“Animated movies just don’t get better than this. Actually, movies just don’t get better than this.”
— Peter Hammond, Deadline film critic
Making its debut as a Gala Presentation screening of the Toronto International Film Festival, DreamWorks Animation’s CG-animated adaptation The Wild Robot has inspired some of the most positive reviews for a major studio picture we’ve seen this year. Highlights noted by these cinephiles cover all aspects of production, from the stunning storybook visuals, to the perfectly attuned voice performances, the story’s timely messaging, and the score from award-winning composer Kris Bowers (The Snowy Day, The Color Purple, When They See Us) that carries audiences along with the sweeping cinematography.
Directed by Chris Sanders (co-director of Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods) and based on the bestselling book by Peter Brown, the film centers on a ROZZUM unit 7134 robot, called “Roz” (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o), who is shipwrecked on an island uninhabited by the humans she was built to serve. Adapting her programming, Roz forms connections with the island’s animal inhabitants (including a fox voiced by Pedro Pascal and a possum played by Catherine O’Hara), and takes on the duty of raising an orphaned gosling named Brightbill (Kit Connor). Universal Pictures will release the film in theaters on September 27.
While a Rotten Tomatoes score isn’t available yet, Metacritic has calculated an impressive 83 rating so far, based on eight critics’ reviews. Here’s a few of their pre-theatrical opinions:
“[T]here’s never been an animated movie that reflects the world in quite this way … Sunsets, sea views and changing seasons suggest scenic calendar art come to life, as Sanders’ dynamic camera swoops through those spaces. He tends to frame scenes from a respectful distance. Allowing the environment to dwarf his characters gives things a slightly cosmic feel, subtly reinforcing how overwhelming the world can be to a ‘wild’ robot and her savage companions.”
— Peter Debruge, Variety
“As Roz, Nyong’o’s melodic voice is nearly unrecognizable in its largely monotonous range. However, in forgoing the traditional, stilted robot cadence, she brings much-needed warmth to the character, immediately making us empathize with Roz’s confusion and isolation. Pascal likewise brings great depth to Fink the fox, delivering trademark DreamWorks humor but also a vulnerable sincerity … The Wild Robot looks like a storybook, and features some frames of animation so striking that you would probably be thrilled to have them framed and hung in your home … Coupled with the visuals, an original score by Kris Bowers is one of The Wild Robot’s greatest assets.”
— Shaina Weatherhead, Collider
“DreamWorks Animation‘s The Wild Robot proves to be a real gem in the genre that likely will become a classic, and no doubt bring sequels just as Brown’s book is now a literary series. With beautiful animation and a smart script that has equal humor, action, heart and lessons to be learned for any age, this movie transcends the boundaries of just animation and will enchant audiences. If Spielberg’s E.T. had been an animated film instead, it might resemble what writer-director Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, Lilo & Stitch) has created here. However, Wild Robot weaves its own magic and for that we can all cry tears of joy.”
— Pete Hammond, Deadline
“You can tell when a project like this is made for profit vs. when it’s made for artistic passion, and everyone involved in The Wild Robot poured their hearts into it. You can see it. You can hear it. You can feel it. And that truly matters, especially in an era when so much children’s entertainment feels like nothing more than a cynical cash grab. This is made from the heart in every way. And that’s what allows it to connect with yours.”
— Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
