The best DreamWorks Animation films have always tapped the idea of coexistence as the morale for their stories. From dragons being part of the tribe (“How to Train Your Dragon”) to underdog fairy tale characters joining the big ranks (“Shrek”), their idea of fantasy is rooted in a sense of belongingness.
“The Wild Robot”, Chris Sanders’ adaptation of the children’s book series by Peter Brown, sees a lone robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) as she navigates and fits in the animal habitat. With her default settings ordering her to serve those around her, she will find her calling as the de facto mother of a gosling.
With an animation beautifully designed to feel like a moving hand-drawn painting, the film took its time to build its world. We follow Roz in the first 20 to 30 minutes adjust and learn about her environment, training herself from day to night about the language of each animal. It is a delight to see how the film depicts the family of otters slowly speaking from their language to the one that Roz and the audience can understand.
The moment “The Wild Robot” finds its footing a few minutes in is when its poignancy blossoms before our eyes. This is a tender and heartwarming film about parenthood and where kindness can take all of us, with great voice work from Lupita Nyong’o and Pedro Pascal.
The film deals with many stories to tell, and while the entire thing felt that it could trim a few, it was all resolved in an emotionally packed third act where Roz reflects on her purpose.
After a few misses, “The Wild Robot” finds DreamWorks Animation its best work in a while. It’s also a strong contender as the best animated film of the year.
“The Wild Robot” is now showing in cinemas from Universal Pictures.
Featured photos from Universal Pictures.
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