The Wild Robot is a precious exploration of motherhood and community. Sanders is no stranger to crafting films that meld the classic fish-out-of-water trope with unlikely friendships.

Also, the first 20 or 30 minutes of “The Wild Robot” threatens to settle for a lesser DreamWorks sprint through calamities. But just in time, it calms down and finds the rhythmic change-ups ...

From DreamWorks Animation, “Robot” instantly joins the ranks of that studio’s most memorable properties, such as the wondrous “How To Train Your Dragon” and “Kung Fu Panda.” ...