THE WILD ROBOT, groundbreaking animation as the driving force for a well-known family story

Along with Disney, Pixar and Ghibli, Dreamworks is one of the leading animation studios in the world. Although it doesn't enjoy quite as much recognition as the first three, it has produced a steady stream of hits over the years.

The wild robot is her latest film, the solo animation directorial debut of animation impresario Chris Sanders. As is common in the industry, all of Sanders’ previous films – Lilo and Stitch, How to train your dragonAnd The Croods – were shot together with other filmmakers.

In his research into a sentient robot and its interactions with animals, The wild robot remembers Wall-E And Robot dreamsmore sophisticated and artistic films. Still, children and parents of children may find the familiar contours of the film comforting, if not sophisticated. Families will likely find the diversion they seek in the last days of summer.

Based on Peter Brown’s popular children’s picture book of the same name, The wild robot is about the AI-controlled robot Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), who is washed up on an uninhabited island after a shipping accident. The domesticated robot, which is supposed to make people's lives easier and more comfortable, initially finds no footing among the many wild island animals.

While looking for an instruction or task, it accidentally kills a family of geese, but saves the last gosling, Brightbill (Kit Connor). Roz then decides to take on the task of raising Brightbill and preparing him for migration along with the other geese. After this, Roz will eventually transmit a distress call and location coordinates to his factory so that it can be rescued and reprocessed.

The Wild Robot often feels, perhaps because of its source material, like several episodes of a television series strung together and shown as one. The narrative seems to be divided into sections that happen not so much organically causally, but as a series of self-contained, independent adventures.

The most outstanding sequence and section of the film is the opening chapter, where Roz first arrives on the island. This part is wordless, as the language of the wild animals is incomprehensible. The silent world-building here is reminiscent of Pixar. In a clever move, Roz goes into a learning mode where she listens to the wild animals around her for long periods of time. Then she is eventually able to decipher their language, which introduces dialogue into the film and, it must be said, more conventionality.

Other episodes include Brightbill's successful graduation as a member of the Migratory Goose Club, his adventures in flight, a lengthy sequence in which Roz rescues a group of animals during a snowstorm, and the disappointing finale, which reveals Dreamworks' formulaic and unimaginative cinematography. The wild robot takes place in slice-of-life mode most of the time, with no villains, although there are antagonistic characters. This could be seen as a more sophisticated form of storytelling in a children's film, giving children the idea that in real life there are not necessarily good guys and bad guys, just people who see the world differently.

All that changes when, at the climax, a villain appears out of the blue, a character who does not appear in the rest of the film. The artificiality of this conflict and Vontra's (Stephanie Hsu) over-the-top villainy are disheartening. The resolution seems schematic and cynical, designed to put the protagonists in danger, bring them down to earth, and stir the viewer's sympathy, pity, and tear ducts. The wild robot manages to avoid such compromises for large parts of its running time, and this left turn seems unnecessary and inappropriate in the end.

The wild robot is a pioneer of a new type of animation that creates impressive visual effects. The technique mixes CGI animation with hand painting to create a hybrid look that is particularly notable for its use of light and textures. Kris Bowers' music, however, is enthusiastic. The wild robot relies a little too heavily on it to generate emotion, something the narrative doesn't accomplish naturally.

Animations are known for their brevity and are often designed to accommodate children's short attention spans. The wild robot is at the longer end of the spectrum. Its narrative style is not as clear and efficient in conveying information visually as that of representatives of this medium.

The voice acting is engaging and the message of community and collegiality among animals is valuable for children. The mother-son relationship between Roz and Brightbill is also likely to appeal to families and perhaps even move them.

The wild robot is neither exhilarating nor sophisticated, but it doesn't need to be; it's serviceable entertainment for parents and children. It will also please animation fans, as it offers significant advances in the technique and craft of this unique medium.