The Wild Robot (2024, dir. Chris Sanders) Toronto International Film Festival [Video]

WHO’S IN THE WILD ROBOT?

Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Chris Sanders (director, writer), Jeff Hermann (producer), Kris Bowers (composer), Mary Blee (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A robot (Nyong’o) learns to live in nature after it crash-lands on a remote island…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE WILD ROBOT?

DreamWorks Animation has long been seen as a mere competitor to Pixar, even from the very beginning when its first film Antz came out within months of the similarly insect-themed A Bug’s Life, but only on a rare few occasions has the studio actually managed to not just surpass its rival in terms of overall quality, but actively leave the animation giant firmly in the dust with its internal and external beauty. The Wild Robot, from director/writer Chris Sanders, is one such occasion.

Sanders’ adaptation of Peter Brown’s book of the same name is, …