Rating of
3.5/4
Wall-E Works Robotic Magic
Chris Kavan - wrote on 06/30/08
This is a very much adult film masked as kids' movie. Sure, there are going to be laughs along the way, but the serious messages in the film take precedent this time around.
The visuals are simply amazing, even for Pixar. This is first and foremost a visual movie, as there is scant dialogue for pretty much the first half hour or so. Wall-E is a fine counterpoint to all the evil AI portrayed in most films. He reminds me of R2D2, and looks like a cross between the Short Circuit robot and E.T. It's obvious he has been alone for a long time and has developed his own personality - his home is a collection of spare parts and plenty of memorabilia (lighters, rubber ducks and a well-worn copy of Hello, Dolly!). His only companion is a cockroach (which, of course, Pixar somehow makes cute).
Besides Wall-E, you have Earth, sometime in the future. This Earth is literally a landfill, with pyramids of garbage stacked by other robots (most of whom have stopped functioning). It also seems that everything has now become one big corporation - Buy N Large runs everything from stores, to banks, to transportation - the CEO (played tongue-in-cheek by one of the few human actors, Fred Willard) also served as de facto leader (of the world or U.S. is hard to say). Needless to say, rampant consumerism, coupled with pollution, drove the remnants of humanity far away in space.
When a probe lands on this vast wasteland - Wall-E becomes curious - and when it turns out the robot sent to Earth is EVE, he becomes smitten. Although she plays hard to get (a plasma cannon will do that) she eventually starts to come around to Wall-E. Their relationship as it progresses is a highlight. Even without speaking, you can feel the love. Her mission is to find proof of life on earth - of the plant variety - and when Wall-E presents her with one, she is picked up and whisked back to the human pleasure cruise that is the Axiom - Wall-E hitches a ride as well.
The action picks up on the ship - more chases and chaos ensue. While hundreds of years have passed in space, humans have become completely reliant on technology. With hover couches equipped with 24 / 7 communication devices, meals that come through a straw and robots to do everything, mankind doesn't take the time to look around anymore, let alone do anything physical (such as walk). Sadly, it isn't all that hard to imagine.
Luckily, a little chaos is sometimes useful. In this case, it motivates a few people, including the captain, into some sort of action. There are some nice touches - the nod to 2001, that adults will really enjoy. In the end, it turns out not all robots are cute and helpful and it will take courage and sacrifice to win the day.
There is a lot more going on under the surface than one would expect. Pixar continues to be the benchmark for computer-animated films, and with Wall-E, they have set the bar even higher. This leaves hope for the future that Pixar might one day bypass the kids altogether and make something strictly for adults.
