Wow. I did not expect to like this movie as much as I did. I started watching this while my toddler was taking a nap (I’m definitely one of those people who will watch kids shows without the kids haha), and I was invested for sure. 

Something I do want to mention is that there are a couple times where I was seriously questioning how this movie got a PG rating. Like, and I’m not joking here, a severed crow’s head flew in front of Roz at one point. A literal severed head. Also, there’s a moment where a crab is thrown into boiling water and then eaten. While it’s not particularly violent, it just struck me as strange that some of these things were even put into a kids movie, but I guess this fits the reality of the wild. Just something to keep in mind when watching it with your kids. There were a few other moments here and there (like when Roz finds the dead goose – she only sees the wing), but most other ones didn’t raise my eyebrows as much as the first two I mentioned. 

So, to get into the actual review, some things that I loved: the plot, the meaning and themes, the characters, and the MUSIC SCORES OH MY GOSH. 

With the plot, you think in the beginning that it will only be about one thing, but then that thing happens and you’re left thinking, “Wait there’s still forty minutes left in the movie.” That’s because so much more goes on and honestly it was the best forty minutes of the movie. There was a lot of compassion put into this film mixed in with the reality of being a wild animal (as in being chased, eaten, or being the runt of the litter). I loved every moment of the plot and thought it was paced really well. 

With the meanings and themes throughout the film, you have sooo much about kindness as a survival skill and I thought that was so beautiful. Roz, our resident robot, risked so much to make sure that the animals were taken care of. It honestly made me want to cry how selfless this robot was. You also get the family aspect of it and it is very much “found family”. I thought it was all really well done and so profound. I did not expect this from a children’s movie. It has so much depth and emotions packed into such a short time. 

Now, the characters here are the shining light of the film. Obviously Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) held the highest throne throughout the movie. She was selfless and caring and kind and it was so beautiful. Finding and seeing the humanity in her even though she’s a robot is what it means to be alive. If we lose our ability to see the best in others and actually care, then we are no better than programmed robots. With Brightbill (Kit Connor), I really felt for him and his plight.  While his character wasn’t terribly unique, it was still great to see that relationship between him and Roz. Fink (Pedro Pascal) wasn’t a bad character, but he reminded me too much of Nick from Zootopia that it didn’t feel like anything special. 

Now, the film scores???? Oh my goodness they were so beautiful. I had to look up who wrote them (it is Kris Bowers by the way) because I loved them that much. Matched the pace and mood of each scene and my ears were in heaven. 

Overall, this was a visually appealing and beautifully written movie that has wonderful themes. Despite a few questionably violent scenes for a PG movie, The Wild Robot is sure to bring the whole family together and deliver a wonderful story about the humanity in all of us. 

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video