by James Coulter

If I had a nickel for every time there was an animated movie about a robot taking care of a living creature in a post-apocalyptic setting, and that movie ended up being the best-animated movie of the year, I’d have two nickels—which isn’t much but it’s weird that it happened twice. (The movies I’m talking about are this movie and Wall-E.)

Yes, The Wild Robot is one of those rare films that dares to push boundaries and prove that animated movies can be more than “just for kids”–that they can be real cinema! Think Spirited Away or Loving Vincent or Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

And when I say this movie was the best movie of the year, I’m not just bragging. Not only has this movie grossed more than $197.3 million in the box office worldwide, but it became so successful that a sequel is now in development. But is The Wild Robot really that wild of a movie? Or was it simply a scrap of junk that was better left forgotten in the woods?

The Wild Robot is based on the novel of the same name by Peter Brown. It stars a robot who crash lands on an island inhabited only by animals. The robot, named Rozz, stumbles onto a freshly-hatched gosling, which immediately imprints on her.

Rozz accepts her “task” of raising the young goose, which she names Brightbill, with the help of a wily fox. Can the two raise the young gosling and teach it to fly before winter comes? And what of Rozz’s origins? Where did she come from? And can she ever go back?

Undoubtedly, the best aspect of this film is the animation. Like many other recent animated films like Into The Spiderverse and The Last Wish, The Wild Robot effortlessly combines 3D and 2D animation. This movie has a unique watercolor aesthetic, which makes it look almost like the illustrations of a children’s storybook come to life.

This watercolor aesthetic especially makes the natural setting look and feel rustic. The colors really “pop” from the foliage, especially during the changing seasons. I especially loved the autumnal color scheme when fall arrived, since it reminds me of the fall colors of my current rural Virginia setting. (Been a while since I’ve seen the seasons change like this.)

The story and characters are simple yet charming enough. Rozz the robot needs to help raise Brightbill the gosling into an adult goose with the help of Fink the Fox. Rozz is an innocent outsider who needs to learn to adapt to her new environment and to her new role as a parent. Fink is a reluctant companion who reluctantly decides to help, though not necessarily through the kindness of his own heart. And Brightbill, having been the runt of his litter, has to deal with being the odd one out of his species.

The movie was directed by Chris Sanders. As someone who previously directed other hit animated films like Lilo and Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, Sanders is no stranger to helping tell this type of story, where an outsider has to team up with an average person to become something greater than themselves. The young girl Lilo has to train the alien stitch to be

“good” and teach him the importance of family. Hiccup the Viking has to train the dragon Toothless to fly again, and in doing so, learn that dragons can be friends, not enemies.

And in this movie, Rozz the robot has to raise the goose Brightbill and, through the process, learn to become more than just a service robot. The result is an animated masterpiece that, despite its simple, traditional story, manages to deliver a complex narrative that delves deep into the themes of nature, humanity, and purpose.

Perhaps the surprisingly charming aspect of the movie is the dark humor. Despite its pastoral setting with cute talking animals, this movie is not afraid to delve into the darker aspects of nature. One of the first scenes has a bird’s head chopped off and eaten by a predator. Another scene involves a joke about a mother opossum raising seven baby opossums. (When you see it, you’ll know!). Nature truly is “eat or be eaten.”

As of now, The Wild Robot is still playing in theaters, though now digital copies are being made available to rent or buy, with streaming no doubt around the corner. If you can watch it in theaters, by all means, do! It is a visually stunning film that deserves to be seen on the big screen. So catch it in theaters while you still can. It really is that good.