(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
From DreamWorks Animation comes a new adaptation of a literary sensation – Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot. The epic sci-fi adventure story follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling. The Wild Robot is both written and directed by acclaimed animation filmmaker Chris Sanders, director of the movies Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, and The Call of the Wild previously, as well as lots of other animation work. Adapted from the beloved book series written by Peter Brown. Produced by Jeff Hermann; executive produced by Dean DeBlois. Made by DreamWorks Animation. (courtesy First Showing)
Oh my heart, this looks wondrously good.
Not simply from an animation point of view which is lush, vivid and evocative but from a story point of view too; based on the book by Peter Brown, it very much wears its heart on its gorgeously evoked sleeve and says some very important things while absolutely ripping your heart out of your chest and carefully putting it back.
This is immersive animation at its very best, singing a love song to being your authentic self and how being connected to others changes at some very fundamental levels, and how beautiful that can be even when it brings you in conflict with conservative types who can’t abide anyone deviating from the norm.
My body might be here and now but my heart is already in September waiting to feel all the things.
The Wild Robot releases 19 September in Australia and 27 September in the U.S.