If you like The Iron Giant, you will love the 2024 animated movie that is currently trending on Netflix: The Wild Robot. Released in 1999, The Iron Giant left an impression, following Hogarth Hughes as he struggles to defend his new giant alien robot friend, the Iron Giant, from the military. Set against a Cold War backdrop, The Iron Giant gained a cult following after underperforming at the box office, earning a reputation as one of the greatest animated movies of all time. So, if you enjoyed The Iron Giant, you will no doubt like 2024’s movie The Wild Robot.
Based on 2016’s The Wild Robot book by Peter Brown, The Wild Robot follows shipwrecked service robot Roz as she learns to adapt to the environment, building relationships with the local wildlife, and becoming an adoptive mother to orphaned goose, Brightbill. The movie hosts a fantastic cast, featuring the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Connor in the lead roles. Grossing $334 million at the box office in 2024, The Wild Robot is currently trending on Netflix, ranking at number 1 in the Top 10 Movies in the US, making now the perfect time to watch it.
The Wild Robot Is An Oscar-Nominated Critical Darling
Chris Sanders’ Movie Has A 96% RT Score
On a $78 million budget, The Wild Robot was a success at the box office, and was further praised by critics for its story, emotional depth, themes, animation, and performances. In fact, The Wild Robot has earned a fantastic Rotten Tomatoes score, with a surprising 96% Tomatometer and 98% Tomatometer, making it Verified both Fresh and H๏τ on the review aggregation site. Yet, that is not the movie’s only crowning achievement, as the DreamWorks film won nine Annie Awards, Best Animated Feature at the Critics’ Choice Awards and Producer Guild of America Awards, and received nominations for three Academy Awards.
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The Wild Robot was nominated for three Oscars in 2024 for Best Animated Feature, Best Original Score, as well as Best Sound, becoming DreamWorks Animation’s most nominated film at the Academy Awards ever. This is a surprising feat considering there are many major franchises by DreamWorks Animation, including the widely renowned Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon movie series. Therefore, when The Wild Robot was hailed the best animated movie of 2024 by critics and audiences alike, it was certainly not without reason, especially with a writer and director like Chris Sanders on board.
All three of Sanders’ previous animated movies have been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards
Written for the screen and directed by Chris Sanders, The Wild Robot was set up for success from the start due to Sanders’ impressive history in animation. He co-wrote Lilo & Sтιтch (2002) and How to Train Your Dragon (2010) with Dean Deblois, and The Croods with Kirk DeMicco, and acts as Sтιтch’s creator and voice in almost all media appearances. All three of Sanders’ previous animated movies have been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. Therefore, when Sanders was slated to adapt The Wild Robot, its subsequent commercial and critical success (and Oscar nomination) wasn’t surprising.
Why Iron Giant Fans Will Love The Wild Robot
Roz & Iron Giant Are Both Loveable Protectors
There are plenty of reasons why fans of The Iron Giant will love The Wild Robot, but the main one is due to its protagonist. The Wild Robot’s Roz feels like a combination of movie robots, from Wall-E to Baymax, because of her quirky personality and kindness towards those who are different and considerably more delicate. In that respect, she definitely mirrors the Iron Giant, as, while both robots have a threatening appearance, they override their default programming to serve and protect their younger masters. They are both willing to do anything for the ones they have come to love.
The Wild Robot reflects The Iron Giant, and it certainly has a similar charm, as both machines become aware of their positions as protectors, and understand the depth of human emotion. However, the machine versus nature juxtaposition is much more defined in The Wild Robot. With a fantastic mix of CGI and painterly style, The Wild Robot is a modern animated masterpiece with a brilliant environmentalist message, and it’s easy to see why The Iron Giant fans might be interested. Furthermore, audiences will be happy to know The Wild Robot’s ending is considerably less traumatizing, yet no less emotional.
