Cinematic Point Of View

It’s been a while since I enjoyed, what might be considered, a mainstream animated movie like The Wild Robot. I knew that the film was based on a series of popular books but I had not read them, so I went in mostly blind. The film boasts an impressive voice cast including Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, and Mark Hamill, just to name a few.

The Story

The story is about a robot, named Roz, that awakens on the shore of some unknown island with the remains of a broken cargo container around her. We quickly learn that she is a service robot, built to serve anyone and everyone, quick to adapt to any situation, and relentless in her pursuit to complete a mission. She’s the terminator of to-do lists.

Roz works tirelessly to learn and fulfill the needs of the varied wildlife of the island, much to their dismay. You can’t not like her for trying. The animals want nothing to do with her…that is until she comes across an egg. That egg hatches into a duckling and bonds with Roz as it’s mother. And story takes off from there….

What I Love About The Film

The animation is absolutely stunning. Like Spiderverse stunning. Vivid eye-popping colors. It’s stylized and fluid, and washes over you like a painting.

I love all the characters, and there are a lot of them. Even with limited screen time, they give each animal enough witty dialogue that they stand out and feel real.

I love that there is a lot of casual conversation about death. It might sound odd and slightly uncomfortable at first, but man it’s a good conversation to have in such a simple, honest way. We never talked about death that much in my house growing up, even with pets passing. I think with my eye injury, all talk of painful things was pushed aside. Not healthy at all of course, but years later it’s good to look back and realize our mistakes. The Wild Robot brings the conversation out in the open.

I love the mothers in this movie. They get the job done and they don’t put up with any flack. It’s not heavy handed it’s just real life. The possum Mom is a particular favorite.

I loved the musical score by Kris Bowers. Romantic and epic, it pulls at your heartstrings and gets you inspired. There are a couple of lyrical songs in the film too, which isn’t usually something I like, but I guess I was feeling extra parental with my family around me in the theater. Those songs got me them too.

I love the running time. I know that sounds strange but with average move times running well over 2 hours these days it’s nice to enjoy a story that is efficient and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. It never drags, which is rare.

On that same note, I love how the film handles the emotional moments. There are many and they are strong, but they somehow they don’t suffocate the moment. They get you feeling but they don’t clobber you with those feelings. I appreciated the restraint by the filmmaker. It makes the entire them very accessible to all ages, and types, of movie lovers, if that makes sense. Not too sweet and not too salty.

Final Thoughts

I loved The Wild Robot. The animation. The story. The music. The characters. It made me want to check out the books. I hope they make a sequel. Ultimately, this is a film about about family, finding your place in the world, working together, and the many seasons of life.

I highly, highly recommend it.