Crying into my popcorn was not something I was expecting to happen this past Sunday evening, especially to a movie raved about by second graders, but here we are.
Released on Sept. 27, “The Wild Robot” took the box office by storm, making over 269 million dollars in its first month. Earning an impressive 98% on “Rotten Tomatoes”, Chris Sanders’ newest Dreamworks project has left audiences feeling like they can accomplish anything, no matter who they are. Known for masterpieces such as “How to Train Your Dragon”, the heart that oozes out of any Dreamworks film is evident, and this awe-inspiring animated film is no exception.
Based on a series of novels written by Peter Brown, the movie propels the audience into action. Placing the movie-goers into the point of view of a lost and dismantled robot as it awakens after a shipwreck, curious otters are seen taking a look at the new and foreign object as it lay washed ashore on a deserted island only inhabited by a series of wildlife.
Learning the droid is a futuristic and highly developed robot designed to meet every human desire, ROZZUM Unit 7134, voiced by award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o, finds herself in a world she was not created for. Attempting to follow her programming, the ROZZUM robot, later known as Roz, is alienated. Deciding to override her hardwiring, Roz finds herself in an accident that leaves her taking care of a young gosling, Brightbill, voiced by rising star Kit Conner, alongside Pedro Pascal as the sly fox Fink. The star studded cast also includes Bill Nighy as Longneck the wise, gray feathered goose, Mark Hamill as Thorn the menacing grizzly bear and Stephanie Hsu as Vontra, a bot whose allegiance lies with Universal Dynamics, the creators of the ROZZUM bots.
Seated in the back row of an AMC Marquis 16 theater, the last thing I was expecting was for a children’s movie about a lost robot to leave such an impact. While the theater directly reflected the target audience, with kids from ages three to nine nestled into their red leather recliners, there was also a surprising mix of younger and older adults. While laughter, gasps and nose blowing were heard throughout the film, nothing cemented the movies main themes more than the exchanges of hand holding and hugging observed at the films conclusion, as teary eyed mothers and fathers alike embraced their children. A movie truly for all ages, motifs of found family, survival and the complexity of love are depicted marvelously.
With “The Wild Robot” being a Dreamworks production, I knew going in that the animation was going to be jaw dropping, but I was still floored by the picturesque beauty before me. Scenes involving the wonder of a night sky illuminated by a full moon, and the stunning imagery of a swarm of butterflies escaping into a flower filled meadow will be forever cemented in my brain as some of the greatest in animation history. Nothing will beat the adorableness of the baby animals either.
For Christian Sehlmeyer ‘26 the scene that stood out the most included Thorn. “I liked when Roz and Fink rescued all the animals from the snowstorm. It was cool to see the evil grizzly turn into a teddy bear,” Sehlmeyer states.
While the newest Chris Sanders film may be geared toward families, I believe it is a masterpiece of animation that will impact anyone who watches. If you’re anything like me, I highly recommend the movie, and make sure to bring some tissues!
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