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The Wild Robot
     review by Bobby Blakey

Director Chris Sanders has had some big success in the animated film market with films including Lilo & Stitch, How To Train Your Dragon, and The Croods. Now he is back in the genre with his latest film The Wild Robot starring Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, with Mark Hamill and Catherine O’Hara. Could this film bring the promised adventure and heart, or will it need to be rebooted?

 

The Wild Robot follows a robot that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must adapt to the harsh surroundings. Gradually Roz starts building relationships with the animals on the island, including a clever fox and becomes the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling named Brightbill in a powerful story about self-discovery, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature, and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things.

 

From the first trailer I thought this film looked outstanding, but I am always skeptical when something looks that good. I am so happy that it not only lives up to the hype but blows it out of the water. The film takes a simple premise and manages to elevate it into something so much bigger than it has any right to be. Seeing the trailer, I was curious to how will a robot and a forest full of animals be engaging, but they crafted a story and direction to allow the straight up communication between them all that makes total sense without going into the typical talking animal direction.

 

The cast do a great job with the voice work, with Lupita Nyong’o leading the charge and bringing so much heart to this seemingly emotionless character. The gentle adjustments in her tone pack such a big punch that you can’t help

but fall in love with Roz. Add to the visual big personality through the varying lights, eyes and body language and you have the perfect character that you instantly want to spend this time with.

 

The animation is outstanding with it taking the usual CGI style animation and adding a paint brush style look to it all that helps it stand out all its own. Throughout it all the bright vibrant visuals are pleasing to the senses and takes you on a journey all its own with or without dialogue. Bringing it all together and you have easily one of the best animated features of the year that has brought the fish out of water premise and turned it on its head to create something that is beautiful, fun, heartwarming, sad and everything in between.

 

In addition to the film this release offers bonus content including never-before-seen extras including an alternate opening, recording booth footage with the all-star voice cast, how to draw tutorials, and more. Grab your copy of The Wild Robot available now on digital, 4K, Blu-ray and DVD from Universal Home Entertainment.

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