that The Wild Robot will not let you leave the theater without having at least once cried into your popcorn.
‘The Wild Robot’ Balances Heart with Laugh-Out-Loud Humor
At the movie’s core are the important messages that we determine our own identities, and that family can be found in all sorts of unexpected places and people. Furthermore, there’s a nice moment in which what makes Brightbill different actually becomes his strength. However, while The Wild Robot largely succeeds when it’s tugging on your heartstrings, it’s also incredibly funny. Chris Sanders’ skill for comedy is evident through a winning combination of snappy dialogue and clever visual gags. While some scenes in the film might actually be slightly too intense for young viewers — a body horror-esque sequence of Roz being dissected by hungry raccoons comes to mind — The Wild Robot‘s overall sweetness and affinity for laugh-out-loud moments will surely win the hearts of children and adults alike.
All in all, The Wild Robot is an incredibly impressive feat of both animation and storytelling, and Chris Sanders has another delightful feather in his ever-brimming cap. A remarkable achievement that proves that animated movies are deserving of elite cinematic status, this Dreamworks gem is sure to become an instant classic, proving once and for all that parenting takes a village, and sometimes a jaded, loving possum.
The Wild Robot had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It comes to theaters in the U.S. starting September 27. Click below for showtimes near you.
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