On September 27th ‘The Wild Robot’ debuted in theaters. It has reached unexpected levels of success. Exploring themes of motherhood, acceptance, and love, its message is one that has warmed the hearts of children and adults alike.
Based on the 2016 book by Peter Brown, ‘The Wild Robot’ is set in a futuristic world where humans’ every need is attended to by highly intelligent, task-oriented, robots. The movie follows one of these robots, ROZZUM ‘Roz’ Unit 7134 (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o).
Roz was being shipped off from the factory when her crate broke open on a deserted island, completely untouched by humanity, after experiencing a shipwreck. Damaged and confused, Roz tries to find higher ground to send a signal back to the factory so she can be rescued. However, she has to fight through rain, thick forests, and the animals of the island.
During her dangerous trek through the forest, she accidentally kills a family of geese, leaving only an unhatched egg, which she takes with her to protect it from a fox looking to eat it. Soon after, the egg begins to hatch, introducing Brightbill (voiced by Kit Conner) to the world.
Brightbill immediately imprints on Roz, seeing her as his mother, and follows her as she continues to look for higher ground. Roz is annoyed at first and tries to lose Brightbill, but she’s given the task to take care of Brightbill by a mother opossum, and being programmed to efficiently complete tasks, she has no choice. For a year Roz and the fox that originally tried to eat Brightbill, Fink (voiced by Pedro Pascal), work together to feed Brightbill, and teach him how to swim and fly by Fall so he can migrate with the other geese
Throughout the movie, we see the love that grows between all three of them. Viewers understand how, despite their differences, they can form a deep and meaningful bond that goes beyond species. We also see how similar the three are. Each one of them is an outcast on the island, Roz is seen as a monster by the other creatures, Brightbill is seen as a freak by the other geese, and Fink is seen as a loner who no one seems to like. They’re all outcasts together, in a way that highlights the importance of acceptance.
However, conflict arises between Roz and Brightbill when he finds out Roz isn’t his actual mother, and that she’s the reason his family is dead, although it was an accident. But even during this rift between them, Roz never stops caring and worrying about Brightbill.
After some time, the two overcome their differences to help Brightbill learn to fly in time for migration. Brightbill, being a runt and not raised among other geese, struggles a lot when learning to fly, and has to work harder than anyone else, but Roz is always by his side and doing everything she can to help him.
Junior Jordan Jeffreys says, “My favorite part of the movie was when Brightbill learned to fly. He didn’t grow up alongside fellow geese and didn’t have a conventional household, but he sought reinforcements and Roz tried her best to use her resources to aid him. That montage and resolution to him joining the flock was really uplifting.”
Brightbill learns to fly and is ready to migrate, the experience bringing him and Roz back together. When it comes time for Brightbill to leave, the movie focuses heavily on the importance of telling your loved ones you love them. Roz and Brightbill do not get the chance to say goodbye, even though they both deeply want to.
With Brightbill gone, Roz’s task is officially complete, and per her programming, she should be working to get back to the factory, but everything Roz is feeling seemingly goes against this programming. She is still worried about Brightbill and lacks purpose.
While Brightbill is gone, the island faces a terrible snowstorm that puts every creature in danger. Roz and Fink work together to save every last animal, bringing them to their home that was built around a fire. At first, there is chaos among the animals, as they have always seen each other as either predator or prey. However, Roz and Fink show them that they are more than that. They are more than just competitors and they need to work together to live harmoniously, at least for the winter, if any of them want any chance of making it to spring.
In the end, Brightbill and the geese come back to the island safely. He’s excited to see Roz, to tell her he loves her, but she’s nowhere to be found. An airship arrived at the island to take Roz back to where she came from, to take her memories and study her abnormal experience. She almost goes with them willingly, until she sees Brightbill flying towards her. She immediately ditches the airship to be with Brightbill which leads to a battle between the robots trying to capture Roz and the island.
Every creature on the island works together to save Roz as she had saved them, and in the end, they manage to beat the robots. But Roz realizes that they will just keep coming back for her, and that to protect the island, she needs to go. Brightbill and Fink don’t want her to leave, no one does, but she assures them that no matter where she is, even if her memories are deleted, she will always carry them with her in her heart.
Junior Ashton Johnson says, “‘The Wild Robot’ asserts that those who look, think, and act differently from us are not dangerous and are actually invaluable to a compassionate, open-minded society. This is something every child should learn and which “The Wild Robot” explores simply but successfully.”
This movie beautifully illustrates the importance of acceptance, teamwork, love, and motherhood in a way that is easy for children to understand.
