“Sometimes, to survive, you must become more than you were programmed to be.” Roz (voice of Lupita Nyong’o)
The Wild Robot may be the best animation this year, and that’s considering the estimable Inside Out 2. While Robot contains most of the motifs and tropes of classic animations from Pixar, Ghibli, et al., DreamWorks weaves them easily through an endearing story about smart robot Roz bonding with the wild animals of a remote island, especially a wily fox named Fink (voice of Pedro Pascal). At a time now when the AI revolution is questioned, this fable is a welcome contribution to the argument that AI will be a welcomed addition to the human journey.
The bonds are reflective of the very human story, adapted from Peter Brown’s series about the need for cooperation to overcome adversity and love to make life worth living. These motifs are important enough to make the artificiality of talking animals and exotic aliens believable, largely because the ideas come from sincere characters not driven by greed, but striving to survive over winter and the invasion of dangerous robots. And all this humanity has rarely a human in sight.
The backgrounds are animation lush, painterly like those of Miyazaki, and maybe that’s its charm because the story and its messages are tied to character and visuals. As the story progresses, the action is ramped up to satisfy those who want explosions and villainy. The runt goose, Brightbill (voice of Kit Connor), abides through it all even though he “was never supposed to make it this far,” says Longneck (voice of Bill Nighy). He best of all represents the resilience of Nature, and by figurative extension, humans.
In other words, The Wild Robot, seemingly influenced by Brad Bird’s classic The Iron Giant, has everything to satisfy animation freaks and story tyrants. Its heroine has the best of human emotions, encouraging love and cooperation, traits the Mideast and American politics should seize in their quest for peace and parents could learn from about the challenges of parenting.
The Wild Robot
Director: Chris Sanders
Screenplay: Sanders, adapted from Peter Brown series
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Pedro Pascal (Kingsman: The Golden Circle)
Rating: PG
Length:1h 41m