1. The Robot - I didn't know much about this before watching it. I was meeting my mom for lunch and a movie - and this was the only thing playing aside from horror movies (Heretic, Smile 2), movies I've never heard of (Here, Elevation), or movies I know my mom would hate (Conclave, Anora). So we picked this and I have no regrets! It's so good! The best animated movie I've seen since The Mitchell's vs. The Machines. There has been some great animated movies about robots (Big Hero 6, Wall-E, The Iron Giant), so I didn't know how this one was going to stand out. But it does. Roz not only has to adapt to her new environment (on an island of wild animals), she also has to learn about friendship, motherhood, and the laws of nature. All of it is done so well, and SOMEHOW, I didn't cry! Instead I left the theater feeling inspired and entertained.
2. The Wild - Not only does this have a loveable robot, but it also has loveable wild animals, so OBVIOUSLY, I'm going to love it. The biggest "lesson" of the movie is that kindness is, in fact, a survival skill - something that A LOT of people would probably argue against. I think we've adapted the mantra that the "nice guy finishes last" and have run amuck with it, unfortunately. In theory, it's really cute - and a good lesson for children, but my mind kept wandering to - "but if all the animals are friends and take care of each other, how are they getting food???" In "the wild" animals will eat each other and it's survival of the fittest! They do mention this more than a few times, but in the end, the animals all band together and they ignore the whole eating each other thing. But, I know, I know, it's a kid's movie. And I know if I were a kid, I would have been obsessed with this - especially with Fink the fox. They do a great job of giving depth to these characters - Fink is a loveable "hated" character. I also like that it touches on how being different (or having a disability), i.e being a runt of a litter, still has its strengths within a community. Everyone contributes to society - you just have to find out how.
3. The Rest - I think the thing about this movie that really blew me away is the animation - and I haven't really cared for modern animation in a long time. Especially from DreamWorks (I like a lot of their animated movies - The Kung Fu Panda movies, and The Bad Guys, but I still find the animation lacking that spark. OH WAIT - I just realized that Puss in Boots is not only DreamWorks but came out in 2022, after The Mitchell's vs The Machines - so that's probably the last animated movie I truly loved). But this movie is gorgeous. Simply GORGEOUS. I love the way it intertwines the relationship between technology and nature - it's so vibrant, detailed, and feels magical. I also think the casting is incredible because as recognizable as all the voices are, it's not distracting to the movie. Lupita's voice is so soothing and calm, it's so perfect for this character. Her supporting actors that surround her - Pedro Pascal, Kit Conner, Stephanie Hsu are all great. I think the only critique I have is Matt Berry, because his voice is SO overwhelmingly distinct that it was distracting.
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