The Watchlist: The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot

Russ Matthews and Ben McEachen dive into "The Wild Robot," exploring why it’s not only the best animated film of the year but also one of the best films overall. They discuss the visual splendor, rich themes, and emotional depth of the movie, comparing it to classics like "The Iron Giant" and Studio Ghibli films. With voices from Mark Hamill and Pedro Pascal, this film touches on themes of motherhood, grief, and belonging, making it a must-watch for all ages. Tune in for a heartfelt review and insightful discussion on this cinematic gem.

Key Takeaways:

Best Animated of the Year: Russ Matthews boldly states that "The Wild Robot" is not only the best animated movie of 2023 but also stands as one of the best films overall.

Emotional Depth: The film succeeds in drawing audiences into its heartfelt narrative, making even adults and children tear up, as evidenced by Ben’s and his daughter's reactions.

Visual Masterpiece: With its stunning combination of CGI, hand-drawn animation, and anime-inspired visuals, "The Wild Robot" offers a rich cinematic experience, comparable to Studio Ghibli classics.

Themes and Messages: The movie addresses significant themes such as belonging, programming versus free will, sacrifice, forgiveness, and the nature of community in a manner accessible to all ages.

AI and Humanity: The discussion also speculates on the broader implications of AI, as the film humanizes a robot character, presenting questions about the future relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.

Notable Quotes:

"I’m going to say that it's the best animated film of the year, but also it's one of the best movies of the year." - Russ Matthews

"She and I had a fantastic time with this incredible story about a robot crash landing to earth in this island populated by animals." - Ben McEachen

"It's one of those great stories that uses things that aren't human to reflect back to us human things." - Ben McEachen

"They’re able to tap into also this kind of love, this mother's relationship with this gosling, which seems so strange but really does work." - Russ Matthews

"The movie could make me care so much about a robot, like you can really connect on an emotional level." - Ben McEachen

Film(s) Summary:

Chris Sanders is the creative directional mind behind the innovative worlds of Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods. His newest project takes on the imaginative escapades of ROZZUM, unit 7134 or for short, Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), who was given life by author/illustrator Peter Brown. As the final in-house project of Dreamworks animation, this may be one of the best animated films of recent memory.

When a Universal Dynamics cargo ship is wrecked on the shores of an uninhabited island, Roz, this service robot, is the only survivor and must make her own way. Despite being designed to serve humanity in an urban atmosphere, she must find her way in the wilderness and discover how to serve the local ‘residents.’ Eventually Roz learns the language and ‘culture’ of the various creatures that inhabit the island. Until she accidentally destroys a goose’s nest and saves the surviving egg from the clutches of the fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal). This leads to the egg hatching, and the gosling quickly imprints on the service robot, leaving her to care for the small bird and name him Brightbill (Kit Connor). Even though Roz attempts to communicate with the head office, she decides her role for the foreseeable future will be to raise the young goose to eat, swim and fly.

We've got a lot of ground to cover!

So many shows, so little time. At least it feels like it. Between all the different streaming platforms and the blockbuster movies coming to cinema trying to get audiences back in a post-COVID world, we are spoilt for choice on screen – and yet, still “have nothing to watch”.

Deciphering all the voices in entertainment and how to think about the themes raised in movies, TV, and streaming is tough: enter our new podcast The Watchlist.

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