THE WILD ROBOT (2024)

Genre: CG Animation
Director: Chris Sanders
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Kit Connor, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: UIP
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 26 September 2024

Synopsis: From DreamWorks Animation comes a new adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot. The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

Movie Review:

At a time when talk about Artificial Intelligence, and in particular Generative AI, is all the rage, ‘The Wild Robot’ is a timely, and we dare say timeless, story about the unexpected bond that develops between a robot and an orphaned gosling. That may sound bewildering for the uninitiated, but those familiar with the 2016 bestselling children’s book by Peter Brown on which the movie is based will tell you that it is a deeply heartwarming tale about many things.

Adapted by writer-director Chris Sanders (‘Lilo and Stitch’; ‘How to Train Your Dragon’), ‘The Wild Robot’ retains everything that makes the novel so beloved and more. It opens with Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) – short for Rozzum Unit 7134 – washing off a cargo ship in a storm and ashore on a remote island in the middle of nowhere, where she goes about zealously searching for a task and frightening the entire denizen of creatures on the island in the process, until she stumbles upon a newly hatched gosling who imprints on her.

Roz sets herself three tasks to do for the gosling she eventually names Brightbill (Kit Connor) – how to feed; how to swim; and how to fly. She gets some unexpected help from a wily fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), who initially seeks to exploit Roz’s guilelessness for his own benefit but then over time grows a genuine affection for both Roz and Brightbill. As you may suspect, Roz too changes over time, so that instead of discharging these tasks mechanically, she develops a maternal instinct over not just Brightbill but also the rest of the animals on the island.

Without giving too much away, let’s just say the last third changes the otherwise breezy pace of the earlier acts, giving the proceedings surprisingly urgency with the arrival of a harsh winter that requires Brightbill to be able to demonstrate both the dexterity and tenacity of migration, as well as compels Roz to become a true hero of the wildlife of the island (and hence living up to her title as ‘the wild robot’). It is also in this final act that the relationships carefully cultivated over the course of the movie truly pay off, and we mean this not just for the bond between Roz and Brightbill but also the other animals such as a mother possum (Catherine O’Hara), a stoic falcon (Ving Rhames) a grizzly bear (Mark Hamill) and even a determined beaver (Matt Berry).

What really left an impression on us though is its treatment of the universal need of belonging, exemplified in how Roz, Brightbill and Fink come together. Just as he did with Lilo and Stitch and with Hiccup and Toothless, Sanders nurtures with poignancy how Roz’s detachment evolves into care, warmth and even love, empowering Brightbill to ultimately find his place amongst his own species. That sense of belonging is also reflected in how Fink’s self-centredness gives way to selflessness, first over Roz and Brightbill and then over the rest of the animals on the island.

Just as stirring is its portrayal of nature versus nurture – this is in how Roz overwrites her initial programming to develop a whole new set of code based on feelings and emotion; this is also in how Brightbill overcomes his physical shortcomings with sheer perseverance, even demonstrating leadership in the process; and this is also in how the animals overcome the natural pecking order of predators and prey to band together against the existential threats that could wipe all of them and their habitat out. To be sure, that doesn’t mean it candy-coats certain realities; in fact, unlike most family-targeted toons, it doesn’t get sentimental about death, and instead regards it as part and parcel of the circle of life.

Underlying these themes is careful attention and focus on character-building, and in this regard, both Sanders and Nyong’o creates a deeply immersive portrait of Roz. Comparisons with ‘The Iron Giant’ or ‘Wall-E’ are inevitable, but that doesn’t diminish their achievement in imbuing what is two spheres and four limbs with this much heart and wisdom. Just as significant is the visual design of the film, which aims less for verisimilitude than expressionism in its gorgeous rendering of nature, adding touches of wonder and whimsy to make the storytelling even more vivid.

Truth be told, we had not expected much about ‘The Wild Robot’, but thanks to both the artistic and creative licence that Sanders has taken with the material, this unassuming animation is quite possibly the best one you’ll see this year. Through its coming-of-age story of a domestic servant automaton, it takes you on an incredible journey about nature, nurture, and most importantly, discovering where and with whom you belong. We urge you to discover this movie for yourself and even to take your family to experience it together with you, because this leap of technology is one of the very few that can also boast will make your heart leap.

Movie Rating:

(Gorgeous, heartwarming and deeply moving, 'The Wild Robot' is one of the most transformative animations in a while, especially in its portrayal of belonging and nature versus nurture) 

Review by Gabriel Chong