Rave Reviews: The Wild Robot (Movie and Book)
By Jonah S.
Movie Popcorn with 3D glasses Sitting on a Red Background by stephanie phillips from Getty Images Signature Created in Canva
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Synopsis: After a robot named Roz finds herself on an island far away from civilization, she sets out to find her task as she was programmed to. What she finds is much greater than a task, a gosling in need of a mother. Determined to take care of this gosling, Roz finds that being a mother is much more difficult than it seems.
Movie Title: The Wild Robot
Studio: Dreamworks
Runtime: 1h 42m
Age Recommendation: 8+
Caution: Mild spoilers for The Wild Robot
Review: At a glance, The Wild Robot may seem like an ordinary kids movie. However, this movie goes much deeper than that. At its core, it is a story about motherhood and community. At the beginning of the film, Rozzum unit 7134 (Lupita Nyong’o) finds herself in a very harsh and unfamiliar environment. In order to survive, she has to adapt to her surroundings, and this movie is not afraid to portray the island as a very unwelcoming and difficult place. To many of the animals, death is treated as a normal, everyday occurrence. The harshness at the beginning of the movie serves as a way to contrast with the end of the movie, where Roz eventually adapts and becomes a part of the island community.
After an accident that leads to the death of a family of geese, Roz finds herself taking care of a gosling named Brightbill (Kit Conner). This relationship is where the heart of the film is really found. As Roz learns to take care of the young bird, she grows to become more than his caretaker; she becomes a mother. It is far from an easy task but is a relationship fueled by a deep love. Her goal, to help her son be prepared to migrate before the winter comes. Also along for the journey is Fink the fox (Pedro Pascal), who befriends Roz and Brightbill, as well as Pinktail the possum (Catherine O’Hara), who mentors the robot.
Beside the story, another thing that really sets this movie apart, is the gorgeous animation. Designed to look like a watercolor painting, the movie makes great use of brush strokes to enhance the visuals (The Wild Robot). Many of the shots in this movie would be right at home in an art gallery.
Ultimately, this is a wonderful example of how to make a quality movie for the whole family. A movie that appeals to children and adults alike, with deep and meaningful themes, anyone can tell that passion was poured into this film.
Rating:
9/10
Book Title: The Wild Robot
Author: Peter Brown
Number of Pages: 277
Reading Level: 8+
Review: While the book and the movie follow similar story beats, there are still differences. One of the biggest things that it is able to do that the movie is not, is have a larger cast of characters. In the movie, most of the animals that are in the book have roles that are reduced. Some characters, like Chitchat the squirrel, are removed entirely. Many of the roles that characters played in the book were consolidated into characters like Fink. Other story elements are also scaled back. While Brightbill must be able to migrate by winter, that element is not as central to the plot as in the movie (Brown). The book allows for a very familiar, yet somewhat different experience. While this might have been necessary to make a solid cinematic experience, the book gives the story more time to breathe.
As with every book adaptation of a movie, it is important to go back to the source material. While The Wild Robot book is a very easy read, it still offers a sweet and wholesome experience that is worth picking up. If you loved the movie, then you will certainly enjoy the book.
Rating:
8/10
Columns: ⭐Reviews
Jonah S. has been at Northstar Academy for the past three years. He lives in the Middle-East with his parents and younger brother. Some of the things he enjoys include reading, writing, watching movies, playing video games, and building Legos. He also enjoys music, viola being his primary instrument.