Weekend Watch: Robot Dreams, Jim Henson Idea Man

A charming animation and the story of a creative genius

Image Credit: Neon

Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, where I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, a beautiful, animated charmer and the life of a quiet genius. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite and Threads/Instagram: @jammerwhite

While I fully acknowledge that I’m late to the game with this one –– Pablo Berger’s wonderful Robot Dreams was part of Cannes 2023, has already been released in the UK and Europe and is now rolling out across the United States –– I didn’t want to let it slip by without acknowledging one of my favourite films of the year.

Starting a seemingly simple premise: lonely dog buys and builds a robot buddy, leading to a joyous summer hanging out that is cut short by a low battery, rusty joints and a closed beach, Robot Dreams becomes so very much more than that. And it’ll break your heart with nary a word spoken on screen.

Indeed, Berger and his talented animators adapt Sara Varon’s graphic novel with mountains of charm, spinning the story of unlikely best friends with many levels of invention and commitment to narrative. Recalling the likes of Aardman’s work, it’s all conveyed with looks, soundscapes and carefully fashioned animation, and heads off in directions you don’t expect (I won’t spoil anything here).

It’s a lovely story of companionship and hardship, and has more ideas in its 102 minutes than some of the two hour-plus movies I’ve seen recently. It can absolutely be watched at home, but the quality of the visuals and the sheer invention mean it rewards checking out in cinemas if you can find it.

Robot Dreams is out now in New York, expanding to Los Angeles next week and wider across the US the week after that. In the UK, it is available to watch on Curzon Home Cinema.

Image Credit: Disney+

From excellent animation to an all-round master of entertainment. Jim Henson surely needs little introduction –– he’s the man behind the Muppets, and the person responsible for so much joy in the world.

But how much do you really know about him? While a new Disney+ documentary directed by Ron Howard, Jim Henson: Idea Man purports to explore more than the public know ever got to see, there isn’t all that much to be found here. I can’t say I really learned anything about the man who brought us Kermit and co. beyond a few small nuggets.

Which isn’t to say there aren’t pleasures in the film –– Idea Man does offer up some rare adverts Henson and his team created that have previously been lost in vaults, and there are genuinely moving contributions from his family and those who worked closely with him (Frank Oz is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a highlight).

And thanks to Henson’s seemingly endless capacity for positivity, there are lots of wonderful moments to enjoy. This new look at his life and career isn’t a particularly deep dive, but it’s a pleasant enough watch if you love what he created.

Jim Henson Idea Man is on Disney+ now.