The Wild Robot redefines heartfelt animation

Reel Impressions is The NewsHouse’s weekly film review. Contributors Francesco Desiderio and Travis Newbery cover everything from new releases to trending classics. 

The Wild Robot delivers one of the most beautiful and emotional stories this year. DreamWorks, one of my favorite animation companies, always has a knack for creating amazing and unique worlds, and this is no exception. Stunning visuals matched with strong voice acting performances make this film an undeniable must-watch. 

Written and directed by seasoned animated filmmaker Chris Sanders, The Wild Robot simply felt too good. Known for How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and Lilo and Stitch (2002), Sanders knows how to tug on your heart strings using loveable characters, high stakes and ethereal musical scores. This film was very unique in the way that it felt nostalgic even though I had never seen it before. Just as I grew up loving older DreamWorks films, I hope The Wild Robot will inspire a whole new generation. I believe that it will age very well and will become a household favorite. 

This film’s animation speaks for itself. It looks as if a painting came to life, with vibrant colors and realistic-yet-cartoonish designs and physics. The animators did a beautiful job of recreating nature and animals in this medium. When I first viewed a trailer for The Wild Robot, there was little to no dialogue in it, so I assumed the film would be the same. After viewing the whole film, the voice acting performances were wonderful, but I still think the story would’ve been just as beautiful without dialogue. The character designs and world building were essentially perfect. There was no scene or frame that I didn’t like. From start to finish, this film was gorgeous. 

In the film, the clash of the animal inhabitants of a remote island and a lost helper robot is sudden and unstable, but as the story progresses, they begin to mix and coexist, eventually becoming friends. The robot, Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), takes on a motherly role to a baby goose and through this relationship begins to overcome her programming and become her own self, discovering emotions and real purpose. It’s a touching story that is worthy of at least an Academy nomination for any one of its spectacular elements. I think that this story can speak to a lot of viewers, as most people today may find it hard to fit in or show emotion, but The Wild Robot proves that a life full of friends and feelings is beautiful and fruitful. 

I only have positive things to say about this film, and I hope that this film is highly regarded for years to come. Currently sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to say that The Wild Robot is a fun, beautiful and overall good movie. Either in theaters or at home, this film is for the whole family to enjoy. The only downside to this movie is the amount of tissues you will have to use during it. If you’re looking for an animated movie that reminds you of your childhood or just looking for a family movie, The Wild Robot will give you that and so much more.

Watch the trailer for The Wild Robot here!: