Taking your kids to the theater is honestly one of the best things about being a parent, especially for those of who are incredibly passionate about all things cinema. While taking my kids to see Inside Out 2 on the big screen was one of my favorite memories from the 2024 movie schedule, I recently had an even better experience taking my daughter to see The Wild Robot, which is easily one of the best DreamWorks Animation movies.
We’ve been talking about Inside Out 2 for months and months, and for good reason, since it made a killing at the box office and told a story that resonated with parents and kids alike. But parents: don’t sleep on The Wild Robot, a movie CinemaBlend's review calls best animated film of 2024. If you’ve been on the fence about checking it out, come along with me as I explore the enchanting and emotional animated film and why it’s a must for parents.
And don’t worry, there aren’t any major spoilers…
The Wild Robot Is One Of Those Great Animated Movies That Caters To All Audiences
I know, I know, folks like me say this all the time, but The Wild Robot truly is one of those great animated movies that caters to all audiences while not coming off as pandering. If you’re looking for a great movie to watch with your kids, then this is it. Critics have been in tears and calling it an “unforgettable” DreamWorks film for a while now, and a lot of that charm is the result of director Chris Sanders finding the proper balance when adapting Peter Brown’s beloved books.
Throughout the movie, my daughter (who I was able to bring along with me to a pre-release screening) and I were laughing, crying, and generally being carried away by the beauty of this film. Talking about the movie on the drive home, she and I both agreed that we were never bored and never felt like the movie was too much.
The Movie Perfectly Captures The Essence Of Parenthood And Family In General
As soon as I watched The Wild Robot trailer and saw Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) bond with a young gosling, I had a feeling the movie was going to capture the essence of parenthood. And it does just that.
Without giving too much away, Chris Sanders’ latest feature film covers the happy moments of raising a child, but it also doesn’t shy away from tackling the more difficult aspects of parenthood either. There are scenes throughout the movie where I found myself looking over at my daughter and thinking about the ups and downs we’ve experienced together, comments we’ve made (both good and bad) to each other, and how awesome it has been to watch her grow from a girl obsessed with Frozen into my family’s in-house Studio Ghibli expert. If a movie can make you feel all of that, it's doing something right.
The Animation Style Took My Breath Away
One thing I love about some of the more recent DreamWorks Animation films is the studio’s art direction, which goes beyond the normal scope of CGI-animated movies. Instead of a more photorealistic or Pixar style, movies like The Bad Guys and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish have adopted a style that looks more like a hand-drawn illustrated children’s book with all kinds of imperfections. And that trend continues with The Wild Robot.
When showing off unfished footage at CinemaCon 2024, Chris Sanders described the visual style (via Variety) as being “a Monet painting in a Miyazaki forest,” and honestly, that’s a perfect comparison. Watching the movie, I kept thinking that it felt like something created by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki but with a more impressionist touch. But even if you aren’t a fan of those iconic Studio Ghibli movies, you’ll still love the film’s flashy style.
The Voice Work By Lupita Nyong’o And Pedro Pascal Is Some Of The Best In Years
From top to bottom, the actors who provide the voices for the various characters in The Wild Robot do a triumphant job of making these animated creatures feel like living, breathing animals (and robots). This is especially true for Lupita Nyong’o and Pedro Pascal, who lead the cast as Roz and Fink, respectively. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the voice work is some of the best I’ve heard in years.
Nyong’o delivers one of her best performances as the abandoned robot trying to make sense of the world around her while also finding a purpose in life and is an emotional tour de force who adds warmth to the movie. Likewise, Pascal’s portrayal of a mischievous fox who is essentially shunned from the animal kingdom is surprisingly expressive and has a level of vulnerability and rawness that exceeded my expectations.
While The Movie Touches On Some Heavy Topics, It Does So With Great Empathy And Concern
There have always been kids movies that touch on heavy topics like death, isolation, and the consequences of our actions (even with the best of intentions); The Wild Robot falls into that camp.
Again, without giving too much away about the plot, the latest DreamWorks Animation feature film spends a lot of its runtime either talking about topics like death and destruction, but in a way that is empathetic and handled with extreme concern and care. It was overt enough for my daughter to pick up on certain aspects, but not so much that she was bummed out or anything.
The movie also hints at climate change and humanity’s impact on nature from a technological standpoint, but it never comes off as being preachy or political. It’s there if you want to think about it, but not so much so that it takes over the experience.
Make Sure You See This With Your Kids Because It Could Be A Great Bonding Experience
As you can probably tell by now, The Wild Robot is a movie that is best experienced if you bring your kid along with you. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it if I had gone to the screening by myself, but there was something about sitting through a movie so heavily focused on parenthood and unlikely families with my daughter that heightened the experience and made it one of my most enjoyable movie outings of the year. It was definitely an emotional and beautiful journey I won’t soon forget.
Hopefully, this helps you make a decision on seeing The Wild Robot, a movie I think we’ll be talking about for a very long time. And if the movie is a success, maybe we’ll be adding a sequel to the list of upcoming book-to-screen adaptations sooner or later. The film hit theaters on Friday, September 27.
