Dreamworks may now be at the forefront of animation in the Western region. Though their two proceeding films, “Kung Fu Panda 4” and “Ruby Gilman, Teenage Kraken,” were considered decent in terms of quality by various moviegoers, they still have done their best at their attempts in giving audiences a film to be pleased by, whether you are looking for entertainment value or you’re studying the art form of filmmaking. “The Wild Robot” follows an intelligent robot named Roz who, after being shipwrecked in a freak storm, must survive the harsh environment of an undisclosed island. Roz then finds a bond with the island’s animals, cares for an orphaned baby goose and ventures into what purpose means.
Director Chris Sanders is a legend amongst the animation field, with his story credits on films such as the original “Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and even writing the story for the Disney’s Mulan film. Backing his resume is his director credits under films such as “Lilo & Stitch” and the first “How to Train Your Dragon,” it sparked much anticipation for what was to come out of it as a result. This is by far the best animated film of last year and another success under Dreamworks’ belt.
Bringing back the watercolor painterly style reminiscent of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and anime feeling of The Bad Guys, the animation is utterly gorgeous and some of the most beautiful depictions of the heart of nature and feeling of the wilderness. From animation style to tone, it is the closest Dreamworks has ever gotten to capturing the feeling of Studio Ghibli’s films, paying profound homage to Hayao Miyazaki with its maturity and visuals. Images such as the sky, the leaves and even the water have you gripped to the scenery and perceiving a sense of tranquility as you witness a tale that does not focus on any human interactions.
Though it feels a tad cliche in one or two scenes, the story’s emotional weight overrides that issue with the characters’ engagement, which ends up tugging on your heartstrings by the end. Anyone going into this will find themselves in awe of how incrediblely it reaches the hearts of every age and tells such a smart yet effective story about found family while putting a twist on it by utilizing animals over humans. Lupita Nyong’o voices our main protagonist and embarks on a beautiful journey of searching for meaning while facing the unpredictable challenges of parenting, in taking care of Kit Connor’s orphaned goose Brightbill, who has a beautiful relationship with Nyong’o’s Rozz.
As it progresses on, she begins to silently lose the artificialness within her voice and embraces a parental figure-like demeanor. Pedro Pascal portrays a disgraceful and troublemaking fox who encounters great character development throughout and goes on a similar path to Rozz, being challenged with the concept of purpose. Many other stars such as Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill and Catherine O’Hara make appearances, and all do extremely well with lending their voices to critters seen throughout.
Kris Bower’s score is uplifting, powerful and one of the best of this year had to offer. It will move you to tears and is some of the best music to be put into an animation feature. In a time where many animated features are given much expectation to live up to the aim Hollywood has been focused on, it is wonderful to see that there are artists out there who care more about the story they are telling than focusing on the agendas and the political atmosphere. It brings back the feeling of classic Dreamworks while embracing the new age of its current practices in terms of crafting a movie for the modern audience.
The film is nearly flawless with what it presents and is one of the best films to be released in 2024. Its message is ironically graceful. It utilizes human ideologies such as kindness, humanity and humility, yet never follows a single human character to beautifully portray why those aspects of the human experience are needed and encouraged. “The Wild Robot” serves as a gleefully constructed allegory to emotion and amity with its fastidious animated visuals, gratifying characters and performances is a film that the whole audience can enjoy, that will leave you feeling warm and enlightened.
