The Wild Robot (U)

This gorgeously thoughtful animated spectacle from DreamWorks explores life, friendship, the meaning of family and its survival in an unforgiving environment.

Adapted from a bestselling novel, the story follows Robot ROZZUM unit 7134, known as "Roz," who finds herself shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. Stranded, she must learn to adapt to her surroundings while gradually forming bonds with the island's animal inhabitants. Along the way, Roz becomes the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling, undergoing a journey of connection and resilience in the face of adversity.

Writer-director Chris Sanders says he took inspiration from Disney animated classics and the works of Japan’s Hayao Miyazaki Miazaki (The Boy and the Heron). There’s no doubting this offers up the best of both those worlds, deep allegorical storytelling alongside terrific world-building, characters you care about and rich visuals that reach out and surround you. And by the time this reaches its emotional and thematic crescendo, only the hardest of hearts won’t be looking for something to help them with their sudden eye leakage. A stunning-looking, heart-warming, crowd-pleasing cross between E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Wall-E and How to Train Your Dragon, this might just be the best animated movie of this, and many a year