The Wild Robot has garnered rave reviews after its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Adapted from the bestselling children’s book by Peter Brown, the story follows the robot ROZZUM unit 7134, known as Roz, who finds herself stranded in the wild. There, she learns to adapt to her surroundings and becomes a vital part of the community while nurturing a baby goose. This new DreamWorks animation showcases a stellar voice cast, including Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, and Mark Hamill.
The first reviews for The Wild Robot have been overwhelmingly positive. Esther Zuckerman from The Daily Beast likens the film to cherished animated classics, stating, “It calls to mind its predecessors like Wall-E and The Iron Giant, while forging its own path with richly detailed animation and a brilliant lead performance.” IndieWire’s Kate Erbland describes it as “a warm little gem of a film that’s both nostalgic and forward-thinking.” Pete Hammond from Deadline proclaims, “Animated movies just don’t get better than this. In fact, movies in general just don’t get better than this.”
The Wild Robot Could Be DreamWorks’ Most Acclaimed Movie Since Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.
Recent DreamWorks Projects Have Struggled to Connect with Both Critics and General Audiences.
The accolades for The Wild Robot are promising for both the film and DreamWorks. Not since 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has DreamWorks released a film that resonated so well with both critics and general viewers. Films like Kung Fu Panda 4, Trolls Band Together, and Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken performed better with the general audience than with critics. Meanwhile, DreamWorks’ and Netflix’s uplifting Orion and the Dark received the opposite response, with positive critical acclaim but failing to impress audiences.
The classic animated films The Wild Robot is being compared to were adored by both critics and the general audience, achieving impressive Tomatometer scores of 95% and 96% and Popcornmeter scores of 90%. With its breathtaking animation, emotionally rich storyline, and strong voice performances, The Wild Robot is set to follow in the footsteps of Wall-E and The Iron Giant. The favorable reception from both critics and audiences can also translate into increased box office success.
If The Wild Robot truly is the next Wall-E, it stands as the perfect follow-up for families and individuals of all ages after Inside Out 2, potentially marking DreamWorks’ most acclaimed film since Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Inside Out 2’s record-breaking box office results demonstrate a continuing appetite for high-quality animated films. As Inside Out 2’s theatrical release draws to a close and the Pixar sequel becomes available for streaming on Disney+, Transformers One and The Wild Robot are the next animated features to catch in theaters. If The Wild Robot indeed matches Wall-E’s success, it will serve as an ideal successor for audiences of all ages following Inside Out 2, and could become DreamWorks’ most well-received film since Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Source: Various (see above)
The Wild Robot
- Animation
- Drama
- Sci-Fi
The Wild Robot is an animated drama film based on a series of books by Peter Brown. The adaptation is written and directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, and Catherine O'Hara. The Wild Robot centers on a robot named Rozzum 7134, who becomes stranded on a deserted island and the guardian of a young orphan.
