Sometimes the simpler the story, the more beautiful it is. Wild Robotthe latest film from DreamWorks Animation, is both of those things. It’s simple, perfect, and easily the best animated film of the year. Yes, you heard that right, Inside Out 2.
Written and directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon) and is based on Peter Brown’s children’s book, Wild Robot is about a robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), who finds herself stranded on a desert island full of wild animals. Roz quickly realizes that her high-tech exterior and human-centered plans don’t mesh in that world, which becomes an even bigger problem when she finds a discarded goose egg. The egg then hatches and focuses on him, and he must decide what to do next. With the help of a sly fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), Roz names a goose Brightbill (Kit Conner), and the three become an unlikely family, with Roz as a mother in a land she doesn’t even know.
It’s that simple: a robot becomes a mother in the wild. From there, Sanders and his team set clearly defined goals for the actors and use the space they create to flex their muscles in both story and animation. Story-wise, the film finds a near-universal familiarity in the idea of a man who isn’t quite ready to become a parent, forced to change his entire world for something he loves. Plus in Wild Robotit is real because Roz is not programmed to raise another creature. We then see them in an animated style that’s always beautiful and colorful, but with a poor vision around the edges for all but Roz. It really brings that fusion between nature and technology.
What is so magical Wild Robot (besides everything) that all this happened very quickly. The film unfolds very quickly, so as the story pulls you in with its easily explained objectives, you hardly notice how emotionally invested you are. By the time the film reaches its full montage where Brightbill learns to fly, it’s hard to ignore the emotions wrapped around this growing family and success. That’s supercharged by Kris Bowers’ score, which is among the most thrilling and entertaining scores of the year. The tears come early and often.
The slow pace means that it reaches what you expect to be the climax of the film before the running time ends. So it just keeps getting better and better. What started out as a film about a mother and son grows into a beautiful tale about the entire island and beyond. Finally, you won’t believe how far this seemingly simple story of a wild robot has gone.
It also doesn’t hurt that the island is surrounded by fantastic characters, each with their own personality and story. For example, Catherine O’Hara is a mother possum named Pinktail, Mark Hamill is a fearsome bear named Thorn, and Matt Berry is a donkey named Paddler. Having that kind of talent even in small roles (Stephanie Hsu, Bill Nighy, and Ving Rhames are also here) gives Wild Robot an extra level of quality and confidence that helps it all come together.
In the world of film criticism, one might think that writing a rave is the easiest way to do it. That’s usually true, but not here. Wild Robohe is so beautiful, there are no examples I can enumerate, no explanation I can express, and no number of excellent expressions I can do justice to. You’ll just have to see and experience it yourself. It’s incredibly special.
Wild Robot recently played Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and is opening venues on September 27th.
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