Rozim 7134 – but you can call her Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), is a robot created to make life easier for humans by completing tasks who finds herself on an island where the animals are mostly trying to kill each other, and, importantly, there are no humans. Roz struggles to find a purpose in this strange environment until she happens upon an orphaned gosling, eventually named ‘Brightbill’ (Kit Connor), who she now has to raise because she was the first thing he saw when he hatched. A Rozim model might always complete its tasks, but Roz will soon learn that she must go beyond her programming to mark this one ‘satisfactory’.
Directed by Chris Sanders (also the mind behind Lilo & Stitch and who has now achieved icon status to me) and based on the Peter Brown book of the same name (which I will be purchasing), The Wild Robot is a beautiful look at parenthood and community. With the help of a fox named Fink (played by Pedro Pascal), Roz builds an unconventional family with Brightbill, doing everything possible to make sure he eats, swims and flies by fall. Nyong’o shines as Roz, I don’t think I would have realised it was her voicing the robot if I didn’t see her on the poster. (For me, that’s one of the highest compliments you can give a voice actor.) Roz’s curiosity, pain and excitement – even in her ‘roboticness’ – comes through in her voice, showing Roz’s heart and transformation on this journey that she takes. Also, shoutout to the rest of the film’s amazing cast; Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Stephanie Hsu and Bill Nighy.
But the beauty in The Wild Robot goes beyond its wonderful characters and fantastic cast, its beauty is also present and elevated in its animation. In fact, I think the animation is the anchor for all the beauty this movie possess. The character design brings so much heart to each of the characters, contrasting perfectly with the gorgeous 2-D watercolour backdrop, which is reminiscent of the classic Disney movies. If, like me, you’ve been asking for more of those kinds of animations, this movie is it. So, shoutout here to the animators who worked on this.
I think parents are going to have an amazing time seeing this film, and by ‘amazing time,’ I mean ‘get your tissues ready’. Watching Roz with Brightbill gave me more of an appreciation for parents and guardians, and the number of sacrifices that they make to make sure their kids are good. But it also gave me more of an appreciation for found family. Roz has to learn to make a family with someone who is different from her, and is a catalyst for bringing animals who are different from each other to a point where they can lean on one another. Fitting in, the film tells us, actually has more to do with ‘fly[ing] like you, not like them.’
The Wild Robot is in theatres on Friday, September 27th, 2024.
