When I walked into the theater to watch Dreamworks Animation’s “The Wild Robot,” I was surprised by the turnout of children. With little publicity online, and having grown up with the book by Peter Brown, I was worried the message might’ve become diluted for a younger audience. However, the film adaptation perfectly expresses the challenges of growing up and the importance of kindness, which resonates across all ages.
Directed by Chris Sanders, most notably known for Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch”, the movie follows ROZZUM unit 7134, or “Roz,” a robot that finds herself on a wilderness island after being lost at sea. Programmed to complete any task given, Roz accidentally kills a bird family during a storm and becomes focused on caring for the only egg that survives. As the young chick, the runt of the deceased family, named “Brightbill” grows with Roz and trickster fox “Fink” whose selfishness makes him unpopular, he starts to realize his unconventional family is not normal. Whenever Roz approaches any of the animals, she is called a “monster”, despite always having good intentions. Roz learns to adapt to her environment even though she is not accepted, but things take a turn for the worse when her “creators” come looking for her. The themes of displacement and navigating yourself through life’s adversities had the audience connecting to this awkward robot as she tries to do her best.
The hand-painted aesthetic of the film shows a new era of modern animation. Like their 2022 box-office hit of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”, Dreamworks’ profound messages in films and captivating artstyle has brought them much success. With “The Wild Robot” being so nature focused, the coloring and animal movement were beautiful to watch, adding even more emotion to the already packed storyline. During heartfelt moments between characters, I could hear sniffling from myself, my parents and the young class on a field trip. No matter your age, you are destined to have a takeaway from the movie. My parents loved it because Roz showed the hard parts of parenting that are often overlooked. I loved it because Brightbill, who’s leaving the island, reminded me of teens leaving for college and the kids in the theater with us loved it for its pure message of always choosing kindness.
