For better or worse, late September this year is certainly the time for animated robot movies. Fortunately, we got the “worse” out of the way last week with “Transformers One.” Now we can sit back and enjoy the “better” with “The Wild Robot.” Many people did indeed sit back and enjoy this movie, as the theater at my screening was more crowded than usual. The added cheering and laughter made the experience all the more endearing, and it was heartwarming to think of all the families bonding over their shared love of this movie.

Lupita Nyong’o stars as Roz, a robot programmed to help with tasks on a distant space colony. Something goes wrong with the delivery, and she winds up stranded on an island on Earth. Eager to help, but unable to find any humans to give her orders, she instead looks to the local animal population. She even takes the time to learn how animals communicate, to the point where she can filter their various squeaks, squawks, and other utterances into English in real time. And that’s how this becomes a talking animal movie.

Roz is eager to help, but the animals don’t necessarily want her help. Okay, they “decidedly” don’t want her help. At first, they’re all afraid of her, given that she’s gigantic, made of metal, dangerously confused, and relatively clumsy (she moves nimbly for a robot of her size, but isn’t built for the unpredictability of nature). Then they fight against her, knocking her down and stripping her of gears and features. She’s even attacked by her closest physical match, a bear named Thorn (Mark Hamill), who knocks down a cliff, causing her to crush a bird’s nest.

Roz sees that a single egg has survived, and the lifeform inside must be protected. She saves it from getting eaten by a fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal) by launching the predator into a porcupine, though she instinctively helps him remove quills afterward. The egg hatches, and the gosling, named Brightbill, doesn’t see why Roz can’t be mother material. Roz is prepared to be a helper, but not a primary caregiver. In other words, she doesn’t have any programming that makes her fit to be a mother. “No one does,” says opossum Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara), who becomes her mentor.

The rest of the movie is Roz trying to raise Brightbill (Kit Connor) as best as she can, knowing that she’ll have to teach him to swim, then fly, then leave for months on migration. The other geese tease him for coming from an unnatural family, but leader Longneck (Bill Nighy) sees that he only lives to help others, just like his adoptive mother. The migration makes for an adventure unto itself, as does Roz and the rest of the forest trying to make it through an unexpectedly harsh winter. On top of all that, Roz still recognizes an obligation to try to get to the human colony, and tracking robot Vontra (Stephanie Hsu) could arrive at any time. That the last matter probably should have been saved for a sequel is my only real gripe with the movie.

“The Wild Robot” came to theaters riding the single biggest wave of critical praise I’ve seen all year. The quantity of praise is well-deserved, as I can’t imagine anybody disliking this movie, but it might make it a tad vulnerable to expectations. I consider it “among” the best movies of the year, but I was never quite ready to hand it the top spot (still “Dune: Part Two,” by the way). Still, my heart melted at several points, whether it was from cuteness (the opossum family), sadness (the straining of the Roz/Brightbill relationship), or the sheer amount of love on display. By all means take the family to see this movie, turn it into a success, and encourage Hollywood to make more movies with this much heart.

Grade: B

“The Wild Robot” is rated PG for action/peril and thematic elements. Its running time is 101 minutes.

Robert R. Garver is a graduate of the Cinema Studies program at New York University. His weekly movie reviews have been published since 2006.

MOVIE REVIEW: FRANKIE FREAKO

Your enjoyment of the new horror/comedy “Frankie Freako” may be partially dependent on whether or not you have a fondness for 80s cult classics like “Ghoulies.” As it happens, I do. True, for a movie about mischievous little creatures crossing paths with unsuspecting humans, the strange but fittingly low-fi vibe at the heart of “Frankie Freako” is more akin to something like “The Garbage Pail Kids Movie” then “Gremlins” but I certainly don’t say that as a knock. On the contrary, that’s part of this movie’s bizarro charm.

“Frankie Freako” weaves its story around Conor (Conor Sweeney), a clueless workaholic  who sort of lives his mundane life by the book. He has a decent enough job, he has a drop dead gorgeous soulmate (Kristy Wordsworth), and he has everything in the world going for him except for one thing; A clue. To call this clean-cut yuppie oblivious would be quite the understatement. It’s also clear that Conor is having a bit of an existential crisis and ultimately, what he really needs is a little bit of adventure in his life alongside a good swift kick to the ass. Well, he eventually gets both of those things after calling a party hotline that leads him to a demonic little goblin called, you guessed it, Frankie Freako. After conjuring Frankie and bringing he and his trouble-making cohorts into the world of humans, all sorts of hijinks ensue. 

“Frankie Freako” was written and directed by Steven Kostanski, the wonderfully creative effects man behind “The Void” and “Psycho Goreman.” As was the case with “Psycho Goreman” in particular, there’s a kind of childlike sense of glee that Kostanski brings to this movie. It’s rambunctious, irreverent, weird, and left of center but at the same time, it’s oddly charming. Funny, too. It should also be noted that while “Frankie Freako” doesn’t look to have an official rating yet, it’s clearly more along the PG-13 rated lines of the 80s movies that inspired it.

Kostanski’s old school practical creature work is a lot of fun here and again, from a style standpoint, this movie evokes the spirit of those 80s and 90s Empire productions (think the “Ghoulies” and “Puppet Master” franchises) more than anything else. Kostanksi even goes so far as to name one of his lead characters Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks), named after the late, great John Carl Buechler, a makeup effects man and creature creator of the 80s who would go on to direct “Troll,” “Ghoulies Go to College,” and the underappreciated “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood” (say what you will about this divisive entry in the over bloated franchise, but it gets bonus points for bringing Kane Hodder into the fold as Jason and for delivering the ultimate “Friday” kill in the form of death-by-sleeping-bag.)

Look, “Frankie Freako” isn’t going to be a movie for the masses but if you like those aforementioned low-fi creature films of the 80s, this one is likely to bring a smile to your face. It certainly did for me. I loved the goofy humor and further still, even though Conor is kind of an insensitive, oblivious, and altogether clueless dumb-dumb for much of this movie’s runtime, I still really liked the guy.

Also, at the risk of going into spoiler territory, I really loved that Kostanski doesn’t turn Conor’s love interest Kristy (played by a very likable and easy on the eyes Kristy Wordsworth) into a shrill bitch with a hidden agenda. There’s a strange but sweet authenticity to their relationship and I really responded to that. Likewise, the bond that develops between Conor and the hell-raising goblins at the center of this movie is a heartfelt and good-natured one. Call me a freak if you want to but I had a really fun time with this film!

Shout! Studios is set to give “Frankie Freako” a limited theatrical release on October 4th. If you happen to reside in the Southern Utah area, you’ll have an opportunity to see a special screening of this wildly entertaining movie on the evening of Thursday, October 17th during the 2024 HorrorFest International Film Festival. For more details, go to fmasu.com/horrorfest. 

Satellite TV provider DirecTV has agreed to buy longtime competitor Dish Network, throwing a lifeline to the troubled Colorado-based broadcaster that helped pioneer the industry.

The proposed consolidation, announced early Monday, highlights the challenges facing traditional television. DirecTV agreed to assume Dish’s net debt and pay just $1 for Dish’s satellite TV business and streaming service Sling TV — a startling admission about the fading prospects of the once prominent satellite television provider and its Englewood, Colo.-based parent, EchoStar Communications.

The deal is expected to unfold in two separate transactions. Private equity firm TPG plans to acquire AT&T’s majority stake in DirecTV, giving TPG full ownership of the El Segundo-based company.

Separately, DirecTV agreed to assume $9.9 billion of Dish’s debt at the close of the EchoStar transaction. The proposed takeover, structured as a debt exchange, would allow DirecTV to boost its subscriber count with Dish’s more than 8 million homes. DirecTV currently has about 10 million subscribers for its namesake service and U-Verse.

“We think this is the right deal for consumers,” DirecTV Chief Executive Bill Morrow said in an interview. “We think [satellite TV] has a greater life and a greater value than most people realize.”

The deal includes arrangements for EchoStar to quickly receive a $2.5-billion loan so it can restructure debt. The cash infusion is designed to help EchoStar and its billionaire chairman Charlie Ergen meet a looming debt payment and continue efforts to build a wireless phone service, branded as Boost Mobile.

Ergen, the 71-year-old maverick who co-launched EchoStar in 1980 when he and his wife sold satellite dishes door to door, would exit the television business. That would mark a significant milestone as Ergen helped Dish leap to life in 1996 — two years after DirecTV launched its nationwide service.

The Dish-DirecTV consolidation is expected to face regulatory scrutiny.

In 2002, the Federal Communications Commission thwarted the companies’ first stab at a union. The FCC ruled a marriage of DirecTV, then owned by Hughes Electronics Corp., and EchoStar’s Dish Network, would choke competition by shrinking the field of satellite TV providers from two companies to just one. At the time, satellite TV was a leading option for residents of rural communities that lacked cable.

The business has changed dramatically since then. Tech giants Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Google’s YouTube TV have gobbled up a huge part of the television distribution business, and both Dish and DirecTV have been bleeding customers. The two firms have lost more than 60% of their customer base since 2016.

“There’s more competition than ever. It’s not just cable TV and satellite TV anymore,” Morrow said. “We are the ones in the minority; we’re the ones that are dropping like flies.”

The regulatory review is expected to take about a year, the companies said.

“It’s hard to imagine that regulators would block a deal,” telecommunications industry analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a recent email. “Better to have one than none.”

Ergen’s company has been staggering under a heavy debt load. Negotiations with lenders to restructure its payments broke down this summer, EchoStar said in a recent filing.

The company faces a $1.98-billion payment in mid-November, which prompted some analysts to predict that a bankruptcy was imminent.

EchoStar had just $521 million available in late June. In the second quarter, the company sustained steep declines in revenue and traditional TV customers. The Sling TV business, however, showed improvement.

EchoStar shares have gained ground in recent weeks amid rumors of a deal with DirecTV. Shares closed Friday at $28.04, up 9%.

“This agreement is in the best interests of EchoStar’s customers, shareholders, bondholders, employees, and partners,” Hamid Akhavan, EchoStar chief executive, said in a statement announcing the deal. “We expect Dish and DirecTV bondholders to benefit from two companies with stronger financial profiles and more sustainable capital structures.”

TPG, which currently owns 30% of DirecTV, will cover the bulk of the $2.5-billion loan to EchoStar. TPG’s Angelo Gordon division will handle the financing.

AT&T is expected to exit its ownership stake of DirecTV in the second half of next year, bringing to a close its disastrous foray in the entertainment business.

AT&T bought DirecTV in 2015 for about $67 billion, including debt, and then presided over an unraveling of the business.

In 2021, AT&T spun off DirecTV and U-Verse into a stand-alone company, and brought in TPG as managing partner.

The Dallas phone giant separately also sold Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022 for $43 billion — half the amount AT&T paid in 2018 to become a player in Hollywood. The company since has been focused on its wireless business.

The Dish Network and Sling TV businesses are carrying about $11.5 billion in debt.

“We don’t think the value is there to carry that [much debt],” Morrow said. “There’s virtually no equity in the company.”

While DirecTV agreed to absorb nearly $10 billion of Dish debt, that component is conditional on bondholders accepting less than Dish’s current obligations. The goal, according to Morrow, is to reduce Dish’s debt by $1.6 billion, making it a more manageable load.

The deal is also subject to regulatory approval.

“It’s hard to argue that a merger shouldn’t happen; it clearly should,” Moffett said. “Consolidation during a period of secular decline is always to be expected.”