The Wild Robot (2024)
Directed by: Chris Sanders
Premise: An animated film. An artificially intelligent robot named Roz (voice of Lupita Nyong’o) is stranded on an island. The robot bonds with the wildlife and mothers an orphaned gosling, teaching him to fly before migration season.
What Works: Within science fiction there is a subgenre of stories about artificially intelligent robots that grow into emotionally sophisticated characters such as Short Circuit, Big Hero 6, and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. The Wild Robot is among the better of these films and it takes a slightly different approach. A lot of these robot characters are childlike but Roz of The Wild Robot is a motherly character. It’s really a story about parenthood and being a nurturer. Roz is programmed to be an assistant and her identity is built around successfully completing tasks. The robot becomes caregiver to an orphaned gosling and the process of raising this bird and preparing him to leave the nest is an effective metaphor of parenthood. It’s done extraordinarily well and The Wild Robot ought to play as well for adults as it will for younger viewers. The characterization of Roz is impressive. The robot does not have an expressive face but the filmmakers convey the character’s emotions through Roz’s posture and the activation of her lights and especially through Lupita Nyong’o’s vocal performance. The Wild Robot possesses a curious mix of dark humor and good heartedness. The story acknowledges the violence of nature and Roz’s story has a lot of knowing moments about parenthood. The picture also includes characters that are likable and relationships that are involving. That combination of world weariness and affability gives the movie a touch of wisdom.
What Doesn’t: There is a tension in The Wild Robot’s regard for nature. The ecosystem of the island is initially defined by the struggle for survival. The animals prey on one another and the environment is disposed to kill everyone. This is a remarkably mature take on nature especially compared to the way the natural world is often presented in animated films. However, The Wild Robot pivots toward an anthropomorphic notion of the wilderness with the animals working cooperatively in the style of The Lion King. The filmmakers try to have it both ways. The inconsistency is defensible insofar as The Wild Robot is more about human civilization than it is about nature. The animals are proxies for people. But in taking the anthropomorphic route, The Wild Robot simplifies its portrait of nature and ideas about survival.
Bottom Line: The Wild Robot is one of the best films DreamWorks Animation has yet produced. It is extremely entertaining but also has a maturity and a soulfulness that elevates this picture above similar stories.
Episode: #1016 (October 6, 2024)