Dreamworks Animation’s new film, The Wild Robot, is a heartwarming adaptation of Peter Brown’s much-loved novel. Directed and written by Chris Sanders, the movie takes viewers on an emotional journey that combines rich storytelling, lovable characters and visuals. The animated feature brings the tale of a robotic assistant, Rozzum Unit 7134 known as Roz.
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The Wild Robot appears to go into familiar concerns about sentient machines, but it evolves into a touching narrative that explores what it means to be human.
The film’s protagonist, Roz is a robot that initially seems to be another technology-focused creation from Silicon Valley. However, her transformation is anything but cold or mechanical.
After being washed ashore on a remote island due to a shipwreck, Roz goes on an unexpected journey of survival, self-discovery and emotional growth.
Roz’s character development shows the human experience of learning and adaptation. As a programmed machine, she starts with purely task-driven logic, but as she interacts with the animals of the island, her understanding of emotions and relationships grows becoming the emotional heart of the story.
Her robotic exterior hides a growing understanding of life, feelings and the web of nature, showing that even machines can learn to care and love.
Lupita Nyong’o delivers a nuanced performance as Roz, gradually shifting her robotic character’s voice from monotone task-oriented speech to a more emotionally attuned tone as Roz grows in her understanding of the world around her.
The supporting cast also shines with performances from Pedro Pascal as the sly fox Fink, who offers both comic relief and valuable lessons and Kit Connor as Brightbill, the runt gosling Roz adopts.
Catherine O’Hara delivers a memorable performance as a weary mother possum, while Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry and Ving Rhames round out a rich ensemble of woodland creatures who form the backdrop for Roz’s journey.
The Wild Robot is around parenthood and the emotional growth that accompanies it. Roz accidentally crushes a goose family and takes on the responsibility of raising their surviving gosling, Brightbill. This newfound role sets the foundation for much of the film’s emotional weight.
Roz must learn to care for the young gosling, teaching him essential survival skills such as flying and swimming before winter migration. Her dedication to Brightbill and the lengths she goes to ensure his safety highlight the film’s exploration of parenthood even in the most unlikely of forms.
It’s a universal message about love, sacrifice and the bittersweet nature of letting go so that those you care for can flourish.
The Wild Robot is a feast for the eyes. The animation style balances between photorealism and impressionism. DreamWorks’ animation team has taken great care in crafting the natural world surrounding Roz.
From the textures of pine needles to the lifelike fur of woodland creatures, every frame is detailed. The movement of the animals from the fluttering wings of birds to the slinking walk of Fink the fox feels grounded in reality.
At the same time, there is a more impressionistic touch to the film particularly in the scenes that depict nature’s beauty. The film toggles between these two styles effortlessly, creating a world that feels both real and magical.
Scenes like Roz taking on the physical traits of forest creatures as she moves and the fluttering monarch butterflies filling the screen are visually arresting.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot made an impressive debut generating approximately $35 million in its opening weekend.
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is facing a challenging opening with projections of under $5 million, a figure far below its $120 million budget.
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The Wild Robot exceeded pre-release forecasts that placed its opening weekend gross between $24 million and $30 million. The animated family movie earned $11.3 million on Friday and it is expected to comfortably claim the No. 1 spot at the box office dethroning Warner Bros.’ Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Rotten Tomatoes scores show the movie’s universal appeal, a 98% critics rating and an equally impressive 98% audience score. The film also received an A CinemaScore.
Francis Ford Coppola’s project Megalopolis is struggling to gain traction with audiences generating just $1.84 million across 1,854 theaters so far. It is projected to finish its opening weekend with $4.6 million. The film’s budget stands at $120 million, much of which was self-financed by Coppola.
The film is positioned at the No. 5 spot in the box office, behind Indian Telugu-language action film Devara: Part 1, which is set to earn $6.7 million and claim the No. 4 position.
Megalopolis received a dismal D+ CinemaScore. The film was premiered earlier at the Cannes Film Festival and it was met with mixed reviews and these divided opinions appear to be mirrored in its box office performance.
Paramount’s Transformers One, which opened last weekend took a major hit in its second weekend with earnings dropping by 63%. This leaves it projected to finish in third place with a total of $9.3 million.
“Transformers One” originally aimed to attract both fanboys and families, but its weaker than expected opening and sharp second-week decline suggest it has struggled to fully capture the attention of either demographic.
Sony’s Saturday Night, which tells the origin story of the popular NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live opened in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles. It performed well on its limited release projected to make $255,000 for the weekend with an impressive $51,000 per-theater average.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which ruled the box office for three weeks and it is still performing well estimated to bring in $16 million in its fourth week. It now moves to second place making way for The Wild Robot to take the top spot.
Dinesh D’Souza’s documentary “Vindicating Trump,” made in cooperation with Donald Trump himself is seeing minimal traction. Despite playing in 813 theaters, it is on track to make only around $820,000.
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