I just cried about a robot and a goose. Twice. I loved every second of it. This is an emotional movie good for anyone of any age with the exception of the crying toddler that sat behind me. I will pay to see this movie for a second time.
“The Wild Robot” kept the common sci-fi idea of robots gaining emotions and beginning to learn on its own, but put its own spin on the idea. It is about a robot that ends up raising an orphaned, runt goose on an island, learning how to be a parent, and navigating the fear of other animals on the island. I don’t care if the logic behind this plot is the power of love. It was wonderful.
I cannot properly describe the emotional impact of the story, and how it showed the struggles of a parent-child relationship so well. While one would likely look at this cartoon and assume it’s only for young kids, any teenager can relate to it. The rocky relationship between a parent and a child at this point in life is something almost everyone experiences, as is the struggle of social interaction.
There’s lots of discussion of programming versus emotion, even the line, “Sometimes, to survive, you need to become more than you were programmed to be.”
Many teenagers have some kind of anxiety surrounding their social lives, and this movie shows a character overcoming it (even if the character is a goose).
Another unique aspect of this movie is the animation style. It looks like art come to life. Watching a movie with this style of animation is like diving into a painting. This is one of the most artistic animation styles I’ve ever seen, and I hope to see it again.
This movie was everything I needed in my Saturday evening. I also cannot write about this movie without pointing out that it’s yet another dad role under Pedro Pascal’s belt. I fully intend to watch this a second time, and recommend everyone see it at least once. My only disappointment is that I can’t give this movie six out of five stars. So, five out of five. Go watch “The Wild Robot”.
