In the opening scenes of , a robot washes onto the shore of a remote island, bearing marks and labels of its human manufacturers. Rozzum unit 7134, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o in an inspired performance, is a machine built to serve. One of her first phrases after being activated by a colony of beavers is an expression of this fealty: She always completes her task, just ask.
Naturally, the animals in this secluded locale fear this towering metal assemblage. When presented with her eager gestures of assistance, they scramble. Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, is the story of how Rozzum 7134 becomes Roz and finds her place and purpose within an obscure island’s vibrant ecosystem.
Chris Sanders ( , ) adapted this poignant DreamWorks feature from Peter Brown’s affecting trilogy of the same name. When it hits theaters on September 27, will please not only its existing fans but garner new ones as well. Part of this tender animation’s appeal comes from its committed and absorbing voice performances.
Nyong’o, whose previous voice work includes Disney’s and an episode of , transforms in her role as a robot overcoming the rigidity of her programming for the looser, and more unexpected terrain of motherhood. Roz initially encounters the creatures on the island with a mechanical curiosity and the staticky voice to prove it. As a representative of artificial intelligence, the robot begins her journey by scanning the island for data.
In a brisk and well-done early sequence, .