Quick Links
The Wild Robot's Heartbreaking Twist Explained
The Wild Robot's Roz Teaches the Island About Love
What Happens to Roz in The Wild Robot?
The Wild Robot Confirms Brightbill Won't Let Roz Go
The following contains spoilers for The Wild Robot, now playing in theaters.
When it comes to emotional, heartfelt family stories in 2024, it's going to be hard to top Dreamworks' The Wild Robot. The movie deals with Lupita Nyong'o as the ROZZUM unit 7134, a unique brand of helper robot in this neo-futuristic story. She ends up marooned on an island with a few other machines after a typhoon.
The Universal Dynamics property slowly begins to shred her code and become more human. Roz befriends various animals on the island, including Pedro Pascal's Fink, a red fox who learns about having a heart from her. Most of all, Roz takes care of a little gosling named Brightbill, and becomes a de facto mother, not just to him, but all the other animals on the island. It builds to a heart-warming, action-packed ending that speaks to the theme of family and just how far one will sacrifice for it.
Related
'It's Emotional': Mark Hamill Compares Upcoming DreamWorks Film to the Original Star Wars
At San Diego Comic-Con, Mark Hamill praises The Wild Robot's story and ties its emotional vibes to Star Wars, believing it "works on so many levels."
The Wild Robot's Heartbreaking Twist Explained
Roz Accidentally Killed Brightbill's Family Earlier On the Island
When Roz adjusts to the island in the opening act, she decodes the language for all the animals there. However, prior to that, an accident saw her fall onto a tree. She ended up crushing the goose pack, eggs included. Only one egg survived, and she helped hatch it, with the gosling growing up to be Brightbill. Roz keeps the tragedy from him, instead opting to focus on the positive and helping him survive.
Her plan is to teach him to eat, swim and fly away, so he can migrate with the other geese during winter. Unfortunately, they consider him an outcast. Like the other animals, they view the misunderstood Roz as a monster and a destroyer -- elements seen in properties such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. During a bullying session, the flock reveals Roz killed his family. Brightbill is heartbroken after confronting Roz, and deems her a liar. He forgives her, somewhat, and uses her and other animals like Thunderbolt to train and fly.
In time, Longneck takes him into the flock, and they head out to San Francisco when the cold comes. Brightbill still harbors resentment, however, and doesn't get to show appreciation and gratitude to Roz in this heartwarming family movie. Furthermore, he doesn't tell her he loves her and that, no matter what, she is his mother. Roz also keeps her feelings inside. She activates her homing beacon, but then shuts it down. As much as she wants to go back to her maker, she decides to stick around for when Brightbill returns.
Related
'That Kind of Cry Is Worth It': Lupita Nyong'o Teases Emotional DreamWorks Film, The Wild Robot
The Wild Robot's lead actor, Lupita Nyong'o, suggests fans might need tissues when watching the DreamWorks film.
The Wild Robot's Roz Teaches the Island About Love
Roz Reminds the Animals They Are Better Working as One
During winter, Roz realizes all the other animals need her. She rescues them and takes them to her haven where she has a fire going. Despite their predatory instincts and the will to kill each other to survive in the food chain, Roz begs them to call a truce. Even Mark Hamill's Thorn, a grizzly bear, abides. Roz powers down for the winter and finally creates a paradise. It has the endearing quality of movies like Despicable Me, where second chances are always found.
The animals really do connect with why she became a mother. Even Fink realizes he has been selfish, and that they are stronger together. It nods to properties like Animal Farm and Tom King's Animal Pound. But rather than a revolution against an oppressive leader, the creatures unite and form a community at last. When Roz re-awakens after winter, she accepts that love has re-written her code. She sees Brightbill being praised by his flock.
Brightbill helped them escape a Universal Dynamics facility when they hid for shelter on their migration. Sadly, it took the life of Longneck. But Brightbill used his non-goose instinct and the strategy that Roz taught him. Her philosophies of love and acceptance have permeated into the flock, too, just like Longneck always wanted. When Brightbill goes to find her to reveal how much he missed her, Roz is taken onto a ship that tracks her signal down. However, this leads to a sinister arc in the animated film.
5:21
Related
Chris Sanders on the Challenge of Adapting The Wild Robot Bestselling Series
Chris Sanders on the Challenge of Adapting The Wild Robot Bestselling Series
What Happens to Roz in The Wild Robot?
Roz Makes a Sacrifice to Ensure Brightbill and The Island Remain Safe & Free
Close
Roz is at odds with the sentient machine, Vontra, sent to take her back, and all-out war ensues. Vontra is curious about dissecting Roz's mind and the motherhood within. The island fends off the hunters that Vontra unleashed. However, Roz ends up being kidnapped, with Vontra de-powering her, and erasing her memories to take them into a database. Ironically, Roz somehow manages to store them. It seems like she has a heart that won't ever lose Brightbill's history, or that of the island.
Brightbill breaks into the ship but finds a dead Roz. After telling her he loves her, the metal shell magically reactivates. They destroy the ship and Vontra, and leap back down to the island. Sadly, the evil bots left the place burning. The animals, however, brought down a tree, causing a tidal wave from the lake to flow through their island. The fire gets extinguished, which leads to the animals deciding to rebuild their community, which is a similar ending to so many Disney movies.
Unfortunately, Roz has to depart. She knows Universal Dynamics will return to claim her. She bids everyone goodbye but promises to return someday. She makes it clear she will come back to her son. Roz calls another ship over and heads "home," or as she calls it, her "migration." The animals are despondent, because she was a den mother to them all.
Related
DreamWorks' Newest Animated Movie Debuts With Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
The Wild Robot is impressing critics at Rotten Tomatoes with its early screenings.
The Wild Robot Confirms Brightbill Won't Let Roz Go
Brightbill Comes to Universal Dynamics to Rescue Roz
Ironically, Roz ends up at the same agricultural facility that Brightbill had to lead his flock from. Roz has been reset to factory settings, working with other robots and humans. She sees a flock outside her window, with Brightbill emerging from the crop field. Brightbill and his mother embrace, affirming Roz remembers him.
This tear-jerking movie concludes with the implication that Brightbill is there to break her out. He knows escape routes and is wily like no other animal on the island. He's also a remarkable genius. How exactly would they do this? It'll be complicated for sure. But the finale isn't about how or when or the why. It's about the who. As long as they are together, anything is possible. Brightbill won't ever let Roz go, which is the ultimate mark of love.
The Wild Robot Movie Details
Movie
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Metacritic Rating
IMDB Rating
Production Budget
The Wild Robot
98%
86
8.3/10
$78 million
Bill risking his life for a robot who did the same for so many others. Even if The Wild Robot sequel isn't made, this ending is filled with warmth, closure and love. Home isn't a place, it's the people you're with. Brightbill's island is Roz, and vice versa. Hopefully, they do escape and go back to the island that's missing them dearly.
It's a better place, as evidenced by all the monuments built to Roz: their immortal leader. She misses them just as much as they miss her. In the end, it's a story about a family that movies like Transformers One, and even the Fast & Furious films, speak about. With The Wild Robot, loyalty exists even outside the island, but Brightbill knows it's best to get Roz back to where she truly belongs.
The Wild Robot is now in theaters.
The Wild Robot
PG
Animation
Drama
Sci-Fi
Director Chris Sanders
Release Date September 27, 2024
Cast Lupita Nyong'o , Pedro Pascal , Catherine O'Hara , Bill Nighy , Kit Connor , Stephanie Hsu , Mark Hamill , Matt Berry , Ving Rhames
Writers Chris Sanders , Peter Brown
Runtime 101 Minutes
Main Genre Animation
Studio(s) Dreamworks
Distributor(s) Universal Studios
Expand