The Wild Robot

When our heroine first tumbles out of the sky, announces herself as a Rozzum-7134 and looks around for somebody to assign her a task, her incongruity in wild surroundings makes one wonder if the last trace of humanity has departed from the Earth. At the end of the film you might wonder the same thing, but for a different reason. And yet it almost doesn’t matter. Other life has survived, and there’s a lot of it. Perhaps its moment has come – if it can survive what we left behind.

Rozzum-7134 – or Roz, as she comes to be known (‘she’ is a matter of convenience, and fits with the voice of Lupita Nyong’o) – is no-one’s enemy. She desires only to complete tasks. Fortunately, learning the language of the various animals around her is only a matter of time, and in the process she carries viewers into a world which has shades of Disney’s forest-based fantasies but without as much sugar. Roz’s version of Asimov’s code forbids her from causing or allowing harm generally, so she takes a while to grasp the concept of predators and prey. This is complicated further when an accident leaves her feeling responsible for tiny gosling, with the only person she can turn to for parenting advice a hungry fox.

The first half of the film deals with Roz and the fox, Fink (Pedro Pascal), and their efforts to raise young Brightbill (Kit Connor), who must develop and build up his flying skills in time for the annual migration if he is to survive. Various other characters are introduced along the way, including Longneck (Bill Nighy), leader of the local goose flock; Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara), a possum with a riotous collection of babies to attend to; Paddler (Matt Berry), a beaver who takes artistic pride in his work; and Thorn (Mark Hamill), a bear who doesn’t like to be disturbed. Each of them has a different set of skills, and their increased interactions, under Roz’s protection, show them that they can achieve more when they work together.

Based on Peter Brown’s lovingly illustrated 2016 book, the film mines a lot of clichés but manages to do something a little different with them, blending traditional elements of children’s fiction with a distinctly 21st Century sensibility. Nyong’o and Pascal are both on great form and their relationship carries a lot of weight, developing into something more complex in the later part of the film when the animals have to face a series of dangers. There are some nicely designed action set pieces and overall the pacing is good. When it slows down, there’s plenty to please the eyes.

Although the characters are rendered using computer animation, they have their own distinct styles, the sleek market-friendly design of the robot contrasting with the looser, more fluid appearance of the animals. Over time, as bits of Roz get broken and replaced and things begin to grow on her, the distinction blurs – in parallel with the gradual development of her emotions. The backdrops, meanwhile, are hand painted and more impressionistic, giving an impression of deeper wildness.

At times it’s a little too stilted and formulaic, following its instructions too closely, but where it has the courage to let go, The Wild Robot is a delight. There’s plenty to enjoy for viewers of all ages, and it will warm your heart.