Animated movies are a genre that is often overlooked or infantized because of the nature of the medium. Yes, cartoons are silly and a great escape from reality but there is also so much that we can learn from them. I have stated before that the first three Toy Story movies are a great analogy for parenting. Some of the first few minutes of Pixar movies have more emotional punches to the gut than some of the dramas that are out there. If you want to get really deep with emotions the animated movies from overseas have got you covered.
The Wild Robot is based on the book by Peter Brown, which I am not familiar with. I have been hearing great things about the book (there are three in the series) and how much it is loved by those who have read it. I walked into the movie not knowing much about it and had only seen the trailer. Friends, this movie not only was amazing but had me crying a few hours later when I sat down to write my review on it. Yes, this movie is that good!
The Wild Robot tells us the story of a lost robot, ROZZUM unit 7134, or Roz for short, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, who activates in a forested area of a planet. The Roz robots are helper robots and need a task assigned to them to function. Since Roz activated in this area there is no one around to tell them what they need to do. They go around and ask all the animals if they want help but due to her look and size, they are all scared of her. Roz decides to program herself to learn the languages of all the animals around her and once this happens she can understand what they say and they can understand her.
From what I was able to obtain from the trailer Roz is taking care of a young gosling, voiced by Kit Conner. We are shown the circumstances that lead to Roz being in the care of this gosling. As the movie progresses, Roz learns what she needs to do with the gosling after an interaction with a possum named Pinktail, voiced by Catherine O’Hara. Parents take note: This conversation between Roz and Pinktail is so relatable that you just have to chuckle because you know you have had these conversations with others in real life. Pinktail is that experienced parent that we all know and gets bits of advice from now and then.
The Wild Robot is a movie that parents can definitely connect to. Seeing Roz raise the gosling and teaching it the basics of life is very relatable. Not only does Roz get advice from Pinktail but also co-parents Brightbill with Fink, voiced by Pedro Pascal. Fink starts as a foe to Roz but as the story progresses they work together to make sure that Brightbill learns everything they need to know to join the other geese.
Final Thoughts: The Wild Robot shows us how animated movies can give us an entertaining story while also delivering a powerful message about parenthood. As Brightbill grows up, parents can relate to how we will do everything we can to raise our kids. It also shows us how we are never prepared when it is time to let them go. Roz’s speech near the end of the movie will make you tear up and think of the limited time we have as parents.
Kid-Friendly: The Wild Robot is great for all ages. The story about family, inclusion, and finding your space in this world is a great one for all ages. Like Bambi, the loss of parents might be difficult for younger viewers but it is an important part of the movie.
Violence: There are a few scenes where Roz is attacked by a bear named Thom, voiced by Mark Hamill, that is a little intense. There are also moments of Brightbill being attacked when they are trying to learn how to swim. The movie takes place in a forest so there is a lot of survival of the fittest moments in the movie.
The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.