The Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders, was released in theaters everywhere on September 27th, 2024. Starring actors Kit Connor and Catherine O’Hara, the animation takes the audience through a futuristic world that contains robots taking over most functions in the household and society.
The movie begins with the main character, Roz, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, deserted on an island with the need to complete tasks. Traveling across the island, she encounters new creatures that ultimately judge her due to her appearance, allowing her to adapt to her surroundings to better fit in. Although unusual, Roz becomes a parental figure to a gosling named Brightbill voiced by Kit Connor, leading him to be judged by the other animals on the island similarly to Roz. Despite this judgment, Roz helps everyone on the island through tough moments during the film and brings the creatures on the island together. The Wild Robot has gained a Rotten Tomatoes score of 98% and has earned approximately $154 million at the box office so far.
An adaptation of The Wild Robot series written by Peter Brown in 2016, the animation explores two main themes: nature versus technology, unity and acceptance.
Nature versus technology is a prominent theme in The Wild Robot. Roz represents the integration of technology into the natural world in a way that can sometimes be too advanced to understand at first. At the start of the movie, Roz is an unknown creature that confuses the inhabitants of the island, but, as time progresses, the creatures begin to accept and become accustomed to the new technology present within their society. Initially seen as an alien, Roz becomes a helpful part of their world as she assists them with their needs while functioning to protect the animals, such as Brightbill, along the way.
In addition, the movie shows how unity and acceptance coincide with each other. Roz, being accepted into the island’s community, has a direct effect on the unity between all the animals on the island. Although she lives as an outcast and functions very differently from the other creatures on the island, she is accepted into the community after becoming a mother figure to Brightbill. Later, gaining a close relationship with a fox named Fink and a mother opossum named Pinktail, who is also trying to raise her litter of joeys (baby opossums), Roz is able to feel like a part of society in her own way. Without Roz bringing together the community, there would be no unity on the island. At first, the animals are divided but, through new experiences, like when a harsh winter strikes the island, they need to become a close-knit community to survive. Putting aside their differences and animal instincts, each creature becomes united thanks to Roz’s efforts to help the community survive through the harshest season of the year.
Overall, The Wild Robot is a considerably well-made adaptation of the novels. The themes in the animation can be related to real-life experiences that people encounter daily, and the movie tugs at the heartstrings of the viewers as they watch the heartwarming relationship between Roz and the other animals on the island bloom. This production has a great chance of being nominated for multiple Oscars, such as Best Animation Feature, and it is undoubtedly suited to be viewed by everyone, regardless of age, due to its timelessness and relatability.
