Thoughts: The Wild Robot

Based on the children book series of the same name, The Wild Robot is a heartfelt tale of parenthood that hits you right in the feels. Coming from DreamWorks Animation, I was hard pressed to believe the praise that came from the same studio that released Trolls Band Together, Kung Fu Panda 4, the upcoming Shrek 5, and last year's Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. The marketing trailers for this film didn’t help either as it pins the story as a robot lost in the woods, but the end product is so much more. 

From the creative team behind the animated version of How to Train Your Dragon, Chris Sanders delivers another spectacular film with the same themes of found families, and feelings of isolation that makes The Wild Robot a standout film amongst the other properties at DreamWorks Animation. Every step this film takes feels both robotic in nature and succinct in practicality as our lost robot, Roz, survives each obstacle in a classic science vs nature fight. It pulls at the classic parenthood conundrum of nature vs nurture with Roz taking care of an egg as it hatches into a bird that must fly south before the winter storm arrives. Along the way, Roz bonds with the natural surrounding animals which helps Roz to take on a parental figure of all the animals on the island. This dynamic interaction helps build the tension through the film that drives home the different themes layered throughout the film. 

Here is a brief spoiler that the trailers hide very well like it’s keeping a secret from the audience who might dismiss this animated classic - there are talking animals. People may roll their collective eyes at this, but the way it’s portrayed in the film is very similar to how Avatar: The Way of Water handled its transition from the Na’vi language into English with ease that even a child could follow.

There’s a very good reason why The Wild Robot has a very high score amongst reviewers and moviegoers alike. This film is heavily layered with opposing dynamics that plays it cautiously into a children’s movie, which makes it a great watch for adults as well. It can feel simplistic in goals, but complex in nature which makes it an obvious standout success amongst the other sequel heavy films at Dreamworks Animation. A recommend for kids and adults of all ages.