An adaptation of Peter Brown’s award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, THE WILD ROBOT is an epic adventure staring Academy Award® winner Lupita Nyong’o (Us, the Black Panther franchise) as Roz, a robot that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must adapt to the harsh surroundings. Gradually Roz starts building relationships with the animals on the island, including a clever fox voiced by Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian), and becomes the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling named Brightbill voiced by Kit Connor (Ready Player One, Heartstopper). THE WILD ROBOT is a powerful story about self-discovery, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature, and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things.
What We Thought:
The Wild Robot is the best animated film of 2024. It is charming, wholesome, funny and sweet and is perfect for families and adults like myself. I’m a childless man and even I wholeheartedly enjoyed the film through and through. It has a ton of heart, but it is also genuinely funny reminding me of films like The Iron Giant, Shrek, Wall-E and more.
I was not familiar with the books the film is based on, but it’s easy to follow without knowing about them. Lupita Nyong’o voices Roz, a shipwrecked robot who is looking for a task to complete. A robot does not fit in well with nature and the animals are scared of her at first. She is involved in an accident which makes her responsible for a young gosling named Brightbill who she must take under her wing (pun intended) and show him how to be who he is meant to be.
Of course humans get involved and the stakes are raised. Roz must return to where she came from to make sure her new animal friends are safe. Those of us who grew up on E.T. and The Iron Giant will definitely feel the nostalgia in this situation. It’s not too dramatic for the youngsters, but it does add that little element of drama needed to have an enriched storyline.
The voice cast is fantastic and the film is just beautiful to look at. Along with Nyong’o the cast includes Pedro Pascal, Mark Hamill, Bill Nighy, Kit Connor, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames and Catherine O’Hara. The animation from Dreamworks is stunning and looks gorgeous in 4K. Kids will enjoy the colors and style and all the fantastic characters and backdrops. It is simply breathtaking. The bonus features include a behind the scenes look at the animation production and the director shows Lupita how to draw her own character!
I loved The Wild Robot. My six year old great-nephew loved The Wild Robot. It’s out in time for the holiday season and if you have a family it’s a must-see film. The 4K looks beautiful and sounds just as good with the film having a great score as well. It has fun bonus features and it’s a movie you’ll enjoy watching with the family.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
EXCLUSIVE BONUS FEATURES WHEN YOU BUY AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS:
- COMMERCIAL FOR ROZZUM – An alternate opening to the film in storyboard form, with introduction by writer/director Chris Sanders.
- MOMENTS FROM THE MIC – Straight from the recording booth, watch the star-studded cast of The Wild Robot perform some of their most memorable lines!
- MEET THE CAST– How do you give empathy to the voice of a robot, vulnerability to a fox, and wisdom to an opossum? Meet the talented voice cast and learn more about your favorite characters from The Wild Robot.
- THE OVERPROTECTIVE MOTHER – A deleted sequence from the film in storyboard form, with an introduction by writer/director Chris Sanders.
- ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: ANIMATING THE WILD ROBOT – Go behind the scenes to see how filmmakers pushed the boundaries of animation to achieve the uniquely immersive world of The Wild Robot.
- FEELING ALIVE – Learn how filmmakers and cast enhanced the universally relatable thematic elements of Peter Brown’s original story to deepen its emotional connection to audiences.
- WILD SOUNDS – Explore the incredible music of The Wild Robot – from Kris Bowers’ enchanting score to Maren Morris’ two new songs.
- HOW TO DRAW – Follow along with writer/director Chris Sanders as he teaches Lupita Nyong’o how to draw Roz and then learn to draw Fink, Baby Brightbill, and Pinktail with story artist/character designer Genevieve Tsai!
- FLY YOUR OWN BRIGHTBILL – One of Roz’s primary tasks is to teach Brightbill to fly so he can migrate with the other geese. Here, you’ll learn how to create your very own Brightbill Kite so you can help him fly too!
The Nerds Templar 