tgmacman’s review published on Letterboxd:
Man, am I loving this new animation design DreamWorks has got going on. "The Wild Robot" essentially takes a page out of the book of "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," with even some of the animals looking exactly the same. While "Puss" might've done some legwork, it remains absolutely stunning here, as "The Wild Robot" might even be a better movie all around. Not only that, but it might just be the best thing DreamWorks has ever made.
Before the master storytelling comes into play, "The Wild Robot" wins over the audience with a surprisingly wicked sense of humor. It never downplays the danger inherent in its forest setting, giving adults a plethora of morbidly funny moments at the expense of childlike naivety. It's all part of the film deftly establishing its setting and the stakes at play.
The voice cast in this one is absolutely outstanding, particularly leads Lupita Nyong'o and Pedro Pascal. Both are unrecognizable in their work here, definite contenders for the Annie Awards. Nyong'o nails the generically chipper AI voice so many companies recycle today. However, she's able to layer it as the film goes on, suffusing it with more humanity - for lack of a less ironic word - as the character learns to love and care rather than just assist. Pascal meanwhile could've just coasted on his recognizable celeb casting voice. But instead he reaches to find not only the personality of the character, but the nuances in every line of dialogue. An animated fox could've sounded like all the rest, but Pascal makes it his own.
This is undoubtedly also one of the smartest DreamWorks movies ever made. The themes on the nature of parenthood are so profound and surprisingly honest in parts that they're liable to carry the movie on their own. I guess I can't technically speak to what it means to be a parent, but when a movie can make me believe in something I've never experienced, it becomes filmic truth, and all the more impressive.
Just a few months ago it seemed like Pixar had the Best Animated Feature Oscar sewn up somewhere in the $1 billion+ box office of "Inside Out 2." But now they've got serious competition from DreamWorks, who I think could actually win its first since 2005's "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit." Not only that, but it should win.
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