FEATURED MOVIE REVIEW: The Wild Robot

By Joseph McAleer/OSV News

NEW YORK. Cast aside any concerns about the dangers of artificial intelligence — “The Wild Robot” (PG, Dreamworks) has arrived, a Mary Poppins bot ready to chase your cares away in this warm and fuzzy animated adaptation of the bestselling children’s book by Peter Brown.

Not since Dorothy embraced the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz” has a mechanical device had such a close bond with a warm-blooded creature —in this case an ugly gosling named Brightbill (voice of Kit Connor). He’s an orphan, due to an accident caused by a rogue alien robot called ROZZUM Unit 7134 (voice of Lupita Nyong’o).

ROZZUM — Roz for short — crash landed in the forest, far from the city environment best suited for her programming: to serve humans and solve problems. (She’s an obvious distant cousin to the inflatable Baymax in Pixar’s “Big Hero 6.”)

“Sometimes, to survive, you must become more than you were programmed to be,” Roz proclaims.

And how. Roz proves a resourceful robot, serving as “mother” and teacher to Brightbill and peacemaker to the wide array of birds and animals in the forest. She makes a friend and ally in Fink (voice of Pedro Pascal), a sly fox who instructs her in the predatory dangers of the natural world — a stark contrast to Roz’s strict coda to defend life and do no harm.

Of course, before long fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly. Roz, having fully embraced her emotional programming, faces a painful separation from Brightbill as his fellow geese prepare for their autumnal migration.

Written and directed by Chris Sanders, a veteran of the “How to Train Your Dragon” series, “The Wild Robot” features some of the most beautiful, photo-realistic computer animation on screen. The story is equal parts humor and heart, with much-needed messages about the sanctity of life and the importance of family, not to mention Roz’s mantra: “Kindness is a survival skill.”

Apart from a few action sequences which may be too intense for the youngest of viewers, “The Wild Robot” is solid and refreshing entertainment for the entire family.