“Dikky, dikky, dakka, dikky, dikky, dakka…” If you know you know. A pleasantly fun and heartwarming watch, Ron’s Gone Wrong is an animated sci-fi comedy film full of adorable surprises. The movie has a great cast including the voice talents of Jack Dylan Grazer, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justice Smith, and Olivia Colman (she seems to appearing in all my reviews lately!). I haven’t heard much buzz around this film at all, but it’s a pretty solid children’s film. While it took a little time for me to get a good feel for the movie, once I was settled in, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Barney and Ron about to go outside for recess at school for the first time.

While robots and evil corporate tech companies aren’t exactly an unfamiliar mix, Ron’s Gone Wrong still manages to create a story that is both quirky and refreshing. Hidden beneath all the bright and colourful visuals, cute tiny B-bots, and fancy tech presentations, is a story that is quite simple: the heart of this movie is about friendship. I found it’s innocently sweet lesson about “how to be a friend” to be very heartfelt and my favourite aspect of the movie. While the plot can feel a bit too predictable at times, it’s charm will assuredly keep you engaged.

The movie also brushed over the struggle of adolescence; we’ve all experienced the difficulty of trying to fit in or the sadness of growing distant with old friends. It never gets too deep with that stuff though, so don’t worry about it feeling too sad. But with social media growing stronger each passing day, Ron’s Gone Wrong does a great job at representing today’s kids’ desire to have a popular internet identity. The movie excellently teaches us however, that it’s the connections you make with real people in real life that are truly meaningful. I think this is a wonderful movie to watch with your kids because this message is rather important.

Ron taking notes as Barney tries to teach him how to be his friend

The star of the show for me was undoubtedly Ron the dysfunctional B-bot. Giving off “Baymax-esque vibes”, Ron might have become my new favourite animated robot. Not only was he adorable in every aspect, he was absolutely hilarious in a sarcastic and blunt way. I’m sure his antics will provide loads of laughter for anyone watching. He paired nicely with Barney, the human protagonist of this movie, and their sometimes clashing sometimes loving relationship definitely lit up the screen and warmed the heart. Ron’s earnest attempts in learning how to become Barney’s friend led to many uplifting and comedic scenes that are sure to make you smile as well. Thinking about it now, their relationship is pretty similar to the one that Hiro and Baymax share in Big Hero 6 (2014). So if you’re a fan of that movie, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this one too.

Lastly, a quick comment on the animation for this movie: it was pretty well done overall, but some of the characters do have abnormally exaggerated facial and body features that may be a little unsettling at first (right away I thought about Barney’s teacher). It’s certainly not the prettiest of animations, but the colours are vibrant and lively for sure; it’ll capture the attention of any kid. Also, a big plus is how cute Ron looks and he’s by far the cutest B-bot in town (I love that little wool knit hat he wears).

Barney teaching Ron how to be his friend

Although it took a little bit of time for me to start enjoying the movie, I really liked the end product. It’s wholesome, funny, and it’s got a great message at its core. Ron and Barney make a delightful duo, and while the other characters can be pretty obnoxious (purposefully though!), their change of heart as the movie proceeds redeems them. With Ron fighting for the top spot of my favourite robot against Baymax, I’m going to give Ron’s Gone Wrong a 7.5/10. I felt like this movie wasn’t talked about much, so I’m hoping I’ve brought something new to your attention. Oh, and don’t forget, “friendship is a two way street” 🙂

Advertisement