The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot

An absolutely phenomenal first half hour, stunningly rendered and deeply affecting in its simplicity of storytelling, followed by an hour that unnecessarily complicates itself in both themes and plot. Heart is in the right place the entire time, and the animation is lovely, but there's too much going on as the film progresses, stirring sequences sandwiched in between odd pacing and important emotional beats slotted in at slightly the wrong times. By the end of it it feels like five different movies fighting for a chance to land their thematic material. But again, the first half hour or so is totally worth the price of admission, and one of my favorite acts in any film this year.

GRADE: B

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