THE WILD ROBOT

USA | 2024 | 101m | English

Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy, Kit Connor, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill

Director(s): Chris Sanders

Rozim 7134 (Nyong’o) exists to receive orders. But on the rugged isle where Roz first boots up, no orders are forthcoming. There’s no owner is to be found and none of the island’s motley menagerie of animals have any use for her skills. Until, that is, she meets Brightbill (Kit Connor), an orphaned gosling who attaches to Roz the moment he’s born. Taking advice from a fox called Fink (Pascal), Roz compiles a set of directives to help Brightbill through his infancy. But in this place where every creature is either predator or prey, learning to eat, swim, and fly isn’t enough. Brightbill needs to negotiate sticky social situations and find entry into a flock before migration season comes. In short, he needs qualities like tenderness and nurturing — things Roz will need to look deep inside her robot soul to find.

Filled with spectacular imagery and hilarious encounters, The Wild Robot is perfect family entertainment. It is also a heartfelt story about the sort of love that only comes from believing in yourself — regardless of what materials you’re made of.

Courtesy of TIFF

TIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS

DATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

The Wild Robot is a visually stunning animated masterpiece that instantly becomes a crowning jewel for DreamWorks Animation thanks to its heartfelt storytelling that will move audiences to tears, breathtaking animation and a triumphant musical score from Kris Bowers that will make your heart soar!

DreamWorks Animation has been responsible for some of the most beloved animated films of the century with titles like Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon, so it comes as no surprise that the latest film from writer and director Chris Sanders is another hit for them. Having been a writer on classic animated films such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, and directed beloved animated films like Lilo & Stitch and How To Train Your Dragon, it comes as no surprise that his latest film is stellar. Based on the children’s book series, The Wild Robot not only is the best animated film of the year that is certain to capture the hearts of viewers of all ages and the best film that Sanders has ever directed, but a new masterpiece for DreamWorks animation that is destined to warm viewers heart and capture their amazement for years to come.

Building upon the animation style of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Wild Robot perfectly pairs computer generated, three dimensional animation with painted art. The results are simply breathtaking, creating one of the most gorgeous looking films of the year. There is a vibrancy in the colours of each shot that is awe inspiring as the paint textures help to create the background of each frame of the film, while the computer generated animation used to bring to life the characters echoes this styling while becoming a three dimensional aspect. It results in numerous frames of the film having the beauty of a work of art that deserves to be hung in an art gallery, such as the shot of Roz holding baby Brightbill in her hand, Roz surrounded by butterflies, or Roz running with the flock of geese trying to get Brightbill to fly against the glow of the morning sun. Animation has truly reached a level of greatness where each film in the genre looks stunning, but The Wild Robot truly raises that already high bar with a marvellous new standard that will be hard to top.

On the surface, The Wild Robot is an endearing story about a robot and the gosling it becomes a surrogate parent for. But the themes explored in the film tell a beautiful story about found family, love and finding one’s place in the world that are certain to connect with audiences of all ages. There is a wonderful sense of humour woven in throughout Sanders’s script that will entertain audiences of all ages, but when the film gets into its second half and begins exploring the themes and ideas it has been setting up, it will hit viewers like an emotional tidal wave. There are truly majestic moments that will lift viewers’ spirits, but also tender and beautiful moments that will have audiences weeping. The pacing is spot on, ensuring that every second of the film balances the beautiful animation and worldbuilding with the individual character arcs of Roz, Brightbill and Fink, allowing every moment of the film to connect with audiences. When all is said and done, it’s an uplifting story that is going to move audiences in ways that they may not be prepared for walking into the film, having an unforgettable and lasting effect on everyone who watches the film.

Leading the film is Lupita Nyong’o, and like every performance she gives, she is spectacular as Roz. Completely losing herself in the character of Roz, Nyong’o captures the highly intelligent life form discovering how the wild works with her procedural driven dialogue. But as the film story progresses, Nyong’o brings a humanity to Roz through her warm and compassionate voice, making Roz one endearing animated character that you won’t ever forget. Pedro Pascal’s voice for Fink is unrecognizable to such an extent you don’t realize it’s him until the credits roll and you see his name listed, but it's a wonderful performance that creates this magnificent character full of cunningness and an entertaining sarcasm that is never overshadowed by the actor lending their voice. Kit Connor is great as Brightbill, capturing the youthful and determined goose with ease, while Bill Nighy is perfectly cast as Longneck with his age and wisdom being a winning match for the character. And much like the aforementioned performances, the remainder of the voice cast of Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Ving Rhames and Matt Berry are all excellent in their roles, helping to build one truly legendary voice cast for this animated film.

As incredible as the rest of The Wild Robot is, the entire film is elevated to new heights by Kris Bowers’s musical score. Capturing the heart and emotion of Roz and Brightbill’s story at every turn, Bowers masterfully composes beautiful melodies and themes that take on a life of their own in the film. Adding a magical quality to every scene that echo the excitement, wonder and emotion of the story, Bowers’s work tightens the grip this film has on your heart strings and ensures that it becomes one unforgettable experience. Never more so noticeable than during the scene where Brightbill takes flight for the first time with a track entitled “I Could Use a Boost” and during the film’s final moments, the score here not only easily becomes one of the best scores that Bowers has ever produced, but unequivocally one of the best scores of the year that will deserves to be played on repeat for days.

At this point of the year, I have no doubt in my mind heralding The Wild Robot as the best animated film of the year and the clear best choice for the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture. Not only is it impeccably crafted by Chris Sanders that delivers an animated visual experience that is gorgeous and unlike any other in the genre, it is also a moving film that is destined to resonate with audiences of all ages for years to come. From a deeply moving story that simultaneously fills the audience’s heart with joy and will leave them an emotional wreck, stunning animation thanks to the combination of painted art and computer generated animation, and an incredible voice cast led by the extraordinary Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot becomes both an animated masterpiece for DreamWorks Animation and the best film of Chris Sander’s directorial career to date!