The Wild Robot is a hit with critics and audiences alike, and a killer box office cements this movie as a massive success.

The Wild Robot's triumph then once again brings to the forefront the question of DreamWorks' inconsistencies, and how it manages to constantly straddle the line between unfortunate mediocrity and incredible accomplishment in such quick succession. The quality of DreamWorks' films has always been unpredictable, but seeing the heights this studio can reach makes the flops feel that much more disappointing. Despite their truly excellent projects, DreamWorks continues to put out films that either cannot find an audience or are simply unremarkable.

The Wild Robot s Puss In Boots: The Last Wish As A Modern DreamWorks Classic

Two Films That Stand As Feathers In DreamWorks' Cap

If there is one film to compare to The Wild Robot, it would be 2022's Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Both are incredible DreamWorks animated films filled with heart and adventure, pushing the medium of animation to its limits without sacrificing character or storytelling. The Last Wish came out at a time when it seemed that DreamWorks had been running out of steam and showed that the studio was still absolutely capable of producing incredible works of art that stood toe-to-toe with some of the best animated projects of all time.

The Last Wish and The Wild Robot came at worrying times for the studio, and both films sured all expectations to become massive hits.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was the sequel to a movie that was perceived as generally quite middling, and the initial box office numbers reflected that before bouncing back once word of mouth had spread. Because of the success of The Last Wish, more eyes were on this project from the start, allowing The Wild Robot to top the charts during its first weekend. The Last Wish and The Wild Robot came at worrying times for the studio, but both films sured all expectations to become massive hits.

DreamWorks' Movies Between The Last Wish and The Wild Robot Were Mostly Disappointing

Despite Some Decent Films, None Of Them Moved The Needle

DreamWorks released four films in between The Last Wish and The Wild Robot, and unfortunately, none of them were able to live up to what had come before. Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken tanked at the box office without much fan . Trolls Band Together performed decently but was mediocre at best, and Orion and the Dark reviewed well but didn't seem to break much ground when released on Netflix. Kung Fu Panda 4 had enough box office draw but didn't receive great reviews, seeming to be a weak showing for the Kung Fu Panda franchise.

The Wild Robot is one of DreamWorks' best, but it is unfortunately still not the norm for the studio. DreamWorks is capable of putting out excellent and well-received projects, and seeing so many of them fall into the same traps that DreamWorks films have been falling into since the inception of the studio remains a very frustrating experience. Films like Kung Fu Panda 4 could've been showered with the same praise that The Wild Robot is receiving, but those films now only serve to act as a point of comparison to their more successful outings.

DreamWorks' Future Needs More Movies Like The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot Should Serve As A Blueprint For The Studio

The Wild Robot will hopefully serve as a sign that good things are yet to come from DreamWorks and that this film is not just another lone bright spot. The project is a labor of love by every creative involved, and clearly, that process has worked wonderfully. Hopefully, DreamWorks will learn the right lessons from this film, and allow the people behind their slate the freedom to be able to succeed in the way The Wild Robot has.

DreamWorks' movies have a lot of potential. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Dog Man is another adaptation of a beloved series, and The Bad Guys 2 has the potential to cement the series as a DreamWorks classic. If DreamWorks can capitalize on the success of The Wild Robot, the film has the potential to kick off a new age for the studio, though only time will tell how successful that ends up being.