Robots aren’t supposed to make you cry, right? If that’s the case, The Wild Robot, released in theaters on September 27, 2024, missed the memo. Adapted from Peter Brown’s popular children’s novel, The Wild Robot follows Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), a robot who has mistakenly washed ashore on an uninhabited island. That is, uninhabited by humans; as the movie progresses, Roz learns to communicate with and live alongside the animals of the island. Eventually, Roz takes in an orphan gosling, Brightbill (voiced by Kit Connor), and learns to raise him with all the skills the latter needs to survive.
The Wild Robot was directed by Chris Sanders with Dean DeBlois serving as the executive producer. The pair has collaborated previously, co-directing Lilo & Stitch in 2002 and How to Train Your Dragon in 2010. Like their earlier films, The Wild Robot was very successful. As of the time of writing, the movie has received a 98 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is the fifth highest-grossing animated film so far this year, earning over 270 million dollars as of the time of writing.
The Wild Robot breathes depth and heart into Brown’s original novel. This is largely due to the stellar performances of the entire cast. Lupita Nyong’O, through her voice, delivers a character that is rich with emotion and personality. Other highlights include Pedro Pascal as the witty, closed-off fox, Fink, and Stephanie Hsu playing an enemy robot in a role vaguely reminiscent of her role as Joy Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).
To better fit its rustic narrative, Director Chris Sanders felt that The Wild Robot needed to break away from the more realistic CGI style of 3D animation that major studios have followed in recent years. As such, the film uses a combination of modern 3D animation techniques to build out the characters and classic 2D animation methods to give details and landscapes a less polished look. This approach made for breathtaking visuals that felt organic and distinct from most other animated films. Furthermore, The Wild Robot’s visual appeal was complemented by a standout score composed by Kris Bowers, with two songs written and performed by country singer Maren Morris.
The Wild Robot tells a story that most of us can relate to. It’s a story of belonging, found family, and learning to let go. And yet, what makes The Wild Robot so brilliant is its ability to tell such a human story. For a movie about a robot, the film has no shortage of heart or emotion. The Wild Robot’s excellent storytelling through voice acting, animation, and music makes for an emotionally resonant film that is sure to leave very few dry eyes in the audience.