𝖙𝖊𝖆 𖤐’s review published on Letterboxd:
Tea-Meter: 10/10
"Sometimes, to survive, you must become more than you were programmed to be."
The Wild Robot was my most anticipated animated film of the year. I went in with massive expectations, and The Wild Robot does NOT disappoint. There's so many wonderful things I want to talk about, so this might feel more like yapping rather than a well-constructed review, but I'll try to stay formal!
I think this might be the most I've ever cried while watching a film. If I remember correctly, I was trying to hold back immense loads of tears five times. I failed five times. These characters and their journeys are masterfully fabricated, and I think you'd have to not be human to not feel anything while watching this.
I don't think this really counts as a spoiler so I'm going to talk about it in this paragraph, but it's about the message of the movie, and if you haven't watched any trailers and want to go into the film completely blind, I'd advise skipping this paragraph as a whole and moving on to the next one. That's my not-really-a-spoiler-but-just-in-case-watch-out! warning. This is a film about not only the complexity of motherhood, but it also contains the message that you don't need to be what the world expects you to be, and although it's made very obvious with lines like the quote I have at the top of this review, it's still just as impactful.
It's not just the messages and story that make The Wild Robot so great though. They play a major role in why I loved watching this so much, but they wouldn't be as great if it weren't for other elements. One of those great elements is the animation. If it wasn't obvious from the trailers or images, this movie is GORGEOUS. The animation style itself is very reminiscent of another Dreamworks release, that being Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. I'm pretty sure Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was the catalyst for the sudden wave of recent 3D-animated films looking more unique, but it's Dreamworks that made this film shine. They've perfected this painting-esque look for animation, and it's proudly on full display in The Wild Robot. The great lighting, shot composition, and stunning color palette make this a visually breathtaking experience.
Another element that really elevates this film is Kris Bowers' score. It conveys joy and happiness, intensity and danger, alarm and peril, and all you could ask for to make every moment as heartwearming or heartbreaking as possible. The most recent of his works that I've listened to was his score for Disney's Haunted Mansion, and although that film wasn't the best, Kris Bowers did a phenomenal job on it too. He proves himself to be a rising talent in Hollywood's music industry, with The Wild Robot featuring of the best soundtracks of the year without a doubt.
The final element to stitch this masterpiece together is the voice acting. Lupita Nyong'o, Kit Connor, and Pedro Pascal give it their all and provide another level of emotion that is rarely seen in animated family films. Lupita Nyong'o's performances especially stood out to me, and she does a perfect job at using her tone of voice throughout the movie to show the changes in Roz's character. The rest of the cast was wonderful as well.
The only real negatives I have with this is that there are a few cringeworthy jokes, but there aren't even a lot, and they don't detract from this experience. Most of the jokes actually hit pretty well, making The Wild Robot an entertaining adventure as well as an emotional one. There was a small child in our row in the theater who was talking very loudly, but she fell silent around 10 minutes in and didn't bother me again.
To put it shortly, The Wild Robot is great. It's far past being a generic or lame kids movie, and it's truly spectacular. Please, everyone, go see this in theaters while you have the chance, and bring a box of tissues with you if you're planning to see it. (This is coming from someone who very rarely cries during a movie.) It's an extraordinary journey that you won't forget.
