‘The Wild Robot’ reviews: A ‘stunning,’ ‘magnificent’ film with ‘remarkably subtle’ Lupita Nyong’o performance
The Oscar race for Best Animated Feature heats up with the theatrical release of “The Wild Robot,” in which the title character (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) is shipwrecked on an island and develops relationships with the local animals. Directed by Chris Sanders (“How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Croods”), the film opened on September 27 from Universal Pictures.
As of this writing the film has a sky-high MetaCritic score of 86 based on 30 reviews counted so far — all of them positive. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, where reviews are considered simply positive or negative, the film is generating just as much goodwill, rated 98% fresh based on 102 reviews, only two of which give the film a thumbs down. The RT critics consensus says, “A simple tale told with great sophistication, ‘The Wild Robot’ is wondrous entertainment that dazzles the eye while filling your heart to the brim.”
Mark Kennedy (Associated Press) says, “Visually, it is stunning, a textured world that is almost painterly … You’re going to have all the feels. Surrender. Is this the best animated movie of the year? Totally, so far. It might even be the best movie of the year. See you at the Oscars, Roz.” Bob Strauss (San Francisco Chronicle) also thinks the film is “exquisite” and highlights Nyong’o’s central voice performance: “What the ’12 Years a Slave’ Oscar winner does here is remarkably subtle while key to the whole film’s impact. In nuanced increments, she charts a computer’s sentimental education like a human AI app that actually works.”
Dana Stevens (Slate) calls it “a magnificent family film,” though “there were a few third-act developments that kept me from finding the ending of ‘The Wild Robot’ as satisfying as it could have been.” Kate Erbland (IndieWire) praises the “gorgeously rendered” film despite a script that “feels a bit awkwardly paced around the midway mark.” Lovia Gyarkye (Hollywood Reporter) notes that it “blends photorealistic characters with painterly images of the landscape to create delightful and immersive scenes.” And Adrian Horton (The Guardian) raves, “The path forward is clear, the stakes high yet never too overwhelming for young viewers, but the way ‘The Wild Robot’ gets there is a surprising emotional journey that launches it into the pantheon of elite animated films.”
Those reviews put “The Wild Robot” at the forefront of the Oscars race, if it wasn’t there already. It leads our latest racetrack odds for Best Animated Feature, followed by “Inside Out 2,” which received solid reviews of its own and made a ton of money at the box office. But making the most money doesn’t always translate to awards success. For instance, the reigning champion is Hayao Miyazaki‘s art-house “The Boy and the Heron,” which defeated the blockbuster “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” “Inside Out 2” may also be disadvantaged by the fact that the academy usually balks at sequels — unless they’re “Toy Story” sequels. All that’s to say that “The Wild Robot” looks like it’s going to be tough to beat.