The Wild Robot Review
The Wild Robot (2024) Film Review from the 68th Annual London Film Festival, a movie directed by Chris Sanders, written by Chris Sanders and starring Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry and Ving Rhames.
Chris Sanders so eloquently expands his canon of unlikely relationships in the wonderfully affecting and visually exciting The Wild Robot. Lupita Nyong’o and her supporting cast, which includes the likes of Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor and Catherine O’Hara bring humour, expression and emotion to a tale of kindness, motherhood and coexistence between beings, a poignant and beautifully sentimental animated family film.
The opening wastes little time, bursting on to the screen with a bang as friendly helper robot ROZZUM Unit 7143 (Lupita Nyong’o), nicknamed Roz, crash lands on an island inhabited solely by animals. What commences is a 15-minute onslaught of pure visual movement and splendour as our robot gets entangled with the fearing wildlife. It is impressive to see the film begin not with dialogue but with fun and frantic imagery of chaos and confusion as the robot interacts with the animals. One is reminded of WALL-E in that sense, but without the profundity and depth here, instead an electricity of action and visual movement that is worthy in its own right.
It culminates into the film’s central conceit, where in the carnage of her arrival, Roz accidentally crushes a goose nest, leaving only one egg safe. It hatches and imprints on the first thing it sees – Roz. It is told wonderfully through the animation, the sadness of the destruction, the bittersweetness of the surviving egg, all through the perspective of an unthinking, unfeeling robot. And so, Roz must complete her programming, to help and provide service to those she encounters – to raise this gosling and help it to fly. What follows is a touching story of a robot who overcomes her programming of servitude and instead learns to love.
It is a film wholly about that unlikely bond, something reminiscent of Sander’s previous How to Train Your Dragon. He seems interested in these unlikely relationships; in Dragon it is the friendship between man and beast, and here the parental, and more specifically the motherly, love that a robot feels for a gosling. It is utterly charming and efficiently told, with a directness that emphasises its rich emotionality. This expands outwardly into themes of coexistence, where we see even more unlikely and rewarding bonds between all the animals on the island, a satisfying and rewarding celebration of love in community and companionship.
Its animation throughout retains that familiar CGI painterly aesthetic so common in the medium since the revelation that was Into the Spider-Verse. It is detailed and textured, if not as arresting perhaps as some previous instances of animation in this vein. It also has a wonderful rhythm to its images, the frenetic opening only one instance among many of its electric movement. There are equally moments of beauty in its tone and colour, that at times do truly dazzle. All its elements truly complement the emotional intensity of the story.
The film does at times become a little frustrating, however. In a pivotal sequence for the film, where our gosling is learning to fly, it unfolds like a montage that has an original song playing over it. It is slightly grating and doesn’t provoke the same emotional weight the incredible score is capable of doing itself. It sticks out like a sore thumb and takes you out of the scene, discordant with the rest of the film. One is reminded of a similar scene from Sander’s How to Train Your Dragon, where in the culmination of the protagonists’ training efforts, the film erupts into the operatic and euphoric Test Drive sequence, where emotion is narrated so effortlessly by the score. The music complements the scene and acts as a throughline for its emotion, but in The Wild Robot the presence of an original song in its place is obvious and dislocating. There are also one too many jokes, but they are tasteful and bound to be enjoyed by both parents and children alike.
The Wild Robot is nevertheless a terrific animated film. It is a relief to see fresh work from big studios and have it regarded with such depth and care as it is here. From thoughtful animation to a moving story of motherhood and community, Sander’s has crafted one of DreamWorks’ best films in years, and without tying itself to any other franchises, an original and heartfelt film that will be sure to charm and delight all ages.
Rating: 7.5/10
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