DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” has been a hit with both audiences and critics since its release in theaters on September 27, debuting at the top of the box office and scoring an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. The adaptation of the children’s book by Peter Brown features Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of a friendly but naïve helper robot who goes by the designation Roz.
Stranded on a remote island with no humans around, Roz eventually learns to communicate with the local animals, adapting her programming to help raise an undersized gosling she names Brightbill (Kit Connor). The lush visuals and sweet story have made “The Wild Robot” perfect for both kids and adults.
If you enjoyed watching Roz build her emotional connection to her animal friends, here are five more great family-friendly movies like "The Wild Robot" about machines with feelings.
‘The Iron Giant’
Vin Diesel voices the title character in the debut feature from director Brad Bird, although he doesn’t say much. The Iron Giant is a robot of few words, but that doesn’t prevent him from forming a bond with 9-year-old Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal), a curious boy who is just excited to have his own personal giant robot. The Iron Giant may be a secret military experiment, or he may come from outer space, but whatever he is, the government is after him.
Set in 1957, “The Iron Giant” is an anti-war parable that’s also a beautiful story about two outcasts becoming friends. Made with a mix of traditional and computer animation, it has a timeless look that fits with its retro story, and Bird demonstrates some of the boundless imagination he’d later bring to the “Incredibles” movies.
‘WALL-E’
Andrew Stanton’s Oscar-winning sci-fi romance may be the best movie Pixar has ever made, and it’s one of the greatest demonstrations of the power of animation, since the majority of the story is conveyed without any dialogue at all. Robots WALL-E and EVE fall in love without words, communicating via sound effects and expressive motions, while they are alone together on an abandoned future Earth.
Later on, “WALL-E” introduces some human characters who provide greater narrative urgency and explain what’s happened to the planet. But the movie’s core is the dynamic between WALL-E and EVE, two machines developed for menial tasks who discover a greater purpose to existence when they find each other. In turn, the robots inspire the apathetic humans to rediscover their own greater purpose.
Watch on Disney Plus
‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’
Like Roz and her fellow robots in “The Wild Robot,” the B-Bots in this animated movie are ubiquitous and helpful — or at least that’s what they’re supposed to be. B-Bots are the must-have accessory for cool middle-schoolers, but awkward Barney Pudowski (Jack Dylan Grazer) ends up with a malfunctioning model that his dad purchases at a discount from a questionable source.
Dubbing himself Ron (Zach Galifianakis), Barney’s B-Bot inadvertently wreaks havoc wherever he goes, but he also transcends the directives from the massive tech company that makes B-Bots, becoming a threat to the corporate empire and a genuine friend to Barney. Galifianakis’ deadpan delivery is perfect for Ron’s oddball proclamations, and Olivia Colman is hilarious as Barney’s eccentric Bulgarian grandmother. “Ron’s Gone Wrong” is a freewheeling, chaotic comedy with an endearing message about true friendship.
Watch on Disney Plus
‘Robot Dreams’
A Spanish filmmaker adapts an American graphic novel into a dialogue-free movie that can reach audiences of all ages in any language. It’s a cute and charming story set in a version of 1980s New York City populated by anthropomorphic animals. A lonely dog orders a robot from a TV ad, and they become instant friends but are separated by circumstance after only a few days together.
It’s easy to feel for the main characters even though they never utter a word, and their quest to reunite is both epic and cozy, as they both face major life changes along with everyday obstacles. Director Pablo Berger creates a bittersweet story about hope and heartbreak, with simple but gorgeous animation and a playful sense of humor.
‘Bumblebee’
The Transformers movies are not generally a place to find heartfelt emotion, but that’s exactly what director Travis Knight delivers in this origin story set in the 1980s. Although there is a larger plot about the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, the core of the movie is the friendship between slightly malfunctioning Transformer Bumblebee and lonely teenager Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld).
As in the previous live-action Transformers movies, Bumblebee communicates solely via broadcasts from his onboard radio, which is perfect for the music-driven ’80s setting. Steinfeld is great as the smart, determined Charlie, whose friendship with Bumblebee helps her take control of her own life. There are the requisite action sequences, but they’re relatively toned down. Knight, head of the stop-motion animation studio Laika, brings that company’s care and patience to his live-action debut, making it easily the best Transformers movie.
Watch on Paramount Plus
