The Wild Robot
The Wild Robotis the latest project from DreamWorks Animation, telling the story of a robot named Roz who ends up shipwrecked on a deserted island.
FromThe Wild Robotcast, headlined by Lupita Nyong’o and Pedro Pascal, to the writer and director, Chris Sanders, known forHow To Train Your DragonandLilo & Stitch, to the excellent trailers, this film seemed almost destined to be a hit.
Since its release,the reactions to this movie have surpassed all expectations.The Wild Robotis a hit with critics and audiences alike, and a killer box office cements this movie as a massive success.
The Wild Robot’s triumph then once again brings to the forefront the question of DreamWorks' inconsistencies, and how it manages to constantly straddle the line between unfortunate mediocrity and incredible accomplishment in such quick succession.The quality ofDreamWorks' films has always been unpredictable, but seeing the heights this studio can reach makes the flops feel that much more disappointing.
Despite their truly excellent projects, DreamWorks continues to put out films that either cannot find an audience or are simply unremarkable.
The Wild Robot Joins Puss In Boots: The Last Wish As A Modern DreamWorks Classic
Two Films That Stand As Feathers In DreamWorks' Cap
If there is one film to compare toThe Wild Robot,it would be 2022’swell-receivedPuss in Boots: The Last Wish.Both are incredible DreamWorks animated films filled with heart and adventure, pushing the medium of animation to its limits without sacrificing character or storytelling.The Last Wishcame out at a time when it seemed that DreamWorks had been running out of steam and showed thatthe studio was still absolutely capable of producing incredible works of artthat stood toe-to-toe with some of the best animated projects of all time.
The Last WishandThe Wild Robotcame at worrying times for the studio, and both films surpassed all expectations to become massive hits.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wishwas the sequel to a movie that was perceived as generally quite middling, and the initial box office numbers reflected that before bouncing back once word of mouth had spread.
Because of the success ofThe Last Wish,more eyes were on this project from the start, allowingThe Wild Robotto top the chartsduring its first weekend.The Last WishandThe Wild Robotcame at worrying times for the studio, butboth films surpassed all expectations to become massive hits.
Image via Universal Pictures
DreamWorks' Movies Between The Last Wish and The Wild Robot Were Mostly Disappointing
Despite Some Decent Films, None Of Them Moved The Needle
DreamWorks released four films in betweenThe Last WishandThe Wild Robot,and unfortunately,none of them were able to live up to what had come before.Ruby Gillman: Teenage Krakentanked at the box office without much fan support.Trolls Band Togetherperformed decently but was mediocre at best, andOrion and the Darkreviewed well but didn’t seem to break much ground when released on Netflix.Kung Fu Panda 4had enough box office draw but didn’t receive great reviews, seeming to be aweak showing for theKung Fu Pandafranchise.
Director Chris Sanders and star Lupita Nyong’o offer optimistic responses to the chances of The Wild Robot 2 happening following early acclaim.
The Wild Robotis one of DreamWorks' best, but it is unfortunately still not the norm for the studio.
DreamWorks is capable of putting out excellent and well-received projects, and seeing so many of them fall into the same traps that DreamWorks films have been falling into since the inception of the studio remains a very frustrating experience.
Films likeKung Fu Panda 4could’ve been showered with the same praise thatThe Wild Robotis receiving, butthose films now only serve to act as a point of comparison to their more successful outings.
DreamWorks' Future Needs More Movies Like The Wild Robot
The Wild Robot Should Serve As A Blueprint For The Studio
The Wild Robotwill hopefully serve as a sign that good things are yet to comefrom DreamWorks and that this film is not just another lone bright spot.
Image via Universal Pictures
The project is a labor of love by every creative involved, and clearly, that process has worked wonderfully.
Hopefully, DreamWorks will learn the right lessons from this film, and allow the people behind their upcoming slate the freedom to be able tosucceed in the wayThe Wild Robothas.
The Wild Robot author Peter Brown shares his own review of the widely-praised movie adaptation from its adaptational differences to emotional scenes.
DreamWorks' upcoming movies have a lot of potential.Shrek 5can build uponPuss in Boots: The Last Wish,Dog Manis another adaptation of a beloved series, andThe Bad Guys 2has the potential to cement the series as a DreamWorks classic.
If DreamWorks can capitalize on the success ofThe Wild Robot, the filmhas the potential to kick off a new age for the studio, though only time will tell how successful that ends up being.
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Cast
The Wild Robot is an animated drama film based on a series of books by Peter Brown.
The adaptation is written and directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Catherine O’Hara.
The Wild Robot centers on a robot named Rozzum 7134, who becomes stranded on a deserted island and the guardian of a young orphan.
