The Wild Robot Review | A Delightful Entertainer With Diverse Emotional Setups and Quality Payoffs

One of the things that made the latest animated science fiction film from DreamWorks, The Wild Robot, extremely satisfying was the way the screenplay of the film managed to create multiple emotional setups in the first two acts and then do the payoffs in a very convincing way in its final act. With several themes ranging from the idea of someone believing in you to the importance of unity and empathy, this animation film manages to put a smile on your face by covering many things in a well-written script.

So, the story is set in a distant future because one can see whales swimming above the Golden Gate Bridge. A package of Rozzum robots ends up on an island with no humans after the ship that carried them gets hit by a storm. The robot that survived the accident, Rozzum 7134, thought it had reached its destination and kept asking every animal how it could help them. What we see in the movie is Roz’s efforts to adapt to this new environment for which she was not prepared and how things changed when she got the responsibility of taking care of a goose whose mother was accidentally killed by her.

There are multiple layers in the story that get added to the core idea as the story progresses. Initially, it feels like a story about a misfit. A robot that was designed to be an aid for well-equipped humans ending up on an island filled with animals feels like a fascinating idea of contrast. But Peter Brown’s story places the idea of AI-based adapting capabilities of robots to create an emotional story. The initial bits of the mom responsibilities of Roz are funny. But the film gradually starts to create an emotional layer using all the characters. There is one scene in the movie where the crooked fox talks about his idea of love. The story tries to empathize with that character, almost breaking the fox stereotype in all the stories we have heard.

The movie then gradually shapes into this tale of showing faith and making an effort for someone. Just when you feel that the emotional curve of the story has sort of ended when Roz’s journey with the goose, Brightbill, has completed its arch, the screenplay splits into two tracks, and both of them start to explore various dimensions of unity and leadership. The multiple setups they establish during that second act of the story make way for an elaborate and eventful payoff as the film reaches the final showdown. The movie is emotionally so moving that you don’t really try to apply logic to the possible idea of a robot having a soul.

The animation quality is top-notch, as always from DreamWorks, and the choreography of many of the set pieces is done in order to make it emotionally overwhelming for the viewer. Along with the visual design of those moments, the thumping background score by Kris Bowers gives you goosebumps. Lupita Nyong’o gives subtle modulations to Roz as she evolves from being a regular robot to an adaptive one. Pedro Pascal has given the voice to the cheeky fox, Fink. Kit Connor has given voice to Brightbill, the goose, and he carries the emotions convincingly. There are some really heavy names in the star cast including Mark Hammil, Ving Rhames, Bill Nighy, and Catherine O’Hara.

How To Train Your Dragon director Chris Sanders gets it right once more with The Wild Robot, and the film is an emotionally pulsating and thoroughly entertaining package that eventually talks about the warmth of relationships using a fictional future scenario. With the movie managing to crack a nice balance between humor and emotions, this 102-minute-long animation film is a warm and comforting entertainer.