Arts·Commotion

What makes The Wild Robot so alluring?

Montreal illustrator and avid Wild Robot enthusiast Arizona O'Neill gets into whether the film adaptation of the popular children's book lives up to fans' expectations.

The captivating and emotional animated film is an adaptation of Peter Brown’s beloved children's novel

A large robot nuzzles the head of a young gosling.
Roz the robot nuzzles her newest customer, a young goose named Brightbill, in a scene from The Wild Robot. (Universal Pictures )

It's said to be one of those rare films that both kids and adults can enjoy — or at the very least, make sure you have a good cry together.

The Wild Robot is the latest movie from DreamWorks Animation. It follows a robot that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island as it learns to adapt to its new surroundings and build relationships with the natural world, even becoming the unlikely adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

It is based on author Peter Brown's award-winning and New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, first published in 2016. Today on Commotion, Montreal illustrator and avid Wild Robot enthusiast Arizona O'Neill joins guest host Ali Hassan to get into whether the film adaptation of the popular children's book lives up to fans' expectations.

WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube (this segment begins at 15:43): 

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.


Interview with Arizona O'Neill produced by Stuart Berman.