When I first saw the trailer to “The Wild Robot” I knew I had to see it. The trailer drew much anticipation from movie lovers and book readers everywhere. The animated film was directed by Chris Sanders and released on Sep. 27. It has received great praise earning 300 million dollars at the box office worldwide.
The robot, Roz, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, is introduced to the audience first coming out of her box. She is a new, shiny robot on an island full of different, wild animals. We witness her try and get tasks from these various creatures, but we understand that she does not belong and she feels the same way. Eventually, Roz ends up adopting a gosling, naming him Brightbill, played by Kit Connor. She makes many friends through the course of the film and these friends learn how to use kindness as a survival skill on this rough island, in order to defend Roz from her makers.
Due to Chris Sanders previous successes with “Lilo and Stitch” and “How to Train Your Dragon” moviegoers could already determine that this film was going to be successful. Also the cast featured big hollywood names such as: like Pedro Pascal, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara and Bill Nighy being present.
The thing that stood out the most to me with this movie was the animation. This motion picture is a visual masterpiece. I could not look away. Upon the first watch of the movie I had this feeling there should have been more to it. There was an emptiness there for me. I expected more and felt disappointed. However, it was upon my second watch that I felt different. I was fully captivated. I noticed things that were not originally there.When seeing it for the first time I just saw good visuals and a good story. By watching it a second time I saw so much more. I can tell the animation drew inspiration from the book with its child-like designs and almost a collage style. The animators try to instill the concept of these plants into the movie without trying to be completely accurate. The plants and environment may not be accurate, but it looks accurate to the brain. The island and anything natural looks like messy paint strokes and a combination of mediums. T Everything is technically advanced and has a finished and appealing look.
“The Wild Robot” did what Disney could not do with “Wish.” “Wish” was supposed to have the revolutionary animation style of mixing a 2D and 3D animation and watercolors to give it a new look. This came off as an odd image. However, “The Wild Robot” used a wide variety of colors and lighting to make every scene unique yet united and tell a compelling visual story.
On top of all this, the film has a great sense of humor and understanding of death and parting with loved ones. At some parts of the film they explain how death is simply a way of life in nature, not something that is normally discussed in animated children’s movies, but combat this by showing how loss can still be impactful on someone.
The movie prompted me to read the book and it was certainly a delightful read and I understand the adjustments they had to make for the motion picture. For example, emphasizing the amount of bullying that Brightbill goes through in the movie is not in the book, but it is vital because it helps Brightbill build up confidence in himself and presents an obstacle he must overcome in the story in order for him to change. Another example is Fink, a fox played by Pedro Pascal, becoming a major character in the movie. In the book Fink does not make appearances often. In the movie his long term presence helps show the character arc of Roz. All of these changes added to the story, not taking anything away.
The words “Hello my name is ROZZUM unit 7134, but you can call me Roz.” has been running through my head ever since watching this film. I fully expect it to win some awards in the future based on how well it has been received by viewers. I will definitely be watching this movie on repeat for a while.
