Walking into the theater to see the new Dreamworks movie, “The Wild Robot,” I expected some silly kids’ movie with a cliche takeaway near the end.

To say I was wrong would be a severe understatement.

The story follows a robot, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, known as ROZZUM Unit 7134 (nicknamed “Roz”), who is stranded on a remote island due to a storm. As ROZZUM Units are designed to assist humans with various tasks, Roz attempts to offer her assistance to the wildlife. However, in the process she accidentally destroys a goose’s nest and crushes all the eggs except one. After the egg hatches, Roz is forced to care for the baby goose named Brightbill, voiced by Kit Connor, needing to feed him, teach him to swim and coach him to fly before fall arrives, embarking on a tragic and heartwarming journey of mothership.

This story was an emotional rollercoaster. As a guy who doesn’t usually cry in movies, this film had moments that made me tear up. However, these tragic and heart-wrenching moments were balanced out with plenty of wholesome and heart-warming scenes. When Roz and Brightbill reunited and mended their relationship, I felt proud of them for overcoming their problems. Roz’s relationship with Brightbill makes for a journey with heartening moments of character growth and sorrowful events of loss and departure.

I also absolutely loved Roz’s personal journey. The writers did a phenomenal job showing Roz’s growth throughout the film, from an unfeeling robot to an empathetic mother. Watching Roz grow was a beautiful way for the writers to merge technology and nature. For example, Roz only starts to care for Brightbill in order to complete her task, not out of empathy or concern. However, when Brightbill migrates, Roz is still worried about his safety and well-being, despite already completing her task. Her journey made the film’s already emotional storyline hit even harder. It’s so refreshing to see such a well-developed and written character. Lupita Nyong’o’s performance as Roz was also nothing short of incredible. While watching the start of the film, Roz’s voice sounded extremely emotionless and fake, just like how a robot would sound if brought to life. However, by the end of the film, Roz’s speech is filled with slight intonation and pauses that give her her own speech pattern.

Even though Roz is such a phenomenal protagonist, the other characters are just as valuable. Most of the side characters were the various wildlife. At first, all of them are hostile and scared of Roz, either actively attacking her or avoiding her. However, near the end, they warm up to Roz in a way that makes sense and feels natural, instead of a forced friendship just because of the plot. The voice acting is also really solid. Although the cast is loaded with recognizable actors like Pedro Pascal and Mark Hamill, I genuinely could not recognize them, which testifies to their ability to truly embody their characters.

However, I will be completely honest when I say that the secondary protagonist, Brightbill, wasn’t very interesting. He certainly served his role in the film, and Kit Connor did a pretty good job, but his character itself was not as appealing as Roz or any of the other characters. He felt like a stereotypical underdog in a movie: bullied before an event happens that puts him on top. Brightbill just didn’t have Roz’s unique development or Fink’s (a fox that helps raise Brightbill) humor.

The animation knocked me out of the park. Every single frame of the movie looks like a painting, expertly using vivid colors to depict stunning scenes. The art choice is particularly fitting for the movie as it looks straight out of a children’s book. Looking at the scenes, it’s clear how much effort and care the artists poured into each and every frame.

As a whole, the film explores many inspirational themes like growing up, identity and accepting differences in a beautiful storyline with loveable characters. It may seem overwhelming to add so many themes and morals into one film, but the movie communicates themes of growth, identity, and acceptance of differences to the audience in such a well-paced manner. I left the theater reflecting on the lessons of motherhood and harmony.

And while the movie is directed towards kids, this is a movie that can be enjoyed by all ages, with its magnificent and emotional theme that will move everyone who watches it. When I want a good animated movie, this is the kind I want: a movie that leaves a lasting impression on our hearts.