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The Wild Robot is a great movie. Back in Elementary School, either at the Scholastic Book Fair or at bookstore I picked up this novel called “The Wild Robot” because I was in a phase of loving to read every day and the cover looked interesting- I adored reading that book so much and actively remember thinking how it’d be perfectly fit for a film adaptation, well many years later Dreamworks finally adapted that wonderful book into a pretty wonderful film. Due to my past experience with the book, I’ve been very excited for this film since it was announced to be releasing this year and especially after it received rave critical acclaim out of the TIFF Film Festival- my anticipation was so high, the flood of pretty much nothing but hype & buzz for this film reaffirming my excitement. Seeing this film in a packed theater on a rainy day where I’m feeling a little sick, it was incredibly easy to get swept away into the magical hold this film has. This film takes all the ingredients needed to become an immersive, escapist, creatively inspiring, and heartfelt animated experience and blends them all together in a way that’s cinematically captivating- channeling not just the wondrous feelings of magic felt in Disney or Pixar or peak Dreamworks or Studio Ghibli, but the wondrous feelings of animation in general. It’s truly hard to compare with an animated film that understands compelling storytelling & thematics, the scale of filmmaking, and the power that bountifully creative animation can have. This film is quite the beauty, in all those different ways. As a story, it’s a relatively simplistic narrative that follows a simple structure with emotional arcs and ideas that aren’t exactly anything new- but what feels so new and fresh about them is because of the sincerity in which this story is told. Nothing is revolutionary with this narrative, many plot points are simplified down from the original book and some parts of the film are sped through very fastly, and I wouldn’t blame someone who isn’t touched by this film to say it lacks some compelling elements at times- but despite being able to understand those criticisms and minorly take one or two in account, I was very much won over by this film’s story and most importantly its characters.

The messages at hand about finding where you belong and how kindness & care can be used as a survival mechanism are very effective in how sweetly encouraging they are- but thematically this film is something special because of how it conveys themes of parenthood. Parents are going to either adore this film for how much they’re going to relate to it or won’t be interested in it out of fear for how much they’ll relate to it, and if you’re not wanting to cry in front of your kids I’d understand that. This film captures so sweetly, so simply, and so impactfully the sacrifices that parents make for their children physically & mentally- and how rewarding love between a parent and child can be. Heck, I even thought the relationship between Roz and Brightbill was a bit underdeveloped- and I was still incredibly emotionally invested in them as mother and son. I’m a bit disappointed in myself that I didn’t cry in this film like I wanted to, but I absolutely got emotional & blurry eyed at several scenes- many people will definitely find a tearjerking experience in this film, for parents that likelihood is much higher too. As for the characters, I found it impossible not to be very endeared by all of them.

The main character Roz the Robot is an utter delight- hilarious, cute, and grounded in how she showcases a legitimately precise character arc of changing throughout the course of the film to a programmed machine to a fully fleshed out character of multiple dimensions. In the role, Lupita Nyong’o flawlessly encapsulates that change over the course of the film through her voice performance that matches along with that journey and growth- Nyong’o is perfect as Roz, and gives one of the best voice performances of the decade so far. The supporting cast of animal characters are irresistibly lovable too, all of them having great moments of comedy and developing along the emotional path wonderfully. Most notably, I adored the character Fink- he’s such a funny, sly fox side character that’s gradual shaping into Roz’s best friend and a co parent feels very natural, especially given his arc of wanting to be loved. Not to mention, Pedro Pascal gives a fantastic voice performance- I had no idea it was him until the credits rolled, he slips into this character seamlessly and brings out the best in him. Also, I said earlier that this film moves too fast with some plot points and while I stand by with that statement- I will say that this film features some pretty stellar montages, and the screenplay makes up for some of those faults with great dialogue throughout.

As for the animation, wow this film is stunning- distinctly its own paint brushed 3D style bursting with colors and detail that make all the natural beauty of the island & its inhabitants pop with wonder you don’t want to look away from. Gorgeously rendered, detailed animation. Oh boy, Kris Bowers score is a stunner too- it’s the type of grandiose, over the moon animated score that makes you feel like you’re soaring. It’s a score that can be playful in action packed scenes, patient, and honestly breathtaking in when it elevates emotional moments from moving to genuinely beautiful. The scene where the geese fly away, if you’ve seen the film you know which one, is the most emotionally stirring and gut wrenching scene in the whole film- a big reason for that being Bower’s score overwhelmingly beaming with a masterful display of emotional connection through film composition. In terms of the Oscars, yes Inside Out 2 is the highest grossing animated film of all time and would be the safest choice for the academy to comfortably vote Pixar- but this film’s buzz for Best Animated Feature is unlike anything I’ve ever seen since I’ve been following the awards seasons.

People that don’t even care or follow the awards race are calling for and buzzing for this film to win Best Animated Feature- many people confidently believing it’ll win. I still have a tiny bit of reservation because of Inside Out being a critical & audience hit the academy would usually be eager to award- but I’m absolutely predicting this film will win the Oscar, and I do ultimately believe that as soon as it secures the precursors it has the Oscar in the bag. This film will make a ton of money, leave a cultural impact, and is universally beloved as an original animated film that’s emotionally drawing all ages in- it’s got all the juice in the world to be the next Best Animated Feature Winner, and it’d be a great choice. Not to mention, over the past two years Disney/Pixar has lost the Oscar in an unprecedented trend of going for Netflix with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron, and probably that’ll continue with Dreamworks and this film. I’d love for Kris Bowers score to get a Best Original Score nomination but the past two years alone have shown it’s immensely difficult for animated film to get a nomination in that category, especially if you’re not Disney and the category is competitive that year- which this year, the Best Original Score race nominations is quite packed. It’s not impossible, it’ll remain in the conversation all year, and maybe at best get a Golden Globes or Critics Choice nomination but I doubt it’ll get an Oscar nomination at the end of the day- which is a shame. Overall The Wild Robot is a wonderful film that’s emotionally investing in its resonate messages, loveable characters, and undeniably immersive artistry- this is easily one of the best films Dreamworks has ever produced. 

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