Are animated movies only meant for kids?

It’s a question that I despise. I have always been an advocate for animation as a medium, not a genre, and I believe that some of the best films ever made have been made through animation.

Lion King, Aladdin, Shrek, Toy Story, Spirited Away, and the list goes on. The best part about most of the aforementioned films is that while the appearance may be kid-orientated, the stories within them are ageless, and the enjoyment within them extends beyond being kid-friendly.

DreamWorks’ newest film, The Wild Robot, is another example of how animation can be used to tell a story that live-action can’t while also being a blast for people of all ages.

The Wild Robot follows Roz, a helper robot that has been shipwrecked on a secluded island. Roz is tasked with assisting her buyer with any task, but upon realising she is not where she’s supposed to be, she is given a new directive to protect and nurture a baby goose named Brightbill.

To parents reading this, if you are looking to take your family to the movies these school holidays, I implore you to see this film. It is incredible.

From the opening scene, it is clear that this film is made to look like a painting brought to life. The unique animation is a character in and of itself. The almost incomplete, brush stroke-like aesthetic demonstrates the flaws and imperfections of each character and it is glorious.

Something I believe modern animation has done better in the last five or so years than ever before is that studios are giving their animators the chance to be unique in their art. For a long time, the idea was, “Let’s make it look as real as possible!” Look at the water in Moana, the uncanny valley of Spielberg’s Tin Tin or even that awful Lion King remake that I refuse to call live-action.

While most are solid movies in their own right, the question then becomes, “Why not just make it live-action?”

I believe this narrative has changed in the last few years. Big IPs like Spider-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been giving more comic-book-looking aesthetics to critical and commercial acclaim. Anime-inspired films like The Boy and the Heron have won Oscars. Heck, even Puss in Boots was given an incredible sequel with cell-graded animation.

The Wild Robot has added to this trend, and I believe (putting recency bias aside) that it may be the best example of it yet.

The themes of The Wild Robot are also fantastic. The idea of a robot mothering a goose is a stroke of genius. It demonstrated the difficulties of being a parent without pushing too hard or being too blunt. It’s a careful demonstration that families don’t always look or sound the same as what the world may lead you to believe and I applaud the film for it.

There are themes of loss, death and the fear of moving on. It led me to the brink of tears, not because I was sad but because I, and many others, have lived similar experiences.

The voice acting elevates these concepts to new heights as well. Lupita Nyong’o as Roz and Pedro Pascal as Fink (a cunning fox who befriends Roz and Brightbill) are particularly brilliant. I was honestly unable to pick the two actors’ voices until the end credits because I was so captivated. It’s voice work like this that encourages the idea that the Academy Awards should have a voice acting category. Add in appearances from Ving Rhames, Mark Hamill and Bill Nighy and you have an all-star cast.

There is genuinely only one issue I have with The Wild Robot: I don’t think enough people are going to see it. In its first weekend, it only made $6 million globally. With the school holidays around the corner, I hope that picks up.

The Wild Robot is incredible, there’s no two ways around it. I encourage families, children, adults and anyone in between to seek this film out because it’s not only the best animated movie of the year but one of the best movies of the year.

The Wild Robot is currently showing in cinemas across the country.