The Wild Robot 2024

“Sometimes hearts have their own conversations.” I put this off for a long time because I didn’t believe it would be as great as people were saying. There are too many so-so stories about animals and robots. I thought I already knew exactly what kind of movie this would be But this one is different, and I’m glad that I was wrong. The message early on is pretty straightforward, something like finding and fulfilling your purpose in life. So I thought, oh okay, another Baymax or The Iron Giant kind of story. But then the movie becomes something much warmer and more personal. It evolves into a story about motherhood, and I love how it presents being a mother not as something someone is prepared for, but something you learn through adaptation, patience, mistakes, and love until caring for someone eventually becomes second nature. That is when the movie really opened up for me. Suddenly, it became incredibly warm and funny. I was laughing so hard while watching this inside the car. The training of Brightbill made me root for him. He showed resilience amidst differences and adversity, despite his physical and skill limitations. And when he left for migration, another standout motherhood theme occurred to me. Mothers will eventually be left behind by their sons as they explore the world and discover new things, but they will continue rooting for them, believing in them, and waiting for them to come home safely. The rescue montage feels very heroic. The creature everyone initially feared eventually becomes the beacon of hope. Gotta love that reversal. The ending feels like Avengers with everyone finally coming together as one team, crossed with Hoppers in the idea of protecting their natural habitat and the community that lives within it. The musical score is really great together with the story. Together, they give the movie this very inspirational vibe.