Don’t wear mascara to “The Wild Robot.” But if you do, make sure to wear waterproof — “The Wild Robot” is a tearjerker.
Writer-director Chris Sanders (“Lilo & Stitch,” “How to Train Your Dragon”) breathes new life into Peter Brown’s beloved children’s novel of the same name.
With help from a stacked cast — Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill, Stephanie Hsu and Kit Conner — and groundbreaking animation, he manages to keep the “heart and the soul” of the story intact, Sanders told the Deseret News.
“It’s a really, really complex and beautiful story that has a lot of emotional depth to it,” Sanders said.
“I love fairy tales, but they’re really not my thing,” he continued. “These are the kind of stories I relate to because I think that they resonate. Life is complex, life is unpredictable and ... that’s why I think that I relate to these kinds of stories, and I think that they’re really, really enduring and powerful.”
Rozzum 7134 (Nyong’o ) — self-nicknamed Roz — is a sophisticated robot shipwrecked on a deserted island. Roz is programed to seek out and complete tasks with computer-level precision.
“Did anyone order me?” Roz says into the void as she wakes up, shaking the seawater from her limps. Her question is responded to with echos. On a deserted island, household tasks — the sort Roz is programmed to perform — are hard to find.
Roz tromps around the island desperate to feed her hardwired hunger for tasks. Despite her efforts, the wildlife who inhabit the land refuse Roz’s attempts to help. They prefer to steer clear of the massive metal interloper.
The only creature bold enough to square up with Roz is Fink (Pascal), a stereotypically sly fox who likes to remind Roz that “kindness is not a survival skill.”
Roz and Fink connect over a game of keep away with an orphaned goose egg.
Roz wins, and a gosling breaks out of the shell, making her “a first-time parent by accident,” Sanders said.
For the first time, Roz is stumped. She’s been programmed to complete nearly every task imaginable. But parenting is not in her programming.
Before winter freezes the island, Roz must teach the gosling, Brightbill (Conner), to eat, swim and fly. Fink helps Roz when it benefits himself, but Pinktail (O’Hara), a possum and mother-of-six shares the secret of motherhood with Roz.
Her secret? “We just make it up.”
To succeed as a mother, Roz must abandon her computerized comfort zone and walk into the complete unknown. It’s a leap of faith parents will recognized and relate to, Sanders says.
“I think anybody who’s a parent has experienced that ... nervousness of ... treating your kid like they’re going to break if you drop them. But then the reality is, you just make it up. You make it up as you go,” Sanders said.
Like learning the ropes of parenthood, some themes in the film might resonate more with older viewers.
Kids next to me in the theater laughed at the slapstick and silliness scattered across “The Wild Robot.” A scene when Roz inadvertently slingshots a tree packed with raccoons will leave young viewers in fits of laughter.
But themes of belonging, compassion and family relationships will trigger lumps to develop in adult viewers’ throats.
“The guiding principle (for the film) is that kindness could be a survival skill,” Sanders said. At times, this theme is spoon-fed to viewers so younger audiences can digest it, but even when oversimplified, the message is impactful.
The emotionally gripping story is elevated with groundbreaking storybook-like animation that’s overwhelmingly detailed. Blink — and you’ll miss out. It took a second watch for me to pick up on all the powerful details, such as the faded metal on Roz’s shoulder where Brightbill routinely sleeps.
“The Wild Robot’s” animation is a “technological breakthrough,” Sanders said. “This entire film looks like a moving painting, and the effect that we got from that was bigger than I ever could have expected.”
“The Wild Robot” is loaded with wit, adventure and emotional bite. Kids will leave in smiles. Adults will leave in tears.
Beloved children’s movies like “Tarzan,” “The Iron Robot” and “Toy Story” are already shuffling over to make space for “The Wild Robot” to move into animated classics history.
“The Wild Robot” premieres in theaters on Friday, Sep 27. It is rated PG.