'The Wild Robot' review: Dazzling piece of animation interested in adaptation
Published in Entertainment News
Nature and technology collide and then come together in the narrative of the new animated film “The Wild Robot."
That feels particularly fitting considering the visually dazzling and heartfelt movie couldn’t have been made without both the latest and greatest tech has to offer and extremely talented people.
Based on the bestselling and award-winning 2016 middle-grade book of the same name by Peter Brown, “The Wild Robot” lands in theaters on Sept. 27.
On the screen, the titular advanced piece of machinery — ROZZUM unit 7134, which will become known as “Roz” — is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. Well, it’s uninhabited by people, but it is teeming with animal life. As the robot attempts to activate the beacon that will help the company that made it to locate it, the animals investigate the invader, considering her to be a “monster” and giving her a decidedly hard time.
With the beacon quickly damaged, Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) goes about exploring the unfamiliar territory, soon finding a gosling egg — which a fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal) very much would like to eat.
Nevertheless, Roz and Fink enter into an uneasy alliance to protect the now-hatched gosling, Brightbill (Kit Connor, "Heartstopper"), even as Roz has her reservations.
“I do not have the programming to be a mother,” she tells a friendly possum, Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara, "Schitt's Creek").
“No one does,” says Pinktail, a mother herself.
Overcoming one’s programming is a major theme of the story that unfolds as Brightbill grows — away from the other larger goslings, some of whom bully him.
Roz and Fink do their best to teach him to swim and fly — the latter skill something he must master because of a ticking seasonal clock.
As the tale progresses, this unusual mother-son relationship endures the requisite ups and downs. When Brightbill gets a fuller picture of how he became in the care of Roz, he becomes rather upset.
Fortunately, a wise older goose, Longneck (Bill Nighy), takes Brightbill, well, under his wing as the migration time approaches.
Meanwhile, the island’s residents — who also include intimidating grizzly bear Thorn (Mark Hamill), task-focused beaver Paddler (Matt Berry) and falcon Thunderbolt (Ving Rhames) — face a couple of serious challenges to their well-being. Fortunately, Roz is there to help all of them, despite her rough introduction to their home.
One of the threats comes in the form of Vontra (Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”), a robot who arrives late in the game with her own plans for Roz.
In the hands of writer-director Chris Sanders (“How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Croods”), “The Wild Robot” is lively — it's an adventure with a pulse that delivers serious thrills here and there. It’s emotionally impactful, too, if not to the level of several animated classics, among them a movie it certainly brings to mind, 1999’s “The Iron Giant.”
Again, “The Wild Robot” is a feast for the eyes, thanks to Sanders collaborators including production designer Raymond Zibach (“The Kung Fu Panda” series) and the head of character animation, Jakob Hjort Jensen (“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”). Their work is especially impressive when it comes to the cleverly designed Roz, who is a marvel to look upon and to watch move.
Their work on the character is complemented nicely by performance choices made by Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave,” “A Quiet Place: Day One”), the warmth of Roz growing as her character’s satisfying arc plays out.
The next most notable bit of voice work is turned in by the always delightful Nighy (“Living”), who gives Longneck quite a bit of personality without overdoing it.
We wouldn’t mind a little bit of overdoing it by Pascal (“The Mandalorian,” “The Last of Us”), who’s just a bit too understated as Fink.
Ultimately, any gripes with “The Wild Robot” are minor. This is an easy recommendation for families looking for a slice of entertainment that should offer something for a wide range of ages.
While the movie doesn’t conclude on a cliffhanger — at least not exactly — Brown has penned two sequels, “The Wild Robot Escapes” and “The Wild Robot Protects,” so there’s a good chance we’ll see further adventures of Roz on the big screen.
That’s a bit of programming we would not try to overcome.
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‘THE WILD ROBOT’
3 stars (out of 4)
MPA rating: PG (for action/peril and thematic elements)
Runtime: 1:41
How to watch: In theaters Sept. 27
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