Dir: Chris Sanders
Studio: Universal Studios/DreamWorks Animation
Reviewed by: Robbie Fleming
Since its release, The Wild Robot has received critical acclaim, becoming a hit at the box office, and is expected to win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. Is it worth the hype? Well, here’s what I thought!
The Wild Robot follows an abandoned service robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) who gets shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must adapt to her surroundings, build relationships with the local wildlife, and become the adoptive mother of an orphaned goose, Brightbill (voiced by Kit O’Connor). Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames also deliver voice performances in supporting roles.
Despite the two films they released in 2023, DreamWorks Animation has been on a good run with fantastic animated films in the 2020s. In 2022, they released The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which shined thanks to their animation. Earlier this year, they brought out Orion and the Dark and Kung Fu Panda 4, which have also been fantastic in terms of animation and storytelling. Later this year, they brought out my new favourite of their films titled The Wild Robot.
My favourite aspect of this film was the animation that makes you want to say "Wow!" as you're watching it. The animation style is unique and feels like a blend of hand-drawn and 3D animation, resembling DreamWorks’ previous films mixed with the style of Studio Ghibli.
The storytelling also gave me Studio Ghibli vibes, which I thought helped the story feel unique. Sure, the story formula is familiar to other animated films, but The Wild Robot approaches it freshly. One part of the film I thought was clever was how the robot studied all the animals on the island so she could communicate with them, which also helped the film explain its logic without taking too much time away from the story.
Lupita Nyong’o delivers an outstanding performance voicing Roz (the main character) and shows that she is very talented in her vocal range. Pedro Pascal, Kit O’Connor, Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, and Matt Berry also deliver amazing voice performances in the film as the animals in supporting roles, using their voices cleverly to bring the animals and their personalities to life.
Another aspect of the film I loved is Kris Bowers’ incredible score, which I think should also be in talks for an Oscar nomination. Composing his first score for an animated film, Bowers helps elevate the film with a beautiful soundtrack that complements the film well and suits its heartwarming tone perfectly. This is certainly the best score for a DreamWorks animated film so far.
Overall, The Wild Robot is a beautiful animated film that shines as DreamWorks’ masterpiece. The storytelling, voice performances, animation style, and score all make it stand out as my favourite animated film of the year so far. I honestly think and hope this will win the Oscar for Best Animated Film, as I give it a rating of 10/10 and 5 out of 5 stars. If you’re a fan of DreamWorks’ animated library, make sure you don’t miss this one!
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