Robinson Crusoe (2016 film)

Robinson Crusoe (The Wild Life)

Company type	Film
Industry	Animation, Entertainment
Founded	2016
Headquarters	International
Products	Animated feature film

Robinson Crusoe (known as The Wild Life in North America) is a 2016 three-dimensional animated adventure comedy helmed by directors Vincent Kesteloot and Ben Stassen. The screenplay was crafted by Lee Christopher, Domonic Paris, and Graham Weldon. Inspired loosely by Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe, the movie narrates the tale through the viewpoint of the island's fauna. It premiered in the United States on September 9, 2016, and despite garnering unfavorable critiques with a 17% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it managed to earn moderate commercial success, accumulating $39.5 million globally on a $13 million production budget.

Plot

Robinson Crusoe, an English cartographer, along with his Airedale Terrier named Aynsley, find themselves trapped below deck amid a fierce storm, accompanied by two pampered British Shorthair cats, Mal and May. Crusoe loses consciousness, prompting Aynsley to grieve. Upon regaining consciousness on an island, Crusoe endeavors to find a way off while being watched by local animals: Kiki the kingfisher, Scrubby the aged goat, Carmello the veiled chameleon, Rosie the Malayan tapir, Pango the pangolin with an Australian accent, Tuesday the scarlet macaw, and Epi the echidna. Initially wary of Crusoe, the animals soon see Tuesday viewing his arrival as a chance for exploration beyond their home.

When Mal and May assault Tuesday, Aynsley steps in to defend him; Crusoe rescues Tuesday using debris from the shipwreck. Mal and May manipulate other animals into believing Crusoe harmed Tuesday, igniting tension. A fire ignited during Mal and May’s attack results in Aynsley sacrificing himself to shield Tuesday, who escapes but is mistakenly presumed dead by others. Mal and May become stranded on a nearby "Curse Island" inhabited by insects.

In sorrow, Crusoe encounters the animals who gradually come to accept him. However, Kiki grows doubtful about their adjustment to Crusoe’s presence. Meanwhile, Mal and May return with intentions to undermine Crusoe and his newfound companions. As Crusoe constructs shelter aided by the animals, Tuesday reveals his past of abandonment following attacks by cats. Meanwhile, a pirate crew notices Crusoe’s disappearance and rows toward the island.

Mal and May attempt to eliminate Crusoe but end up trapped in quicksand and attacked by wolves. Scrubby imparts survival knowledge to Crusoe. When cats threaten Tuesday, he initially dismisses these dangers but is eventually captured by Mal and May. The animals organize a rescue mission, fending off cats attracted amidst the commotion. A blaze erupts on a shipwreck; despite obstacles, Tuesday inspires the animals to successfully defend themselves. Carmello liberates Tuesday from captivity; meanwhile, Mal and May fall into water pursued by cats.

Observing smoke from the burning shipwreck, Tuesday rescues an unconscious Crusoe trapped beneath planks. The pirate crew arrives to provide care for Crusoe after he persuades them to remain on the island in gratitude for the animals’ assistance. The animals rejoice over their triumph against Mal and May as harmony is restored.

A post-credits scene reveals Mal, May, and remaining cats clinging to a watchtower before being attacked by wolves.

Voice cast

Character	German	English
Papagei Dienstag / Mak	Kaya Yanar	James Arnold Taylor (credited as David Howard)
Robinson Crusoe	Matthias Schweighöfer	Yuri Lowenthal
Tapir Rosie	Ilka Bessin (credited as Cindy aus Marzahn)	Laila Berzins
Ziegenbock Zottel / Scrubby	Dieter Hallervorden	Joey Camen
Stachelschwein / Epi	Aylin Tezel	Sandy Fox
Carmello	Gerald Schaale	Colin Metzger
Kiki	Melanie Hinze	Marieve Herington (credited as Lindsay Torrance)
Pango	Tobias Lelle	Jeff Doucette
Ping / May	Ghadah Al-Akel	Debi Tinsley
Pong / Mal	Tommy Morgenstern	Jeff Doucette
Edgar / Aynsley	Bert Franzke	Doug Stone
Rufus	Jesco Wirthgen	Joe Ochman (credited as B.J. Oakie)
Cecil	Jan Makino	Michael Sorich
Tom Cat	–	Kyle Hebert
Friday	–	Jay Jones
Long John Silver	Axel Lutter	Dennis O'Connor
Sleeping Sailor	–	George Babbit
Sailor #1	–	Joe Ochman (credited as Joey Lotsko)
Sailor #2	–	Lex Lang
Bosun	Jan David Ronfeldt	Kirk Thornton (credited as Ron Allen)

Box office

By September 2016, the movie had accumulated $8.0 million in earnings across North America and an additional $30.4 million internationally, amounting to a global total of $38.4 million.

In the United States, where it was released under the title The Wild Life on September 9, 2016, the film premiered alongside The Disappointments Room, Sully, and When the Bough Breaks. It was anticipated to generate approximately $5 million from 2,493 venues. During its opening weekend, it brought in $3.4 million, placing fifth in box office rankings. In China, with a release date of October 4, 2016, the film earned ¥48.6 million.

Critical response

Critics largely responded unfavorably to the film. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 17% approval rate based on 59 reviews, with an average score of 4.1 out of 10. The site's summary characterizes it as visually vibrant yet mostly lacking in substance, primarily appealing to a very young audience. Metacritic assigned a score of 36 out of 100 from 17 reviewers, reflecting generally negative critiques.

Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in a "B−" grade on a scale ranging from A+ to F.