The best animated movie of 2024 launches on Netflix in May, and it comes from neither Disney nor Pixar, the longtime twin giants in this realm.
The film is “The Wild Robot,” which lands on Netflix May 24 and follows the story of Roz, a shipwrecked robot who must adapt to life in the wilderness after she’s stranded on a remote island. There, she forms an unlikely bond with a baby goose named Brightbill, whom she adopts after discovering its egg in a broken nest and keeps it warm until it hatches.
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This charming DreamWorks film was based on a series of bestselling children’s books by Peter Brown and is packed with biblical lessons about love, parenting and adoption that — just maybe — will have you shedding a tear at the end.
Roz and other high-tech “helper” robots like her were designed to perform everyday tasks for humans. As the fictitious manufacturer Universal Dynamics boasts in an advertisement, one robot for every five humans “means a 40 percent increase in leisure time and happiness.”
This means that Roz lands on the island with one goal: serving others. Maybe the beaver is her owner. (Unfortunately, she destroys its dam while trying to help.) Perhaps it’s the deer. (It, though, kicks her.) Or maybe it’s the skunk. (It wastes no time in unleashing its spray.)
“Did anyone order me?” Roz shouts into the forest.
While desperately searching for a task, Roz accidentally crushes a nest of goose eggs and instinctively incubates the one surviving one, driven by guilt and a growing sense of purpose. Her heroic action also saves it from a hungry fox.
But when the egg hatches, the tiny gosling — wide-eyed and precious — believes Roz is its mom. Cute? Yes. But not to Roz, who knows nothing about being a parent — much less about being a goose. Roz cannot swim. Roz cannot hunt for food. Most significantly, Roz cannot fly.
Nevertheless, Roz gives the gosling a name, Brightbill, and vows to raise it. Eventually, Roz develops a love for him — wanting to see Brightbill grow strong and soar free.
Roz wasn’t programmed to be a parent — and parenting, after all, doesn’t come with a manual. It demands patience, sacrifice and wisdom that can’t be downloaded or preinstalled. It’s an on-the-job task that requires wisdom from above.
Adoption
Adoption is another major theme in “The Wild Robot,” even if it comes with some emotional pain.
Seeing other geese swimming happily in a pond, Brightbill compares them to Roz and says sadly, “You’re not my mom.” But Roz refuses to give up. She fights for Brightbill and pursues him. Through trial and innovation, she even teaches him how to fly. Brightbill, in turn, has a change of heart.
“The Wild Robot” is a modern parable about parenting and adoption that echoes a biblical truth: Families are often formed not by flesh and blood, but by sacrificial love and steadfast grace.
In the end, it reminds us that parenting does not require perfection but love that mirrors God’s own heart — patient, self-sacrificial and pursuing.
Also worth watching this month:
“Paddington in Peru” (Home Video) — Paddington travels to South America alongside the Browns to search for his Aunt Lucy, who has gone missing while living in the Home for Retired Bears. Rated PG for action, mild rude humor and some thematic elements.
“When Hope Calls,” Season 2 (Great American Pure Flix) — A spinoff of “When Calls the Heart,” this heartwarming family series follows the residents of Brookfield, a frontier town filled with drama, intrigue and a little romance. Rated TV-PG.
“Identity Crisis” (Angel) — An introverted college student creates a clone to embody the “perfect” version of herself — only to discover unexpected courage and purpose within herself. It’s a faith-filled teen movie with a science fiction twist. Shari Rigby (“Overcomer”) directed it. Rated G. It launches May 13. Visit Angel.com
“The Lego Movie” (Netflix) — A rule-following construction worker named Emmet (Chris Pratt) is mistaken for a legendary hero and joins a group of misfits on a mission to stop a tyrant from freezing their Lego world in place. Rated PG for mild action and rude humor.
