With a high output and overstated reputation for delivering pop culture-friendly features, DreamWorks Animation seems to have to work harder when showing off the films they can truly be proud of. The Wild Robot ranks among their best efforts but stands strong with other recent DreamWorks highs such as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Bad Guys. Of course, it’s not hard to see why the buzz is strong with this sci-fi wilderness tale, as it is so clearly evoking classic Disney and Studio Ghibli stories. Fortunately, that’s a strong reference point, as the film looks gorgeous, presents a tale acceptable for almost all ages, and is not afraid of speaking to core aspects of existence. For a film focused entirely on machines and animals, this movie has a lot of heart and intelligence to match.
Throwing us right in, the film begins with a robot emerging from the wreckage of a cargo ship that has run aground on an uninhabited forest island. This robot is a ROZZUM unit that calls herself “Roz” for short. Voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, Roz finds herself in a position where she must learn to communicate with the wildlife she encounters to find purpose. Various circumstances lead to Roz imprinting onto a gosling, leading her to have a new directive – raise the gosling before it needs to leave for its winter migration. During this time, Roz befriends other animals, including a fox, Fink (Pedro Pascal). Through all these events, Roz also discovers that the purposes and commitment she discovers have allowed her to challenge her programming, meaning she’s becoming one with the wilderness.
Throwing us right in, the film begins with a robot emerging from the wreckage of a cargo ship that has run aground on an uninhabited forest island. This robot is a ROZZUM unit that calls herself “Roz” for short. Voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, Roz finds herself in a position where she must learn to communicate with the wildlife she encounters to find purpose. Various circumstances lead to Roz imprinting onto a gosling, leading her to have a new directive – raise the gosling before it needs to leave for its winter migration. During this time, Roz befriends other animals, including a fox, Fink (Pedro Pascal). Through all these events, Roz also discovers that the purposes and commitment she discovers have allowed her to challenge her programming, meaning she’s becoming one with the wilderness.
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Watching a movie like this, as good as it is, does remind me of how American animation differs from the work of Hayao Miyazaki. Writer/director Chris Sanders is undoubtedly putting a lot of effort into a film that feels more intimate than the average DreamWorks film, but when keeping those who inspire him in mind, one can see how clearly this film wants to spell out its themes and ideas in obvious ways. Now, that may speak to communicating good messaging to a vast audience, but I do wonder if a stronger form of cinema could have emerged from this feature, absent some of its choices.
All of that said, I do feel quite strongly about this movie, and it is due to the level of quality being put into this production and the efforts taken to stay true to itself. I’m not familiar with the original book series by Peter Brown, but along with the art direction, having Roz constantly encounter forms of peril that speak to the way nature works means seeing a film not too concerned with taking shortcuts to get around certain moments of danger. Essentially, beauty in this world speaks to both life and death, which is not shied away from, even if we’re dealing with a talking animal movie.
Now, in saying that, it’s actually clever to look at the way this film gets around having the animals be able to speak. It comes from Roz’s technology, allowing her to interpret and translate what these creatures say. It’s an inventive choice in a film with plenty of ideas for what a robot in a future Earth is capable of. The way Roz’s parts can split off and perform their own actions allows for some creative moments. At the same time, wear and tear on Roz leads to wildlife-based repairs that serve as a fitting way to show her integration into this society. Even the notion of what powers Roz and how that taps into the emotions she develops over time makes the effort put into her design all the more meaningful.
All of that said, I do feel quite strongly about this movie, and it is due to the level of quality being put into this production and the efforts taken to stay true to itself. I’m not familiar with the original book series by Peter Brown, but along with the art direction, having Roz constantly encounter forms of peril that speak to the way nature works means seeing a film not too concerned with taking shortcuts to get around certain moments of danger. Essentially, beauty in this world speaks to both life and death, which is not shied away from, even if we’re dealing with a talking animal movie.
Now, in saying that, it’s actually clever to look at the way this film gets around having the animals be able to speak. It comes from Roz’s technology, allowing her to interpret and translate what these creatures say. It’s an inventive choice in a film with plenty of ideas for what a robot in a future Earth is capable of. The way Roz’s parts can split off and perform their own actions allows for some creative moments. At the same time, wear and tear on Roz leads to wildlife-based repairs that serve as a fitting way to show her integration into this society. Even the notion of what powers Roz and how that taps into the emotions she develops over time makes the effort put into her design all the more meaningful.
Visually, this movie is very impressive. Pushing even further on one of DreamWorks Animation’s best decisions in recent years to evolve their visual style, I was happy to see The Wild Robot work as another example of eschewing photorealism for a more heightened artistic approach. The imagery evokes what one would see in concept paintings come to life as if we’re watching one of the most expensive watercolor paintings being animated for our entertainment.
It goes further than just this style, too. Because the film places a sci-fi component into a wilderness atmosphere, seeing how these two distinct forms clash lets the viewer appreciate the notion of a machine adding a different sort of order to the animal kingdom. At the same time, watching the animals and nature have an impact on Roz means seeing this robotic individual have subtle changes in how it looks and behaves beyond the clearly apparent qualities. Even in these characters’ world, there are neat approaches to aspects such as lighting. A fire that occurs later in the film, for example, is given a red hue that makes for a truly dynamic take on such an event without removing the feeling one should have.
It goes further than just this style, too. Because the film places a sci-fi component into a wilderness atmosphere, seeing how these two distinct forms clash lets the viewer appreciate the notion of a machine adding a different sort of order to the animal kingdom. At the same time, watching the animals and nature have an impact on Roz means seeing this robotic individual have subtle changes in how it looks and behaves beyond the clearly apparent qualities. Even in these characters’ world, there are neat approaches to aspects such as lighting. A fire that occurs later in the film, for example, is given a red hue that makes for a truly dynamic take on such an event without removing the feeling one should have.
The importance of these choices speaks to what can be great about animation – reminding an audience that possibilities are endless. Even if I feel The Wild Robot has a narrative confined to only so many options for where it can go, the presentation of what we see feels refreshing. On top of that, Nyong’o brings layers to the voice of a robotic creation that speaks to the arc Roz goes through. Because of this, her character can stand out in the ways other classic robot characters maintain a presence in cinematic history. We are allowed to care for Roz because of who she is, and the designs of this film help bring us closer to what she’s experiencing, along with what the world she is impacting is going through.
I tend to enjoy animated films that feel like true adventure stories. Those are the ones that place limits on having too many extra elements in favor of seeing a journey unfold that can naturally lead to comedy, drama, and action all occurring during this time. The Wild Robot could be reduced to being a dystopian sci-fi survival story at a time when we have many of those, but it has more to offer. It’s a film with views on corporate control, free will, family, and more to grapple with, but it’s not casting fun aside in the process. This is the kind of story that wants its audience to unplug and be enthralled by the trek Roz is on, as there’s plenty to appreciate about being lost in the wild.
I tend to enjoy animated films that feel like true adventure stories. Those are the ones that place limits on having too many extra elements in favor of seeing a journey unfold that can naturally lead to comedy, drama, and action all occurring during this time. The Wild Robot could be reduced to being a dystopian sci-fi survival story at a time when we have many of those, but it has more to offer. It’s a film with views on corporate control, free will, family, and more to grapple with, but it’s not casting fun aside in the process. This is the kind of story that wants its audience to unplug and be enthralled by the trek Roz is on, as there’s plenty to appreciate about being lost in the wild.
The Wild Robot opens in theaters on September 27, 2024.
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