Though 2024 has seen its fair share of incredible animated movies, there’s no doubt that The Wild Robot has taken the top spot as the best animated movie of the year. Based on Peter Brown’s book of the same name, The Wild Robot follows ROZZUM 7134, known as Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), through a journey of motherhood, kindness, and survival. At the helm of its animated adaptation is Chris Sanders, renowned for his work in the animated field on movies such as Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, which is elevated by The Wild Robot‘s incredible star-studded cast.

The Wild Robot is far from the only animated movie to come out in 2024, with other major titles such as Inside Out 2 also having debuted this year. Despite this close competition, The Wild Robot can truly be crowned as the best animated movie that 2024 has seen so far. Where these other movies have either hit the surface level of storytelling and animation’s full visual potential or have dived just below it, The Wild Robot has taken everything a step further, providing plenty of reasons why this movie quite easily claims its title as the best.

The Wild Robot’s Story Is An Emotional Exploration Of Family & Motherhood

It’s So Much More Than An Adventure

What’s perhaps most renowned about The Wild Robot is the emotional exploration it takes into several of its core themes, most notably those of family and motherhood. Having arrived on the island by mistake, Roz is forced to create a community with the animals around her, despite their natural hostility to one another. She goes from being seen as an enemy to being seen as a protector, someone who manages to bring all the animals together into one big family. This process, however, doesn’t happen overnight, and the story shows how complex families can really be.

This is mostly exemplified through the movie’s exploration of motherhood. Roz and Brightbill (Kit Connor)’s relationship is the core of the movie, with Fink (Pedro Pascal) also being an important part of the dynamic, as the pair’s connection is what helps Roz to go from an emotionless robot into a heartfelt caretaker and fierce protector. Roz is seen embracing practically every part of motherhood, both the good and the bad, and the two are able to accept one another as mother and son despite the hardships that try to tear them apart.

The Wild Robot’s Animation Is Stunningly Handpainted

The Visuals Are Simply Breathtaking

What helps to truly elevate the story of The Wild Robot is its presentation, which is composed of beautifully handpainted animation. Sanders revealed the process to IndieWire, explaining how the animation in The Wild Robot is a true marriage of the beloved 2D style and the CG 3D style that has since come to define the modern era of animated storytelling. Artists were able to handpaint environments and Roz’s different phases, blending her into the handpainted background the more the movie went on, and the more she became one with the island.

This truly does make The Wild Robot stand apart from any other animated movie in terms of the visual experience. The time taken for this handpainting pays off in breathtaking sequences throughout the film, from the gorgeous views all around the island to the progression of Roz’s character over the course of the story. Its unique style serves its story in the best way, and the fact it uses such a classic approach to animation to do so makes it all the better.

How The Wild Robot Is Better Than Inside Out 2 & Other 2024 Animated Movies

This Film Is A Completely Different Experience

The Wild Robot succeeds and earns its place above 2024’s other animated movies by taking their best elements and fusing them together. For example, its biggest challenger for the title, Pixar’s Inside Out 2, excels in its storytelling, building upon the heartfelt story it told in the original movie by relating to the human experience and appealing to people of all ages, particularly those who are Riley’s age. In doing so, it maintains Pixar’s current animation style, though the story isn’t crafted to contain breathtaking visuals along with its storytelling.

That’s where The Wild Robot elevates things to the next level. It has this same strength in its storytelling, but it doesn’t rely on the story alone. Instead, it adds depth by also focusing on its visual experience, truly transporting the audience to the setting that is absolutely essential to the story it tells. There are plenty of things shown in the mere environments of The Wild Robot that say more than the characters ever could, elevating the emotions of every single scene with breathtaking beauty. This marriage between story and art makes The Wild Robot truly unique.

The Oscars Should Officially Make The Wild Robot The Best Animated Movie Of 2024

It Truly Deserves This Recognition

From its exceptional artists to its talented cast, The Wild Robot has an incredible team behind it who truly deserves recognition from the Oscars as the best animated movie of 2024. While this year’s animated movies have emotionally impacted their audiences, none have been nearly as moving as The Wild Robot is throughout its story’s entirety. The Wild Robot‘s ending is perfectly bittersweet, concluding on a note that leaves its viewers thinking long after they have even left the theater. The Wild Robot is not just a movie to be watched; it’s an experience to be had.

The proof of this is just about everywhere, from social media conversations to critics’ reviews. The Wild Robot‘s reviews and its Rotten Tomatoes score are overwhelmingly positive, with the latter making history for DreamWorks in terms of its audience score – and its critic score making it the studio’s second highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes, just 1% behind How to Train Your Dragon. It’s impossible to ignore such recognition from those both inside and outside the industry, especially for the illustrious Academy.

The Wild Robot
is not just a movie to be watched; it’s an experience to be had.

Whether it wins Best Animated Feature at the Oscars or not, The Wild Robot ought to be recognized as this year’s best animated movie. There is no other that comes close to its impeccable artistry, storytelling, and cast performance, rich with moments that pull at the heartstrings in both the best ways. The experience that The Wild Robot provides for its audience is one that only comes around rarely, leaving viewers with so much to think about even while they’re still dazzled by the breathtaking visuals that continue to dance around in their heads.