Ron’s Gone Wrong review: an iron giant with enhanced tech for kids

Given the prominent presence of his cute, round, robot white companion, the new animated film Ron was wrong may look like a new version of Disney Big hero 6, where young inventor Hiro Hamada processes his pain with the help of helpful healthcare partner Baymax, and together they save the world. But even though the robots in the two movies look physically similar, Ron was wrong actually shares more narrative DNA with the 1999 ones The iron Giant. Both focus on young children who make unlikely friends with strange robots, while larger forces seek to eradicate anomalies, based on fear of the unknown.

From the directors Sarah Smith (Arthur Christmas), Jean-Philippe Vine and Octavio E. Rodríguez, Ron was wrong, the first animated film from British studio Locksmith Animation, gives the timeless boy and robot template a modern twist. While the film drags on into the latter stage, and doesn’t include as many nuances in its tech and social media themes as it could, the crux of the story: the friendship between the awkward Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer) and the robot Ron (who works poorly) Zach Galifianakis) – is sincere and funny.

[Ed. note: This review contains some minor setup spoilers for Ron’s Gone Wrong.]

Ron was wrong follows high school student Barney, who is having a hard time making friends. Everyone he meets has a B-Bot, a companion robot designed to algorithmically optimize friendships. That makes it virtually impossible for kids without robots by their side to make friends, as B-Bots are expected to engineer those interactions. Barney is the only kid at his school who doesn’t own one of the robots, at least until his hapless father surprises him with one for his birthday. Unfortunately, because Barney’s father bought the bot from a delivery man at the back of a tech store, the B-Bot is flawed and lacks the quintessential B-Bot friendship algorithm, as well as many of the same. expected security features. As Barney and Ron build their friendship, Ron’s chaotic demeanor draws the attention of the leaders of the ubiquitous technology company Bubble, particularly COO Andrew Morris (Rob Delaney), who isn’t exactly happy about a missing robot that ruins the image of the company and alienates its shareholders.

From the moment Ron is turned on, it’s hilarious. He repeatedly does not connect to the Internet and can only download information under the letter A, so by default he calls Barney “Absalom”. After a day at school, Barney returns to find that Ron has scanned every inch of his room and burned his underwear, because Barney told Ron to learn everything about him so they could be best friends and of course that. includes learning heat. resistance of Barney’s underwear. Smith and co-writer Peter Baynham (Borat) creates pranks that range from pretty hilarious antics to tech-specific blunders, and it’s insanely hilarious.

Ron was wrong it’s about trying to make a meaningful connection in the digital age, but unlike this year the Mitchells against the machines, the movie doesn’t really present a nuanced take on technology, beyond making it clear that relying on it can hinder connections in real life. However, the friendship between Barney and Ron flourishes wonderfully, especially with Ron trying to understand the human concept of friendship and creating his own algorithm based on Barney’s instructions. Barney also has something to learn about what it means to be a friend, emphasizing the theme of reciprocal relationships. Friendship is not as simple as an equation, and the movie does a great job of showing how much work any connection entails. Finally, Barney and Ron’s connection inspires some of Barney’s classmates to step out of their algorithmically generated comfort zones.

In the same way that The iron Giant interrogates America’s Cold War paranoia of the 1950s, Ron was wrong touches on the widespread influence of tech moguls in the 2020s, as Andrew frantically tries to stop the flawed robot. Nothing is more important to him than his shareholders, and he’s willing to sacrifice user privacy and even Barney’s life to keep his investors happy. While the chase for Ron is an important component of the film, especially when it comes to who helps him and how, he also adds a heist sequence towards the end of the film that feels lengthy. But Barney and Ron risking everything to protect each other highlights just how far their friendship has come, and they feel like a modern twist on Hogarth and the Iron Giant, with an eager billionaire tech mogul instead of the army of the America freaking out over the possible. foreign weapons.

Ron was wrong it’s full of laughter and a sweet message that friendship is a two-way street. Threading into that theme is the question of what makes technology dangerous. While that may occasionally seem a bit one-sided, it nonetheless does feature a compelling villain who takes some damning actions close to home, like spying on B-Bot users via bot cameras, in their pursuit. Ron. Ron was wrong It could be a movie about the dangers of social media, but it works best as a movie about the recognition that friendship takes work, regardless of whether the connection flourishes through a high-tech device, or the old-fashioned way, in person.

Ron was wrong opens in theaters on October 22.