Robot Sauvage

I loved this movie.

It has a wonderful message of tolerance and unity. The voice acting is charming. The animation is very good, stunning at times. I liked the story, though I can see some people feeling it's too schmaltzy or corny.

In a world that is so divided, and a country that is seemingly hopelessly divided, it's very comforting to experience a story of characters coming together, being able to accept their differences, and building a community. Sadly, that's what makes it fiction too. But it's nice to dream.

The fact that the title character, and the character that inspires all the change, is the ultimate "other" only serves to make the point more elegantly.

I suppose some people will think it's manipulative and needlessly tugs at the audience's heartstrings. But that's part of the beauty to me.

I loved this movie.

DreamWorks managed to bring back the magic of animated cinema with The Wild Robot, a feeling we used to associate with Pixar. For years, Pixar films were all about heart and originality, but over the last 14 years, I feel most of their movies, except for Inside Out (2015), have become more generic and superficial. Thankfully, The Wild Robot, even though from a different studio, brought me that same nostalgic feeling I get from watching Pixar's older films.

The story of The Wild Robot is simple yet beautiful and moving. It explores the contrast between technology and nature in a way that's both touching and thought-provoking. From the beginning, we're drawn in by the innocence of the main robot and the curiosity of the animals around it, showing us a unique example of how the natural and artificial can coexist. This contrast is handled with great care, and for most of the movie, I felt fully immersed in the beauty of this interaction.

The characters, each with their own distinct personalities, are instantly captivating. Every scene has this nostalgic touch that takes you back to the magic of classic animated films, the kind I watched as a kid that seemed endlessly enchanting. It's a film that can truly appeal to both kids and adults.

However, while the first two acts are genuinely emotional and avoid clichés by leaving out forced villains or action scenes, the final act takes a more conventional turn, which is a bit disappointing. It seems to lose some of its original essence and the potential for a unique message, and the ending feels unnecessarily bittersweet, almost as if the producers were already considering a sequel. This final act could have been better developed or even left out entirely to preserve the story's integrity. Personally, I think it would have worked just fine without a traditional villain, focusing instead on a pure journey of discovery.

Despite this change in the ending, The Wild Robot is a fantastic title, a breath of fresh air for the genre, and so far, the best animation this year. It's a film with valuable lessons that can charm and move us, leaving a positive impact on everyone. I highly recommend it for the whole family, reminding us that animation can still touch the hearts of adults, just as it did when we were kids.

The Wild Robot is a monumental film that in many ways transcends the medium of film into something greater - a portrait of universal human experiences.

Throughout the film, a beautiful tapestry of human experience is woven - comprising the experiences of love, nature, connection and belonging. Almost every frame, through the music, through the colours, through the narrative and the composition and the environments, are able to communicate, in their own way, the essence of one of those experiences; and when they are put together they create something far greater than the some of their parts.

Now this film, is not a masterpiece, but in my opinion no film or piece of art can be. In many ways it just serves as an excellently made 'kid's movie', with nice universal themes and Schadenfreude humour. But what's great about this film is that it's visceral; it's direct. And that is in opposition to many films that are just targeting an adult audience.

A common mindset shared between many artists is that oblique complexity lends itself to high value art. That vague themes and narratives ushers the art into the club of 'high art.'

But in part due to the fact The Wild Robot is a 'kid's movie', it avoids those pitfalls of obliqueness and is able to beautifully and directly convey its themes.

And although The Wild Robot is a film, it has the essence of a tapestry, of a painting. In so many of the frames, there is a profound sentiment expressed. The frames pique a ruminative state, while also engrossing your emotions. It's truly something special to experience. And an experience I have not had before in the over 300 films I have seen.

In terms of film-making techniques, originality and creativity, there are certainly other films that could be said as being superior. But in terms of visceral expressions of love, of human experiences and the ups-and-downs of connection - The Wild Robot is in a category of its own as a film. And I think it belongs with some of the best art humanity has ever created.

The movie, despite being based on a book, has a unique concept. A robot surviving and adapting in the wild is both whimsical and thoughtful. It captures the viewer immediately.

The idea of an emotionally detached robot slowly becoming more human than machine through her interactions is intriguingly captivating. Not to forget the gorgeous illustrations and animation Subtle but powerful themes about nature, empathy, and what it truly means to be alive.

The only flaw is that some characters feel as if they are not quite developed for instance Pink Tale is a fun character and seems to have a nice background story, but it was only insinuated. Overall, the movie is heartwarming.

Marking the end of an extremely successful and entertaining era for DreamWorks in-house animation studios which will move onto outsourced works in the future, Chris Sanders newest venture behind the camera following his well-liked works as overseer on hits Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods is a wonderful send-off for the brand that gave us many an animated classic, with The Wild Robot a genuine contender against box-office heavyweight Inside Out 2 as the animated film of 2024.

An adaptation of author Peter Brown's hit books of the same name, Robot has already been drawing rave reviews and comparisons to the likes of The Iron Giant and Sanders own Dragon adventure, far from feint praise for a film in this genre that here manages to become an all-round package sure to inspire those youngsters that will flock to the story of lost robot Roz and her budding friendship with street-smart fox Fink and young gosling Brightbill, who she acts as a surrogate mother for but also a film that will resonate with older viewers who are sure to find much to enjoy from such a lovingly crafted film full of heart and soul.

Utilising the entirety of its quickfire 100 minute running time, Robot has very few lulls or downtime as Roz's journey of discovery with new friends, as well as what it means to truly care and love outside of her designed confines takes us on a familiar theatrical ride but one that's done with enough uniqueness and sense of its own identity that there's never a worry that Robot is merely ticking boxes along its way to crafting a memorable outing that will have you cheering, laughing and more than likely crying throughout its course.

Standing out amongst everything here is Robot's CG animation style that Sanders himself describes as "a Monet painting in a Miyazaki forest", a style that creates more than its fair share of visually outstanding segments and when this lovingly crafted vibrancy comes together with thoughtful lead voice performers Lupita Nyong'o as the loveable Roz and Pedro Pascal as the initially detestable but eventually likable Fink and enhanced by Kris Bowers exemplary and soaring score, Robot comes together as a complete package in every department.

Narratively Robot undoubtedly takes few risks and many key happenings will be overtly predictable for any seasoned viewer but it would take a very jaded and cold cinematic soul to not find joy and comfort from a film so enjoyable as this, a fitting swansong to a wonderous period of DreamWorks products and a further reminder that the animation world is alive and well with many more notable stories yet to tell.

Final Say -

One of the years most pleasant surprises regardless of genre or design, The Wild Robot is a winning mix of heart, humour and imagination, gifting this familiar feeling tale with a sense of wonderment and adventure that should ensure its place amongst the years biggest audience hits.

4 feigned deaths out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)