The Wild Robot (2024)

The-Wild-Robot-(2024)
The Wild Robot (2024)

The Wild Robot movie review: “Sometimes, hearts have their own voices.” We all know that one too sure. But if you need reminding here this DreamWorks film, in which a giant robot, powered by artificial intelligence, opens her bosom to a delicate, abandoned young bird, and their affection changes the face of the woodland forever.

This is an adaptation of the children’s book by author Peter Brown which is why the film quality is very profound and not hastily thought of as a sketch on a storyboard – The Wild Robot uses a hand-painted animation technique, part Disney, part Hayao Miyazaki. The visuals are breathtaking, be it the barren wilderness of Rozzum 7134 or Roz (Nyong’o) – a garrulous robotic figure who possesses a single-minded focus to fulfill commands – who is perched precariously off a cliff only to bid farewell or simply waiting at yet another angst-filled snowstorm. Or the first sight of a gosling Brightbill (Connor) comfortably resting on Roz’s shoulder, imagining the cradle of intricate networks intertwined within her. Or the exhilaration in the interim when Roz and Fink (Pascal) are anxiously anticipating their adopted son Brightbill flying now that he is all grown up. Or the comforting warmth of an Olenya’ Ark fake house which Roz makes to prepare for the dwelling conditions of a brutal season.

Although the music does not drown out the hushed tones of the score written by Kris Bowers, it still leaves an everlasting beautiful impression which is needed. Meaning that The Wild Robot actually allows its characters to speak to each other rather than simply speak in their hearts. A whole horde of animal varieties inhabits the woods where Roz is stranded after a ship sailing with robots who are similar to her crashes. Co-writer Brown’s moniker appears as co-writer Chris Sanders also co-directed this animated film so he made a unique character out of every one of these animals especially since they all preferred to talk instead of chew the fat.

Upon being dropped in the wilderness, Rozzum 7134 can be seen during the first few hours of her life, looking for an “owner” who will give her a task. Considering this alien creature a treasure among her, however, the majority of animals in the jungle make no effort to approach her. Then, out of nowhere, Rozzum discovers an egg and her mind’s eye comes to life with the complex visualization of the being that is in the womb. She opens a mechanical compartment which is located in the human’s body around where the heart should be and puts the egg inside it as a safety measure. According to Rozzum, the fox Fink who aspires to be one of the story’s protagonists attempts to snatch the zygote from Rozzum unsuccessfully. Later, when the egg hatches and the baby gosling comes out, she is told by him, by now christened him as Roz, how to care for babies, especially in her case, how to raise her baby gosling.

Out of the other characters, it was Pink O’Hara (the possum) who explained to Roz about her “task” that entailed care for the baby gosling first and stocking him with enough food to last the baby through winter while still teaching him how to swim and fly so that the baby can fend for himself. Pink does know what she is speaking about though having to rear a brood each reproductive season is draining her fairly limited matriarchal resources.

Then there is Fink, who is clever as a fox, and Roz believes to be a “gosling expert.” More than once, Fink just says let’s eat the gosling they call Brightbill and get over with it.

Animated films, as you have guessed, have their share of moral teachings too and this one is no different. Unfortunately, this one also deals with things like ‘living in a jungle where the first law is to kill or be killed and death is just another day.’ Roz, who has been engineered to harm no one, is confused and remains the same which Fink scoffs at her weakness for ‘kindness.’

Which of the two instincts would survive and why would not be a question for any sane person as by the end of the story, Roz has gathered a forest of animals to fight against the ugly corporate that made her. But, as it is always said, the destination does not matter; it’s the journey that matters. And Nyong’o in her mechanical and emotional performance that gradually breaks as she transforms into ‘The Wild Robot’ in the prime of the jungle, Pascal in his depiction of a desolate fox searching for a pack, and Connor as the jittery gosling in search of warmth, do not allow the audiences to feel that the journey is a long one.

On the other hand, it did have the potential for a longer running time given the film’s inclination toward showing the impressiveness of the international studio responsible for the Rozzum series.

This, however, is the exception. Looking more closely at the pattern, it is always, always directed toward its main plot and its sub message “to learn to process things from the heart”. More so, especially when the viewer has been “programmed” otherwise.

So Longneck (Nighy) as a goose says to Roz “When his wings give up, his heart can balance”, when Brightbill is preparing for the first flight of his first migration.

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