The Wild Robot - The scoop and digest

Writer-director Chris Sanders adapts the first in Peter Brown's book trilogy.

Lupita Nyong'o - Roz/Rummage

Pedro Pascal - Fink

Kit Connor - Brightbill

Bill Nighy - Longneck

Stephanie Hsu - Vontra

Matt Berry - Paddler

Ving Rhames - Thunderbolt

Mark Hamill - Thorn

Catherine O'Hara - Pinktail

Summary

Lost from a container ship in a typhoon, Universal Dynamics robot Roz washes up on an island uninhabited by humans and is soon dubbed a 'monster' by local wildlife.

After fleeing a grizzly bear, Roz becomes the 'mother' of an orphaned gosling, naming her Brightbill.

Ahead of the winter migration, Roz and Fink the fox teach Brightbill how to eat, swim and fly.

Life's good, but when Universal Dynamics sends squid robot Vontra to take Roz back, things get tasty.

Kindness is a survival skill

One of the best films of 2024 warmed the cockles of my heart.

Dazzling visuals are complemented by excellent voice performances and an awesome score from Kris Bowers (his first for an animated feature).

Oh, original songs Kiss the Sky and Even When I'm Not are so uplifting.

Goddammit man - this film was awful.

(Laughs).

Thunderbolt is an original character, and the second collaboration between Rhames and Sanders since Lilo & Stitch (2002).

For the record, Vontra stands for Virtual Observational Neutralising Troublesome Retrieval Authority.

Sequel is in development and presumably will keep the same title as book The Wild Robot Escapes.