Right from the start of this site, I decided to avoid popular movies as I thought they didn’t need my review or recommendation. After all, the chances are you’re probably going to check them out on your own. However, as time went by, I started to include them in my movie recommendations. After all, in this fast-paced world we live in, it’s easy to lose track of the releases. The Wild Robot is a charming and heart-warming animated movie about a robot who adopts a young goose, gosling to be more precise and starts to overcome his programming while caring for it. It’s based on a novel of the same name by Peter Brown. That’s a novel for kids so don’t be surprised that the story will feel a bit stereotypical and predictable.
What makes The Wild Robot different are the numerous cool technological references. At least that was the clincher for me. For example, our wild robot is called ROZZUM Unit 7134 a clear reference to R.U.R. by Karel Capek. R.U.R. means Rossum’s Universal Robots and in this 1920 play, we hear the first mention of the word robot. At this moment Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City, and I, Robot) is producing a movie based on that play. We also have the whole adaptive AI thing, the vision of a futuristic society, and so forth. I don’t want to reveal everything to you. However, I also want to say that the movie’s main themes are motherhood, alienation, and moral values in our society.
If you’re a cynical old bastard like me, you might find all of this a bit too corny and vomit-inducing. Still, you should also know that I did manage not only to finish the movie but also to enjoy it. The animation style in The Wild Robot is phenomenal. There’s a stark contrast between the robot, an artificial creation, and the beautiful and natural flora and fauna on this exotic island. The use of the watercolor-like style of animation really did make a difference. And it set the movie apart from other, similar releases making it feel quite unique. Still, this is a mainstream movie, coming to us from the guys and gals who brought you Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, and Madagascar.
DreamWorks Animation is not Pixar but they’re definitely pretty close. Of course, you can expect a lot of humor and jokes here as well as serious moments. Just think of it as a simple coming-of-age story featuring slightly different protagonists with all the usual twists and turns. Considering the amount of paid reviews, I’m not sure if that many people cried during certain moments but I guess the story will be touching for some. I’m not going to spend any time praising the voice acting because you already know it was spot on. Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Connor did a terrific job. And it was a pleasure to hear Matt Berry’s (The IT Crowd) distinct voice.
In case you get a bit bored from all the coming-of-age stuff, just know that toward the end things take a turn for the better. This part of the movie was the most interesting one. They even lifted a couple of elements directly from the science fiction classic The Matrix. Wow, I didn’t think I could do it but there you go. I did manage to write a review for this movie despite it leaving a pretty bland impression on me. I’m saying all of this from the perspective of an adult without kids, just so you know. The Wild Robot is worth exactly one viewing and that counts for something. If you have a family, however, things might be different for you.
The values the movie tries to convey are timeless and admirable. Finally, it was so refreshing to see DreamWorks Animation tackle a new project instead of churning out another sequel to the once popular franchise. I know that Kung Fu Panda 4 made a lot of money but no one is going to remember it in a few years time. This movie though might find its way to the hearts of millions.
Director: Chris Sanders
Writers: Chris Sanders, Peter Brown
Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, Mark Hamill
Fun Facts: The distinct cave we see in the movie The Wild Robot can be found in real life if you go to the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in Iceland.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29623480/
