A Robot Stranded On An Island Makes Us Experience The Journey Of Connection, Acceptance, And Belonging
Published: October 5, 2024
By: Emma O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
Shipwrecked on a deserted island, a robot named Roz must learn to adapt to its new surroundings. Building relationships with the native animals, Roz soon develops a parental bond with an orphaned gosling. The Wild Robot is a 2024 American animated science fiction survival film based on the book series of the same name by Peter Brown, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was written and directed by Chris Sanders, produced by Jeff Hermann, and executive-produced by Sanders’ longtime collaborative partner Dean DeBlois. It stars Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, the title character, alongside an ensemble voice cast including Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Emma O. comments, “The Wild Robot delivers family-friendly entertainment through a robot stranded on an island that makes us experience the journey of connection, acceptance, and belonging. This animated film is heartwarming and laugh-out-loud fun.”
The Wild Robot
Emma O.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
The Wild Robot delivers family-friendly entertainment through a robot stranded on an island that makes us experience the journey of connection, acceptance, and belonging. This animated film is heartwarming and laugh-out-loud fun.
When a shipping container is lost at sea during a typhoon, Roz the Robot (Lupita Nyong’o), emerges as the sole survivor on an island with nothing but wildlife. Programmed to complete a task, she has to learn to understand and interact with the animals there and she struggles with connecting and acceptance. Her journey takes a turn when she assists an orphaned goose, Brightbill, (Kit Connor) and gets help from a fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal). Every new and confusing experience shifts Roz’s programming as she experiences things she was never programmed to imagine and finds a new way to live.
I enjoyed the humor of this film from DreamWorks Animation. The writing is great. The absurd, yet accurately dark humor, parental comments from Pinktail, a mother opossum, (Catherine O’Hara) are so relatable. Her shocking statements make her character so enjoyable. The animators illustrate the emotional reactions of island animals to perfection. Roz’s help initially causes more chaos than assistance. When Roz sees a beaver building a damn, rather than help build it, her programming tells her it’s an obstacle and she destroys it. The beaver’s response is priceless. The confusion and disbelief when Roz provides a sticker communicating that the task is complete is hysterical. These moments contribute to the humor and build on the character development of The Wild Robot as we watch her struggle to connect with the animals on the island. Her adventures with Fink and Brightbill create bonding moments and we see how belonging, acceptance and connection can be influenced by kindness.
The Wild Robot provides an uplifting message of how belonging and acceptance come from one’s heart. It successfully shows how kindness and caring are valued by all. Parents and viewers should be aware there are flashing and strobe lighting effects, loud noises and dark humor, which may be unsuitable for some viewers.
I give The Wild Robot 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults. The Wild Robot releases in theatres on September 27,, 2024.
OFFICIAL TRAILER:
