When you hear that Chris Sanders is directing a new animated feature for DreamWorks, you sit up a little straighter. Sanders, who has been a long-time partner of How To Train Your Dragon‘s Dean DeBlois, is striking out on his own with an adaptation of Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot. As is the norm these days, this animated adventure boasts an all-star cast and, from the onset, has been an anticipated feature for many animation fans.

At first glance, The Wild Robot feels like DreamWorks’ answer to Wall-E. Perhaps because Hollywood has damaged our minds so much by constantly putting out reboots, remakes, and derivative works, the assumption The Wild Robot will be something familiar is second nature. Fortunately for us, the film is anything but derivative. It’s a wholly exciting and emotionally satisfying animated adventure. After watching this movie, I cannot help but feel assured that Sanders and his creative team are at the forefront of a push for original works that push for innovation and artistic ambition.

The Wild Robot follows a shocker robot designed to aid humanity. Unfortunately for ROZZUM unit 7134 (Lupita Nyong’o), the unit has drifted onto an island where only animals live. No humans are in sight to give them an assignment, but this doesn’t deter Roz from sticking to their programming. They will find their assignment and complete it to satisfaction.

The Wild Robot’s Animation Style Is Stunning

The use of color and paintbrush-like strokes make it a beautiful film

DreamWorks has always been an animation studio that has put out some distinctive works. Despite the atrocity of their new opening intro, they have released some profoundly innovative and entertaining pictures like Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, and The Prince of Egypt. With absolute confidence, The Wild Robot will leave as big a mark as these titles. Sanders has said The Wild Robot was inspired by classic Disney animated films — the operative word being classic — and the works of Hayao Miyazaki.

Additionally, the animation style has been described as a Monet painting in a Miyazaki forest, which is exactly what I felt while watching this movie. Sanders confidently takes on the challenge and executes it perfectly. The Wild Robot is stunningly beautiful.

What will capture your attention first is the use of color — there is an incredible range of colors in each frame. There is hardly a moment devoid of it, which is further enhanced by the paintbrush-like strokes in the animation style. The stylized animation is a nice change from the stale, lifeless CG animation that has become the general norm.

But what makes The Wild Robot‘s animation stand out is the emotional depth of Roz and the goose Brightbill’s (Kit Connor) story and the delicate ecosystem that Roz is now a part of. It is a tragedy that The Wild Robot is the last animated film to be produced entirely in-house at DreamWorks. This sort of artistry is why animation is considered an art form and not a genre for kids.

The Wild Robot Is Entertaining, Heartfelt & Funny

It Also Boasts A Good Voice Cast

I can never get behind having an all-star cast when the average voice actor can be just as good in these roles. Sure, an actor best known for the screen and stage may want to dive into animation, but this space is overrun by actors with “star quality,” but I digress. In the case of The Wild Robot, the ensemble at least sounds great, and all do an excellent job at playing up the comedy, which is integral here.

Nyong’o is hardly recognizable, but as Roz’s humanity develops, she starts to sound more like the Oscar-winning actress. Bill Nighy and Matt Berry are instantly identifiable and are wonderful additions. Pedro Pascal has fun playing the sly fox Fink, and audiences will certainly get a kick out of hearing him and Mark Hamill lend their voices to this project.

Aside from the animation itself, the film is wildly entertaining. The most disarming element of the film is the humor and how particularly dark it is. Children of the ’80s and ’90s will get a kick out of this as the film harkens back to a time when animations weren’t exempt from some morbid joking. I feel the good old days returning with this one.

The Wild Robot really plays up the savage animal food chain as we see it through Roz’s point of view. It’s dangerous, death is a certainty, and it’s eat or be eaten for these creatures, except Roz, a nearly indestructible robot who disrupts this ecosystem.

I cannot emphasize how funny The Wild Robot is, and it’s only made more comical by how sincere and blunt it is. Sure, there’s a fictitious reality suggesting these animals would cohabitate, which doesn’t highlight the predator and prey relationship, but for under two hours, I had a blast watching these animals come together to help a robot and their son. The film is outstanding in almost every regard. It’s an uplifting, hilarious, gut-wrenching, and stunning animated adventure that reaffirms the power of a parent’s love. A round of applause for all involved; The Wild Robot is a winner.

The Wild Robot is now playing in theaters. It is 101 minutes long and rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements.