Pixar does it again
Director: Andrew Stanton
Notable Cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver
WALL-E begins on a desolated Earth 700 years in the future. Irreparably destroyed by human excess, the planet was abandoned by humanity long ago and left to be cleaned up by trash-compacting robots so that mankind may one day return.
After a few centuries only one such robot remains, WALL-E. After spending roughly 140 times longer to clean Earth than expected WALL-E has developed a somewhat eccentric personality, more than a passing interest in show tunes, and an affinity for all the curious brick-a-brack he finds while performing his directive.
WALL-E lives a happy, if somewhat lonely life until he meets EVE, a reconnaissance robot sent to find evidence that Earth can once again support life. It is love at first sight for WALL-E and somehow these two machines that can speak little more than their names spark an incredibly sweet and organic romance. That is, until WALL-E shows EVE a tiny plant he found and her mission becomes top priority once more as she shuts down and awaits the return of her ship.
Plain and simply, if WALL-E did nothing more than show his lady friend trash treasures for the entire film it would still be better than most of its contemporaries. This should come as no surprise from the team at Pixar as their inventiveness in creating big humor and compassion out of the most small, ordinary scenarios is truly awe-inspiring. What else should come as no surprise is that WALL-E does much more than just play with garbage and when he makes his promised trip to space, the film becomes something entirely unexpected.
WALL-E turns its creative juices towards offering a scathing critique on the human race during the 21st century and beyond. After following EVE on an eye-popping trip into the far reaches of space, WALL-E arrives on a corporate cruise ship meant to temporarily sustain humanity until the robots have finished their job on Earth. What he finds, though, is a society that has reached disgusting new heights in laziness and consumerism. These humans are completely cared for by robots and technology to the point that they never get out of their mobilized chairs or even pause from watching their TVs and talking on their cell phones.
Sound familiar? That is because much of this cynical future society already exists in the present day. Philosophers have been theorizing for years that mankind is unable to see outside the cave, but is that cave one that we have built around ourselves? The Matrix-y story arc left for the humans of WALL-E to follow is unsettling, but hand it to Pixar for being bold enough to slip a decidedly adult story into their “kids'” movie.
As an adult, it is easy to get swept up in the story about the inevitable demise of man. The commentary is made all the more potent due to the Pixar team’s mastery of conveying their messages with grandiose subtlety. The smallest musings, such as one human’s shocked discovery that the ship has a pool, deliver the most impact.
Naturally, that is why WALL-E and EVE’s courtship is so heartbreakingly beautiful. The romance is based around WALL-E’s basic need for love manifested in his sole desire to hold EVE’s hand. The roadblocks put in front of WALL-E and his goal are all at once hilarious and thought-provoking and they never fail to dazzle the senses. The film is truly pleasing in every way imaginable and while there is an inevitable disconnect between the film’s message and its style, it is difficult to fault WALL-E for that.
The very excessiveness that the film preaches against is what makes filmmaking possible. But art is never practical and should always be viewed on a plain of higher thinking. In doing so, the viewer should identify WALL-E as a wondrous romance and hard-hitting social commentary painted on the most glorious of landscapes, and it’s a pretty darn good “kids'” movie too.
