DreamWorks is back with a heart-wrenching film that brought me to tears more times than I care to admit. After a technologically advanced robot washes ashore on an island populated by animals, it finds purpose in an unexpected way. Put simply, I love this film. The animation is full of life with a watercolor aesthetic, the humor is genuine and surprisingly dark, and the characters are given emotional depth despite the fact that none of them are human. The plot may not be the most original, but the delivery makes it phenomenal. 

Even though it was made by a secular studio, many strong Christian lessons can be pulled from it, including patience, loving your enemies, kindness, and parenthood. Even the ending (which I won’t spoil here) made me think of Christ as I left the theater. There’s so much that I could gush about but then you’d be reading an essay, so I will leave you with this: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV). Do yourself a favor—if you haven’t yet, read the rest of that scripture, and go watch “The Wild Robot.”

Transformers One

Rating: PG-13 | Platform: Paramount+

Ever wonder what happened before the never-ending war between Optimus Prime and Megatron? “Transformers One” tells a new version of the origin story with an all-star cast, but the overall film is brought down by profanity and a script that feels just one of two drafts away from greatness. 

Descendants: The Rise of Red

Rating: TV-G | Platform: Disney+

The newest entry in the “Descendants” series travels back in time to solve a beef between future queens. Unfortunately, the film presents questionable morality, but fans of the series will likely be pleased by the new songs, locations, characters and a surprise cameo from Disney’s past.