Pablo Berger’s Academy Award-nominated movie, “Robot Dreams,” offers viewers a sugary, animated delicacy that makes a wholehearted attempt at tugging at our heartstrings. However, by the end, it feels as though the film has overextended its welcome. Adapted from Sara Varon’s 2007 graphic novel, the movie explores themes of loneliness and companionship set against the evocative backdrop of a reimagined 1980s New York City. Visually, the film is a delight, yet its saccharine nature and languid pacing ultimately undermine its potential to fully captivate audiences throughout its feature-length runtime.
The movie’s narrative centers around Dog, a lonely, anthropomorphic dog who lives in a cozy apartment in the East Village. Dog’s life is entrenched in a monotonous routine composed of frozen dinners, solitary games of Pong, and melancholic glances at the bustling city around him. His monotony is disrupted when he comes across a TV advertisement for the Amica 2000, a DIY robot companion promising to alleviate his loneliness. Eager for change, Dog orders the robot, and soon begins a fleeting but joyful companionship with Robot, a smaller, cuddlier machine reminiscent of The Iron Giant.
Berger’s anthropomorphized New York brings to mind the vibrant world of Disney’s “Zootopia,” infused with the softness characteristic of Cartoon Network’s Saturday morning lineup. This richly detailed world-building is undoubtedly a visual treat. However, the film’s decision to forgo dialogue, relying instead on exclamations and snippets of pop songs, leaves the narrative feeling somewhat undernourished.
The heart of the film lies in the silent, soulful bond between Dog and his mechanical companion. Their adventures, such as roller-skating through Central Park to the tunes of Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” and deep-diving along the coastline, are charmingly animated and accompanied by Alfonso de Vilallonga’s jubilant score. Nonetheless, Berger’s choice to extend these moments into prolonged sequences saps them of intended charm, transforming touching vignettes into drawn-out, saccharine tableaux.
The plot thickens, or rather, rusts, during a seaside visit that leaves Robot paralyzed on the sand. Dog, helpless and heartbroken, is unable to rescue his friend for months.
. This brings about a series of dream sequences aligned with the film’s title, “Robot Dreams.” As Robot lies immobilized, its existence is punctuated by fourth-wall-breaking fantasies such as dreaming of liberation along the Yellow Brick Road, amidst tap-dancing sunflowers. Though imaginative, these interludes overstay their welcome.
The film’s initial leisurely pacing feels like a serene stroll through Berger’s meticulously crafted world. However, as scenes drag on, this lack of urgency becomes a tedious trudge, suggesting “Robot Dreams” might have had greater impact as a shorter film. The repetitiveness of Dog and Robot’s individual mini-dramas further contributes to this sense of narrative stasis.
By the time Berger teases a reunion between Dog and Robot, the film has wandered too long to deliver the emotional crescendo it aims for. The movie’s earlier inertia diminishes the resolution’s impact. A snappier pace or tighter montage could have injected much-needed energy into the film’s middle section. Instead, audiences are left with a plodding progression that dilutes the final poignancy.
Despite these pacing issues, “Robot Dreams” does have its merits. The film tenderly explores loneliness and friendship, drawing from a deep well of genuine empathy. Yet, these themes, though heartfelt, feel too pedestrian to earn it a spot among last year’s contenders for Best Animated Feature. Titles like “The Boy and the Heron” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” overshadow it in terms of narrative and emotional complexity. As an animated short, “Robot Dreams” might have stood a better chance at an Academy Award without encroaching on a spot that arguably rightfully belonged to the more deserving “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” or the critically underrated Japanese anime, “Blue Giant.”
Currently running in theatres, “Robot Dreams” offers a visually enchanting yet bittersweet experience, capturing the essence of loneliness and the fragile beauty of companionship—even as its saccharine lingering may leave some feeling it overstayed its sugary welcome.
