By John Corrado
The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5th to 15th, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.
The Wild Robot is the latest animated film from DreamWorks, and it’s one of the best movies the studio has ever produced. In adapting the children’s novel by author Peter Brown for the screen, director Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch) crafts an absolutely wonderful film, one that is both gently funny and very, very touching.
The film follows Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), short for Rozzum Unit 7134, a household service robot who crash lands on an island populated only by wild animals. Roz’s directive is to provide care and do no harm, but these are animals who want to eat each other. The heart of the film comes from the bond that starts to form between Roz and the different animals.
Roz’s programming requires her to find an assignment. When she discovers an orphaned gosling who is the runt, and needs help learning to swim and fly, she becomes a surrogate parent to the little goose that she names Brightbill (Kit Connor). A sly fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal) reluctantly agrees both not to eat him, and to help Roz teach the gosling what he needs to survive on his own in the wild.
The screenplay (which Sanders wrote) offers dark humour involving the cycle of life. But it’s grounded in a heartfelt story about finding your place and learning to be a caregiver. The script sets up little arcs for the different characters that pay off beautifully, weaving together the story of a robot teaching these animals to get along, and finding her own heart in the process. It’s brought to life by a great voice cast, with Nyong’o, Connor and Pascal all adding distinct personalities to their characters. They are joined by a lovely ensemble that includes Catherine O’Hara as possum mom Pinktail, Bill Nighy as wise old goose Longneck, and Mark Hamill as grouchy bear Thorn.
The beautiful, artful animation has an illustrative quality to it. These are digital paintings; the wide shots of natural landscapes are quite striking, while the painterly style allows for softer moments that capture the emotions of the animals (and Fink’s big, fluffy tail). The film’s gorgeous visuals are matched by an absolutely sweeping score by composer Kris Bowers, and a new Maren Morris song (“Kiss the Sky”) that plays over one of the most visually stunning and emotionally poignant sequences.
Like the best animated movies and animal stories before it, The Wild Robot uses its tale of a metal beast connecting with wild creatures to offer profound life lessons. It’s the universal quality of The Wild Robot that makes it so special; pretty much anyone can watch this film and get something meaningful out of it (at the premiere, kids and adults were laughing and tearing up at the same moments).
Like with his beloved modern classics Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, Sanders has crafted another gem with humour and messages that will resonate across all age groups and demographics, and that’s the power of animation at its best. It’s one of the best movies of the year, animated or otherwise.
Film Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)
Public Screenings: Sunday, September 8th, 2:00 PM at Roy Thomson Hall; Monday, September 9th, 1:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre; Monday, September 9th, 6:00 PM at Scotiabank Theatre
The Joy of Movies 