We recently finished reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown at bedtime—and absolutely loved it. So naturally, we were thrilled to discover there’s a film based on the book too!

Can You Watch the Film Without Reading the Book?

Absolutely. If you haven’t read the book, you can still enjoy the film on its own. That said, if you have read the book, you’ll get a lot more out of some of the emotional moments and background detail (plus we always love a good book-to-screen comparison!).

The storyline follows a robot named Roz who finds herself stranded on an island and has to learn to survive. At first, the island’s animals are terrified of her and believe she’s a monster. But after adopting an orphaned gosling and helping various animals in need, Roz slowly earns their trust. There are so many adventures, twists, and emotional moments—it’s a brilliant, heartfelt story.

What We Thought of the Film

As with most book adaptations, the storyline doesn’t stick exactly to the book—but we actually loved the way the film began. While the book has a slower, more thoughtful start, the film jumps straight into action with stunning visuals and a storyline that had us hooked from the beginning.

And where the book leans more into emotion and friendship, the film brings the laughs! Within ten minutes, my 10-year-old son and I were laughing out loud—especially during the scene where a possum mum tries to explain motherhood to Roz the robot. That bit was genius.

Our Verdict

We really, really loved this film! It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster—there are a few teary moments—but overall it’s a feel-good family movie that left us smiling.

✅ Great for ages 6+
🎥 Perfect for family film night
😂 Funny, heartwarming, and beautifully animated
📖 Inspired us to read even more of the books!

Whether you’ve read the book or not, The Wild Robot film is well worth a watch. And if you haven’t read the book yet… we highly recommend starting there too.

👉 Read our full book review of The Wild Robot here to see why it’s become one of our bedtime favourites.