The Iron Giant
Director: Brad Bird
The film is set in a cosy 1950s American town. The story is about an unlikely friendship between Hogarth, a lonely boy and Giant, a towering robot from the sky. The film has won multiple Annie Awards and even a BAFTA Children’s Award. Its biggest takeaway is the message that you are who you choose to be. Despite having immense power, the Giant chose kindness, teaching children that being strong is easy but being gentle takes courage.
Wall-E
Director: Andrew Stanton
Wall-E, Pixar’s little trash-compacting robot, spends his days cleaning up an abandoned Earth until one tiny green plant changes everything. His adventure with Eve includes humour, innocence, and a surprising amount of emotion for two robots who barely speak. With an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the film nudges children towards ideas like caring for the planet, valuing simple joys, and remembering that love and responsibility can bring even the most lost humans home.
Big Hero 6
Directors: Don Hall and Chris Williams
‘Big Hero 6’ features Baymax, the softest, kindest healthcare robot ever designed. Young Hiro loses his brother, and Baymax becomes not just a companion but also a gentle guide through his grief and healing. Together with Hiro’s quirky friends, a superhero team is formed that uses brains over brawn. The film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The film’s takeaway: technology can be a force for empathy, and that support, even in the form of a robot, can help mend the deepest hurt.
Yak: The Giant King
Directors: Prapas Cholsaranont and Chaiporn Panichrutiwong
This Thai animated gem reimagines the epic tale of the ‘Ramayana’ in a land of robots. ‘Yak: The Giant King’ follows the unlikely duo of Na Kiew, a huge, misunderstood robot, and Jao Phuek, a tiny tin robot who’s lost his memory. Their journey through scrapyards and robot wastelands is adventurous. The film earned several awards in its home country for design and storytelling. Its lesson to young viewers is that friendship can form between the unlikeliest of companions, and even when you’ve forgotten who you are, kindness can help you find your way back.