I heard mixed reviews on WALL-E, there were those who said it was magical, and those who said it was one of the most overrated movies ever. I will say I loved this movie, it is a truly beautiful movie. It could have done with being a tad longer perhaps, but essentially this is more than a movie with A List vocal talents, WALL-E has genuine heart and will definitely enchant children and any Pixar fan. All I will say is that I am sorry it took me such a long time to see it, I will admit I was differing whether I should see it or not. But I am glad I did. The animation is simply incredible, the whole film is wonderful to look at. The whole movie is done in a very sophisticated visual style, and the bright colours and sublime backgrounds were a delight to the eyes. The music is stunning, the orchestral themes are gorgeous but the song from Hello Dolly! was great and fitted in with the story well. Speaking of the story, it may seem thin to some, but it is a very simple heart warming one all the same with depth and poignancy. There are some very imaginative moments, such as the zero-gravity dance and the ride through space. The voice cast that includes Fred Willard, Sigourney Weaver and Pixar regular John Ratzenburger did an exceptional job, and all the characters were endearing. What made the movie was WALL-E himself, he has to be one of the most lovable and in-depth Pixar characters ever, and the writers create a very haunting atmosphere in the early scenes to match our little hero's isolation. All in all, brilliant, quite possibly one of the best films of 2008. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox
1,534 Reviews
WALL-E Brings Pathos to Computer Animation
seaview15 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Pixar has produced some of the best animation in the past decade with its computer-generated features (Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo) that have been marked by strong story lines and vivid characters. The tradition continues in an impressive way with Wall-E. This deceptively simple tale is transformed by the emotional content told almost entirely through visuals.
A polluted Earth has become uninhabitable for 700 years, and one of its only residents is Wall-E, a small robot whose solitary mission is to be a mobile, trash compactor. In his work, he also finds and collects trivial, odd artifacts of mankind's past such as a Rubik's cube. He comforts himself with an old video, Hello Dolly, and as he learns about humans and his yearning for love, it becomes his idyllic vision of happiness amid an insulated, dull existence. Along his travels, he comes across a unique find, a live plant! One day a spaceship lands and deposits a robot probe. Fascinated by this kindred machine, Wall-E follows and eventually befriends this unit known as Eve. Eve has a directive that will hopefully return humans to Earth if only it can sustain life, and Wall-E's plant figures immeasurably. Eve is returned to her mother ship with Wall-E frantically chasing after his newly found love. On a spaceship acting as a living city for its machine-dependent, overweight humans, little robots are not only the caregivers, but in control. Wall-E and Eve must figure a way to return the humans to earth and find happiness even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.
Wall-E's innocence and childlike wonder (think E.T.), as exemplified by how he introduces himself to everyone he meets, could almost have sprung from Steven Spielberg's imagination. It's in the small details that enrich Wall-E as a character. He brings to mind an amalgam of past robots like Star Wars' R2-D2 and the little robots in Silent Running, and his fears and joys are expressed through body language and squeals. When he shuts down each night to sleep, he rocks himself as a child would. He is clumsy around Eve, and when he takes her to his makeshift home of robot parts and paraphernalia, he is like a little kid. Ironically, he is the catalyst to bring the humans back home.
Writer and director, Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), takes a huge risk by basing the film's premise almost entirely on a song from Hello Dolly. I can't think of an animated film that relied so much on visual storytelling. Even Fantasia and Allegro Non Troppo were collections of musical sequences not narrative features. In a way, this film is almost too sophisticated in its display and execution for little kids but is just right for adults. Remarkably, this is a tale with nary a spoken word by the principals. One has to think of silent films to approach this achievement. The operative word here is pathos like the best of Charlie Chaplin's little tramp and, amazingly, this film earns its stripes by emoting body language, action, and sound effects. Yet most of the characters aren't even human!
Fred Willard has an amusing small role as the corporate president. Sigourney Weaver, as the ship's computer voice, is an inspired choice since, like Eve, she was a female hero (in the Alien movies) and had to deal with computer voices in those films. The animation is almost 3-D in its rich detail and simulated, fluid camera-work. The interior of the mother ship, the Axiom, is a futuristic view of a commercialized (think Blade Runner) city in space.
Yes, it is a thinly veiled message for all those 'save the earth' and 'think green' people, but that never detracts from the main theme of saving humanity amid a touching love story. There are moments when you think a scene could have played out a bit better, but that is minor. It is likely that Wall-E's reputation will grow over time as a shining example of stretching the art form by challenging and trusting its audience. Bravo to the folks at Pixar for taking a chance and for entertaining and moving us.
A polluted Earth has become uninhabitable for 700 years, and one of its only residents is Wall-E, a small robot whose solitary mission is to be a mobile, trash compactor. In his work, he also finds and collects trivial, odd artifacts of mankind's past such as a Rubik's cube. He comforts himself with an old video, Hello Dolly, and as he learns about humans and his yearning for love, it becomes his idyllic vision of happiness amid an insulated, dull existence. Along his travels, he comes across a unique find, a live plant! One day a spaceship lands and deposits a robot probe. Fascinated by this kindred machine, Wall-E follows and eventually befriends this unit known as Eve. Eve has a directive that will hopefully return humans to Earth if only it can sustain life, and Wall-E's plant figures immeasurably. Eve is returned to her mother ship with Wall-E frantically chasing after his newly found love. On a spaceship acting as a living city for its machine-dependent, overweight humans, little robots are not only the caregivers, but in control. Wall-E and Eve must figure a way to return the humans to earth and find happiness even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.
Wall-E's innocence and childlike wonder (think E.T.), as exemplified by how he introduces himself to everyone he meets, could almost have sprung from Steven Spielberg's imagination. It's in the small details that enrich Wall-E as a character. He brings to mind an amalgam of past robots like Star Wars' R2-D2 and the little robots in Silent Running, and his fears and joys are expressed through body language and squeals. When he shuts down each night to sleep, he rocks himself as a child would. He is clumsy around Eve, and when he takes her to his makeshift home of robot parts and paraphernalia, he is like a little kid. Ironically, he is the catalyst to bring the humans back home.
Writer and director, Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), takes a huge risk by basing the film's premise almost entirely on a song from Hello Dolly. I can't think of an animated film that relied so much on visual storytelling. Even Fantasia and Allegro Non Troppo were collections of musical sequences not narrative features. In a way, this film is almost too sophisticated in its display and execution for little kids but is just right for adults. Remarkably, this is a tale with nary a spoken word by the principals. One has to think of silent films to approach this achievement. The operative word here is pathos like the best of Charlie Chaplin's little tramp and, amazingly, this film earns its stripes by emoting body language, action, and sound effects. Yet most of the characters aren't even human!
Fred Willard has an amusing small role as the corporate president. Sigourney Weaver, as the ship's computer voice, is an inspired choice since, like Eve, she was a female hero (in the Alien movies) and had to deal with computer voices in those films. The animation is almost 3-D in its rich detail and simulated, fluid camera-work. The interior of the mother ship, the Axiom, is a futuristic view of a commercialized (think Blade Runner) city in space.
Yes, it is a thinly veiled message for all those 'save the earth' and 'think green' people, but that never detracts from the main theme of saving humanity amid a touching love story. There are moments when you think a scene could have played out a bit better, but that is minor. It is likely that Wall-E's reputation will grow over time as a shining example of stretching the art form by challenging and trusting its audience. Bravo to the folks at Pixar for taking a chance and for entertaining and moving us.
The People At PIXAR are geniuses....
likeminded23 June 2008
Just got back from a special sneak peek/advance screening of this movie, and I must say, Pixar continues to amaze. They just can't seem to make a bad move. Heck, they can't even make a mediocre movie. Now, I will admit, there have been a couple that I would classify as my "least favorite" of theirs, but even they were actually very, very good. This one, though...it just may take the cake. Ranks up there with the absolute best they have produced. Hysterical, emotional, meaningful -- this movie succeeds on every front! I am not going to get into spoilers or specific plot aspects, but I will say that I am almost definitely going to see this one again in the theater..and it will be worth every dime. Come Friday, be in line to see Wall-E. You don't want to miss it!
Who says popular films can't be art? "WALL·E" is magical
ametaphysicalshark27 June 2008
Who says popular films are not and cannot be art? If anything is proof that popular films can be of a stunningly high quality, the beauty of the animation, writing, music, and sound design in "WALL·E" is it. "WALL·E" eclipses even Andrew Stanton's "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" in the Pixar pantheon, is perhaps Pixar's best film to date and, call me crazy as I've just seen it, a contender for the title of best animated film, period.
"WALL·E" is everything we've come to expect from Pixar and more- colorful, vibrant, imaginative, exciting, involving, beautiful, and most importantly a film with interesting, involving characters. Sure, WALL·E is adorable, and as much credit as the animators get for that, this film would be nothing without Stanton's screenplay, which features very little dialogue but is still notably intelligent and surprisingly subtle, making a refreshing change from the 'go green' campaigns we're all so used to. Does "WALL·E" have a message? Sure, but it's an important message and it is delivered subtly and beautifully.
"WALL·E" operates on two levels (and works spectacularly well on both). It is a majestic science fiction epic like we haven't seen in a couple of decades and it is a genuinely touching and never cheap romance. "WALL·E" will never get points for originality but it doesn't exactly need them because the homages to great films and figures of the past- Chaplin, Keaton, Tati, the Marx Brothers, "2001: A Space Odyssey" (this one is particularly spectacular), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" are actually homages and not ripoffs. "WALL·E" is a wonderful tribute to a bygone cinematic tradition (well, two or three of them actually).
The social commentary in "WALL·E" is sobering because it's never overbearing and most importantly because we see the world through machines, machines who feel more about Earth and life than the humans do. The depiction of humans on the ship could have been incredibly offensive, cheap, and tasteless in concept but the execution here is absolutely perfect.
What is most surprising about "WALL·E" is how sad it is. Not even in the 'how will they get out of this, oh I feel so sorry for them' way "Finding Nemo", a previous Stanton effort, is, but in a truly melancholy sense. The early portion of the film maintains all the playfulness of a Jacques Tati film but also evokes a striking and powerful feeling of loneliness. It's a brilliant introduction to WALL·E, given that the rest of the film is too wacky to bother with long scenes focused entirely on character, and works beautifully with the ugly yet beautifully-rendered future Earth, a barren wasteland filled with nothing but garbage, a seriously resilient cockroach being WALL·E's only companion before EVE shows up, but I won't go into the story- it's best you see it unfold for yourself.
From the entertaining shorts shown before the film to the memorable characters, locations, and animation we have come to expect, Pixar films are now event cinema, and they have outdone themselves with "WALL·E". This film is spectacular, majestic, touching, involving, and achingly beautiful. Most importantly, however, it is perfect entertainment. I may be saying this too soon, but I don't think I have ever seen an animated film that has satisfied me more than "WALL·E", and 2008 is going to have to work hard to keep this from being the top film of the year, which it most certainly is at the moment.
9.5/10
"WALL·E" is everything we've come to expect from Pixar and more- colorful, vibrant, imaginative, exciting, involving, beautiful, and most importantly a film with interesting, involving characters. Sure, WALL·E is adorable, and as much credit as the animators get for that, this film would be nothing without Stanton's screenplay, which features very little dialogue but is still notably intelligent and surprisingly subtle, making a refreshing change from the 'go green' campaigns we're all so used to. Does "WALL·E" have a message? Sure, but it's an important message and it is delivered subtly and beautifully.
"WALL·E" operates on two levels (and works spectacularly well on both). It is a majestic science fiction epic like we haven't seen in a couple of decades and it is a genuinely touching and never cheap romance. "WALL·E" will never get points for originality but it doesn't exactly need them because the homages to great films and figures of the past- Chaplin, Keaton, Tati, the Marx Brothers, "2001: A Space Odyssey" (this one is particularly spectacular), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" are actually homages and not ripoffs. "WALL·E" is a wonderful tribute to a bygone cinematic tradition (well, two or three of them actually).
The social commentary in "WALL·E" is sobering because it's never overbearing and most importantly because we see the world through machines, machines who feel more about Earth and life than the humans do. The depiction of humans on the ship could have been incredibly offensive, cheap, and tasteless in concept but the execution here is absolutely perfect.
What is most surprising about "WALL·E" is how sad it is. Not even in the 'how will they get out of this, oh I feel so sorry for them' way "Finding Nemo", a previous Stanton effort, is, but in a truly melancholy sense. The early portion of the film maintains all the playfulness of a Jacques Tati film but also evokes a striking and powerful feeling of loneliness. It's a brilliant introduction to WALL·E, given that the rest of the film is too wacky to bother with long scenes focused entirely on character, and works beautifully with the ugly yet beautifully-rendered future Earth, a barren wasteland filled with nothing but garbage, a seriously resilient cockroach being WALL·E's only companion before EVE shows up, but I won't go into the story- it's best you see it unfold for yourself.
From the entertaining shorts shown before the film to the memorable characters, locations, and animation we have come to expect, Pixar films are now event cinema, and they have outdone themselves with "WALL·E". This film is spectacular, majestic, touching, involving, and achingly beautiful. Most importantly, however, it is perfect entertainment. I may be saying this too soon, but I don't think I have ever seen an animated film that has satisfied me more than "WALL·E", and 2008 is going to have to work hard to keep this from being the top film of the year, which it most certainly is at the moment.
9.5/10
Honestly? This is the best Disney/Pixar movie I have seen
Smells_Like_Cheese27 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I'm starting to wonder if there is bad Disney/Pixar film, I mean, normally when we think of the combo, it does equal gold, we automatically know that everyone is going to love this movie, it's just a matter of comparison to the other animation films. I'm not just saying this because I had a good time when I was watching this, I'm very serious, this is my favorite Disney/Pixar film. It's completely worth the ticket price, this couldn't have been a more perfect film. Everything about WALL·E is just beyond great: the characters, the story, and the incredible animation. But the thing that I loved about WALL·E is it's message, I know that it does go a little over board with the "jog or get fat", "throw your garbage away", and the "we've become too dependent on machines" message, but I felt this was the most charming way to present it to the children who have to grow up in a world where they're going to have to worry about global warming, this may open their eyes a little.
WALL·E is a robot that is left all alone on Planet Earth, Earth is now covered with garbage. The humans have left onto a corporate ship and are living their lives care free and well, thought free. WALL·E has been collecting little human pieces here and there and making them into his treasures, but the one thing he really wants is a friend. One day a ship lands with a female robot, Eve, who WALL·E just adores, but Eve is on a mission to find a plant to bring back onto the human ship to show that Earth is safe. But when the ship grabs Eve, WALL·E follows her and discovers the mutiny that is afoot on the ship. Everyone is overweight, can't walk, can't think for themselves, and let's all the robots do all the work for them. But WALL·E and Eve are on the mission to get them back to Earth and give it a little love.
WALL·E is seriously the best movie I have seen this summer, I just adored this movie, it has great laughs, cute jokes and is entertaining for the whole family. Like I said before, when it's Disney/Pixar you just can't go wrong. WALL·E is one of their most lovable characters ever and was like the robot version of Charlie Chaplin, he brought great slap stick to the story. This movie delivers everything you can imagine and much more, not to mention a great message. I highly recommend this movie for everyone, it's just a very wonderful movie that anyone can enjoy. The animation, I can't believe how far we've come, but this was a beautifully made movie and couldn't have been better. I loved WALL·E, this is a movie that will bring you plenty of laughs for your summer.
10/10
WALL·E is a robot that is left all alone on Planet Earth, Earth is now covered with garbage. The humans have left onto a corporate ship and are living their lives care free and well, thought free. WALL·E has been collecting little human pieces here and there and making them into his treasures, but the one thing he really wants is a friend. One day a ship lands with a female robot, Eve, who WALL·E just adores, but Eve is on a mission to find a plant to bring back onto the human ship to show that Earth is safe. But when the ship grabs Eve, WALL·E follows her and discovers the mutiny that is afoot on the ship. Everyone is overweight, can't walk, can't think for themselves, and let's all the robots do all the work for them. But WALL·E and Eve are on the mission to get them back to Earth and give it a little love.
WALL·E is seriously the best movie I have seen this summer, I just adored this movie, it has great laughs, cute jokes and is entertaining for the whole family. Like I said before, when it's Disney/Pixar you just can't go wrong. WALL·E is one of their most lovable characters ever and was like the robot version of Charlie Chaplin, he brought great slap stick to the story. This movie delivers everything you can imagine and much more, not to mention a great message. I highly recommend this movie for everyone, it's just a very wonderful movie that anyone can enjoy. The animation, I can't believe how far we've come, but this was a beautifully made movie and couldn't have been better. I loved WALL·E, this is a movie that will bring you plenty of laughs for your summer.
10/10
A timeless masterpiece
Sethtro11 October 2020
Personal Rating: 10/10 (Outstanding)
I still remember just how impactful this movie was on me when I saw it as a child. The visuals, storytelling, how it made you think. And 12 years later it still stands as one of the best movies Pixar has ever made, and truly a hallmark of animated films.
The start of this movie. I could watch on an indefinite loop. The emotions you feel, the bond that grows between you and a robot in the introductory minutes, is storytelling at it's finest. No words have to be spoken and yet this movie world builds better than most 2-hour-long fantasy movies where the characters don't shut up.
The visuals. The visuals in this movie are stunning, the way they direct the eye, immerse you in the world, make you laugh and make you cry, a huge credit to the artists who worked on this film. And also interestingly enough, to Roger Deakins, who contributed to the first 20 minutes of the film and to the animating team, as he consulted on how to light scenes, he's quoted saying "the natural world that we live in just isn't as well-lit as your typical animated world." So by darkening scenes, adding shadow and cutting the number of lights used, they added a huge layer of realism to WALL-E.
The story, how you learn and feel about the characters (who the majority of are robots), the music, it's all superbly done. I can't think of anything I would change. But all this alone isn't what earns it the 10/10 rating, it's the themes, the tones, the way this "for children" movie makes you think, that earns my full respect.
For the most part, humans choose what's convenient, sacrificing privacy, health, well being, relationships and the like for that. WALL-E showed that exact point like never before. It takes effort to overcome the norm, to work towards a goal, even when it's not rainbows and peaches when one is determined they can do amazing things. Which is why the ending of this movie isn't bleak, it's inspiring. (spoilers) Humans come back to earth because of one lonesome plant. But it's enough to give them hope, and determination, to work on transforming the planet. And that was just one of the themes explored beautifully. I already know I'll be watching this movie again, and again.
Thanks for reading my review.
"I didn't know we had a pool!"
I still remember just how impactful this movie was on me when I saw it as a child. The visuals, storytelling, how it made you think. And 12 years later it still stands as one of the best movies Pixar has ever made, and truly a hallmark of animated films.
The start of this movie. I could watch on an indefinite loop. The emotions you feel, the bond that grows between you and a robot in the introductory minutes, is storytelling at it's finest. No words have to be spoken and yet this movie world builds better than most 2-hour-long fantasy movies where the characters don't shut up.
The visuals. The visuals in this movie are stunning, the way they direct the eye, immerse you in the world, make you laugh and make you cry, a huge credit to the artists who worked on this film. And also interestingly enough, to Roger Deakins, who contributed to the first 20 minutes of the film and to the animating team, as he consulted on how to light scenes, he's quoted saying "the natural world that we live in just isn't as well-lit as your typical animated world." So by darkening scenes, adding shadow and cutting the number of lights used, they added a huge layer of realism to WALL-E.
The story, how you learn and feel about the characters (who the majority of are robots), the music, it's all superbly done. I can't think of anything I would change. But all this alone isn't what earns it the 10/10 rating, it's the themes, the tones, the way this "for children" movie makes you think, that earns my full respect.
For the most part, humans choose what's convenient, sacrificing privacy, health, well being, relationships and the like for that. WALL-E showed that exact point like never before. It takes effort to overcome the norm, to work towards a goal, even when it's not rainbows and peaches when one is determined they can do amazing things. Which is why the ending of this movie isn't bleak, it's inspiring. (spoilers) Humans come back to earth because of one lonesome plant. But it's enough to give them hope, and determination, to work on transforming the planet. And that was just one of the themes explored beautifully. I already know I'll be watching this movie again, and again.
Thanks for reading my review.
"I didn't know we had a pool!"
Pixar does it again!
DrWetter8 June 2008
I just returned from an advanced benefit screening of WALL*E, and I want to be careful not to spill too much regarding the movie. I had the added privilege of watching the film at Pixar, which in and of itself, was amazing.
This picture is not a cartoon; it is a film. In fact, it even has the LOOK of film. One of my complaints of more recent 3-D/CG animated films (not from Pixar) is that they all seem to look the same... clean lines, crisp colors, and very "virtual", for lack of a better term. WALL*E transcends the typical look of CG animation, and has a true to life "grit." The creators at Pixar are true artists, and are indeed masters of their craft. Not only are they masters of the technology, they are masters of telling a story. WALL*E is no exception.
The best way to describe the film is as a science fiction, comedy, dramatic love story. WALL*E, as a character, has dimension, personality, and heart... pretty impressive given that he is essentially a trash compactor. It is true that there is little dialogue in this feature, but I personally did not feel it detracted from the story at all.
WALL*E is very much a different Pixar film from it's previous features. I will be curious to see how it is received by others, but in my opinion, I think Pixar has stayed true to itself, demonstrating a commitment to telling great stories and pushing the edge of technology to leave your jaw dropping! My most sincere compliments to Andrew Stanton, Jim Morris, John Lasseter, Ben Burtt, and all the creative forces at Pixar. Can't wait to see what the future brings...
This picture is not a cartoon; it is a film. In fact, it even has the LOOK of film. One of my complaints of more recent 3-D/CG animated films (not from Pixar) is that they all seem to look the same... clean lines, crisp colors, and very "virtual", for lack of a better term. WALL*E transcends the typical look of CG animation, and has a true to life "grit." The creators at Pixar are true artists, and are indeed masters of their craft. Not only are they masters of the technology, they are masters of telling a story. WALL*E is no exception.
The best way to describe the film is as a science fiction, comedy, dramatic love story. WALL*E, as a character, has dimension, personality, and heart... pretty impressive given that he is essentially a trash compactor. It is true that there is little dialogue in this feature, but I personally did not feel it detracted from the story at all.
WALL*E is very much a different Pixar film from it's previous features. I will be curious to see how it is received by others, but in my opinion, I think Pixar has stayed true to itself, demonstrating a commitment to telling great stories and pushing the edge of technology to leave your jaw dropping! My most sincere compliments to Andrew Stanton, Jim Morris, John Lasseter, Ben Burtt, and all the creative forces at Pixar. Can't wait to see what the future brings...
Pixar's still producing the best movies out there
CA_movie_fan7 June 2008
We went to the San Francisco Film Institute's first public screening at their campus in Emeryville. Everyone's sworn to secrecy, but for a film with little dialog, it carries more of an emotional punch and has a richer story than any live-action movie this year. The tone and style of the film is completely different for Pixar, and Disney haven't tried to override the darker thematic elements at all, making the story surprisingly three-dimensional.
This will end up being the animated film of the year and I had the same 'wow' feeling as after seeing Ratatouille. Considering that animated films have always played second-fiddle to live-action, and have been aimed at kids, it's ironic that once again Pixar produces a film that rivals any live action on every level. Bravo!
This will end up being the animated film of the year and I had the same 'wow' feeling as after seeing Ratatouille. Considering that animated films have always played second-fiddle to live-action, and have been aimed at kids, it's ironic that once again Pixar produces a film that rivals any live action on every level. Bravo!
Not just another Pixar masterpiece....A modern day SCI-FI masterpiece!
Valeen_the_II27 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This truly is one beautiful, touching animated sci-fi film....I cannot stress this enough. It's a unique cinema experience that you must enjoy firsthand.
The tale is set in the 22th century , Earth has become a lifeless wasteland full of garbage, that the human race evacuated nearly a millennium ago....Lifeless, that is with the two exceptions being the "artifical" life form "WALL-E" & his pet cockroach.
WALL-E is a squat humble trash-compacting robot who while continuing to fulfill the duties he was programmed for ( even though it's pointless considering there are no more humans on the planet ) collects certain leftover nicknacks, novelty items and even old films that he can still play. He mentally stimulates himself and enjoys fragments of the culture that is now gone ( that of the human race ). Though, WALL-E has imprinted on his little cockroach & vice versa, the little robot longs for more companionship.
He receives it in the form of a beautiful, sleek, defensive "fembot fatale" "EVE "....In their own little forms of robotic communication ( repeating each other's names in various connotations depending on moods ; "WAAAALLL-E," "EEEEEEEE-VAH!" ) and WALL-E's Chaplin-esquire clumsiness that amuses EVE, the pair imprint on each other and enjoy each other's company.
Sadly, EVE has located a small plant and must return it to her mother ship and leave WALL-E forever...But WALLL-E hops aboard the ship in pursuit of his darling "EEEEEE-VAH".
And yes this film has very little dialog, but guess what, IT DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' DIALIOUGUE!....The brilliance and beauty of the film is in the interactions and responses of the little robots : a great representation of what "artificial intelligence" really is and what it may actually be one day!
And how ironic it is that in this film the organic HUMAN RACE has become soulless, mirthless, artless, jaded, self-centered cogs in a machine of blind consumerism, yet the mechanical artificial beings still respond to their surroundings like a toddler or pet : with curiosity, wonder, and delight in communication & learning.
And yes there is plenty of comic relief ( albeit sans dialouge ) so no this movie is NOT BORING....It's beautiful, it even made me a little bit misty-eyed.
So yeah if you're an a fan of animated films, sci-fi films, and romance you should definitely check out this movie.
Obviously, it is going to win a very well-deserved Oscar for "Best Animated Film".
The tale is set in the 22th century , Earth has become a lifeless wasteland full of garbage, that the human race evacuated nearly a millennium ago....Lifeless, that is with the two exceptions being the "artifical" life form "WALL-E" & his pet cockroach.
WALL-E is a squat humble trash-compacting robot who while continuing to fulfill the duties he was programmed for ( even though it's pointless considering there are no more humans on the planet ) collects certain leftover nicknacks, novelty items and even old films that he can still play. He mentally stimulates himself and enjoys fragments of the culture that is now gone ( that of the human race ). Though, WALL-E has imprinted on his little cockroach & vice versa, the little robot longs for more companionship.
He receives it in the form of a beautiful, sleek, defensive "fembot fatale" "EVE "....In their own little forms of robotic communication ( repeating each other's names in various connotations depending on moods ; "WAAAALLL-E," "EEEEEEEE-VAH!" ) and WALL-E's Chaplin-esquire clumsiness that amuses EVE, the pair imprint on each other and enjoy each other's company.
Sadly, EVE has located a small plant and must return it to her mother ship and leave WALL-E forever...But WALLL-E hops aboard the ship in pursuit of his darling "EEEEEE-VAH".
And yes this film has very little dialog, but guess what, IT DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' DIALIOUGUE!....The brilliance and beauty of the film is in the interactions and responses of the little robots : a great representation of what "artificial intelligence" really is and what it may actually be one day!
And how ironic it is that in this film the organic HUMAN RACE has become soulless, mirthless, artless, jaded, self-centered cogs in a machine of blind consumerism, yet the mechanical artificial beings still respond to their surroundings like a toddler or pet : with curiosity, wonder, and delight in communication & learning.
And yes there is plenty of comic relief ( albeit sans dialouge ) so no this movie is NOT BORING....It's beautiful, it even made me a little bit misty-eyed.
So yeah if you're an a fan of animated films, sci-fi films, and romance you should definitely check out this movie.
Obviously, it is going to win a very well-deserved Oscar for "Best Animated Film".
An A+ for Wall-E! One of the best movies this century!
jedi-jones29 June 2008
Wall-E is the movie experience I've been looking for. I haven't seen a new film this richly entertaining, thrilling, touching and satisfying since Spider-Man 2. It is truly the finest Pixar or animated CGI film to date. I can discuss it without spoilers easily because it's one of those films, like 2001: A Space Odyssey, that exists more as a pure experience of the heart and the senses than as a collection of events that we're supposed to keep track of intellectually. Wall-E rises above that kind of unnecessary complication into the same kind of space occupied by dreams and the imagination.
This film is beautifully animated, of course, to that magical Pixar point where even piles of what should be disgusting trash somehow look breathtakingly gorgeous and even fairly realistic-looking roaches look cute. But much more importantly, the heart, the emotion in this movie is unlike anything I've experienced at the cinema since Forrest Gump. Certainly my tear ducts have not welled up while watching a movie this much since then. I fell in like with the character of Wall-E when I saw the trailer. Watching the movie, I fell in love with him within about 2 minutes. Shortly after that, I fell in love with the idea of Wall-E falling in love.
My previous favorite movie romance is Superman and Lois Lane in the original Superman films. The love story, or the love experience of Wall-E and Eve is perhaps the first I've seen since then that operates at and succeeds on that same level. These couples create an uncomplicated, innocent, simple, yet deep and powerful bond. They capture the experience of love at first sight, writ large. They possess an instant chemistry that tells you they belong together from the first time they see one another and makes you root for their relationship throughout the film. Wall-E and Eve share moments together of real cinematic beauty, true hilarity, frightening sadness, frustrating difficulty and delightful satisfaction. It's a testament to the level of genius at which the Pixar storytellers are operating that we feel every beat of this relationship resonate every step of the way despite the fact that the characters are robots that are not modeled off of humans and speak no more than a handful of words throughout the movie (this animated movie is refreshingly free of obvious "guest star" voices or any over-the-top stand-up comedians trying to upstage the movie).
Just like in the first Superman films, once you care about the characters as individuals and care about their relationship, it's almost impossible for the rest of the movie not to work. You're hooked at hello. Wall-E adds all the expected complications to keep the would-be lovers from getting together most of the time. There is a truly great "McGuffin" that keeps the heroes and villains busy for quite a while (the item in question is something outwardly simple that ends up holding the key to something more important than anything in the world). The pacing during most of these adventures is as breakneck as anything out of the Star Wars films and the action is always staged with crystal clarity. There are several scenes of peril for Wall-E that are reminiscent of that oddly powerful sequence in Short Circuit 2 when Johnny 5 is almost killed. The filmmakers pull absolutely no punches when it comes to running your heart through the ringer over characters you care about. It probably helps that you can do a lot more physical damage to a robot character than you can to a human character while keeping a G rating and still getting the audience dramatically worried about their survival.
Even on top of the action, the emotion, the visuals and the humor, Wall-E goes the extra mile into thought-provoking thematic territory. The film never hits you over the head with anything preachy and doesn't really even outright tell you what its opinions on the subjects it raises are. It also doesn't explicitly lay out explanations for everything that exists in Wall-E's world (there are no "talking killer" scenes and very little verbal exposition). I think the bits of ambiguity work here because they add to the sense of mystery, helplessness and alienation that most of the characters in the movie feel to some degree.
There are human characters in this movie too, quite a few. I think that's necessary because if humans aren't shown in a robot world, you have to wonder what purpose were the robots designed to serve? That was a curiosity of the earlier CGI movie, Robots. Most of the humans in Wall-E aren't as developed as the robots, but I think that's because they exist more to represent the whole of humanity rather than particular individuals. We're asked to ponder the consequences of the choices they make as though the whole society was moving in that direction, not just one person. Wall-E and Eve are the heart of this movie but the humans are used to add some intellectual gravity for the audience to chew on.
Other choices made in the movie might also leave room for debate, such as the integration of some live-action footage into the film. But because the movie as a whole is so audaciously stimulating and brilliantly satisfying, it's a plus that they left us with a few unresolved or unusual things to think about and question after getting off of the great emotional and visual roller-coaster experience. Wall-E truly serves up everything that I think an audience could want in a movie experience. It will be very easy for me to watch this one over and over again. It is a modern-day classic that I believe should earn a place in cinema history as the "2001" of CGI animated films, both of them movies of indisputable brilliance, unyielding imagination and unending entertainment.
Footnote: The pre-movie short is an awesome, violent Looney Tunes/Roger Rabbit-esquire toon. It wants only to entertain and does.
This film is beautifully animated, of course, to that magical Pixar point where even piles of what should be disgusting trash somehow look breathtakingly gorgeous and even fairly realistic-looking roaches look cute. But much more importantly, the heart, the emotion in this movie is unlike anything I've experienced at the cinema since Forrest Gump. Certainly my tear ducts have not welled up while watching a movie this much since then. I fell in like with the character of Wall-E when I saw the trailer. Watching the movie, I fell in love with him within about 2 minutes. Shortly after that, I fell in love with the idea of Wall-E falling in love.
My previous favorite movie romance is Superman and Lois Lane in the original Superman films. The love story, or the love experience of Wall-E and Eve is perhaps the first I've seen since then that operates at and succeeds on that same level. These couples create an uncomplicated, innocent, simple, yet deep and powerful bond. They capture the experience of love at first sight, writ large. They possess an instant chemistry that tells you they belong together from the first time they see one another and makes you root for their relationship throughout the film. Wall-E and Eve share moments together of real cinematic beauty, true hilarity, frightening sadness, frustrating difficulty and delightful satisfaction. It's a testament to the level of genius at which the Pixar storytellers are operating that we feel every beat of this relationship resonate every step of the way despite the fact that the characters are robots that are not modeled off of humans and speak no more than a handful of words throughout the movie (this animated movie is refreshingly free of obvious "guest star" voices or any over-the-top stand-up comedians trying to upstage the movie).
Just like in the first Superman films, once you care about the characters as individuals and care about their relationship, it's almost impossible for the rest of the movie not to work. You're hooked at hello. Wall-E adds all the expected complications to keep the would-be lovers from getting together most of the time. There is a truly great "McGuffin" that keeps the heroes and villains busy for quite a while (the item in question is something outwardly simple that ends up holding the key to something more important than anything in the world). The pacing during most of these adventures is as breakneck as anything out of the Star Wars films and the action is always staged with crystal clarity. There are several scenes of peril for Wall-E that are reminiscent of that oddly powerful sequence in Short Circuit 2 when Johnny 5 is almost killed. The filmmakers pull absolutely no punches when it comes to running your heart through the ringer over characters you care about. It probably helps that you can do a lot more physical damage to a robot character than you can to a human character while keeping a G rating and still getting the audience dramatically worried about their survival.
Even on top of the action, the emotion, the visuals and the humor, Wall-E goes the extra mile into thought-provoking thematic territory. The film never hits you over the head with anything preachy and doesn't really even outright tell you what its opinions on the subjects it raises are. It also doesn't explicitly lay out explanations for everything that exists in Wall-E's world (there are no "talking killer" scenes and very little verbal exposition). I think the bits of ambiguity work here because they add to the sense of mystery, helplessness and alienation that most of the characters in the movie feel to some degree.
There are human characters in this movie too, quite a few. I think that's necessary because if humans aren't shown in a robot world, you have to wonder what purpose were the robots designed to serve? That was a curiosity of the earlier CGI movie, Robots. Most of the humans in Wall-E aren't as developed as the robots, but I think that's because they exist more to represent the whole of humanity rather than particular individuals. We're asked to ponder the consequences of the choices they make as though the whole society was moving in that direction, not just one person. Wall-E and Eve are the heart of this movie but the humans are used to add some intellectual gravity for the audience to chew on.
Other choices made in the movie might also leave room for debate, such as the integration of some live-action footage into the film. But because the movie as a whole is so audaciously stimulating and brilliantly satisfying, it's a plus that they left us with a few unresolved or unusual things to think about and question after getting off of the great emotional and visual roller-coaster experience. Wall-E truly serves up everything that I think an audience could want in a movie experience. It will be very easy for me to watch this one over and over again. It is a modern-day classic that I believe should earn a place in cinema history as the "2001" of CGI animated films, both of them movies of indisputable brilliance, unyielding imagination and unending entertainment.
Footnote: The pre-movie short is an awesome, violent Looney Tunes/Roger Rabbit-esquire toon. It wants only to entertain and does.
Creative Vision with Predictable Plot = Not Entirely Satisfying
ilikeimdb3 July 2008
The stunning virtual world of Wall.E shows Pixar at the top of their creative graphic powers. Going over the beautiful CGI in my head, I'm still in awe of how the designers portrayed Wall.E's integrated world and their attention to detail will serve as a benchmark for years. That said, I'm less impressed by the simple and very predictable plot. Pixar/Disney married state-of-the-art visuals with a worn plot line from an early childhood fairy tale. I'm guessing the target audience for this movie is somewhere around 6th graders. Great summer family fare but not a great movie if you want something more substantial in terms of plot and character development.
Not only great, but a new plateau in animation
buiredintime27 June 2008
I can't say enough about how good this movie, that you probably haven't read, so I'm going to keep this short.
This is the best thing out there in theater's right now, and might just be the best animated film of all time, whether you believe that or not, is your own opinion, but what Pixar has done here, can put companies like Dreamworks, Sony, and Blue sky to shame.
Wall E also may go down as the most lovable character ever to grace the movie screen, I praise Ben Burtt and Andrew Stanton, and the people at Pixar for what they did, and will continue to do.
This is why Pixar is the top studio in the world.
10/10
This is the best thing out there in theater's right now, and might just be the best animated film of all time, whether you believe that or not, is your own opinion, but what Pixar has done here, can put companies like Dreamworks, Sony, and Blue sky to shame.
Wall E also may go down as the most lovable character ever to grace the movie screen, I praise Ben Burtt and Andrew Stanton, and the people at Pixar for what they did, and will continue to do.
This is why Pixar is the top studio in the world.
10/10
Like watching someone play a video game filled with propaganda
iKramerica-113 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I love animation. I love Pixar. I love the character of Wall-E, and enjoyed the relationship with EVE. Is the animation amazing looking? Sure. Not as great as last years wonderful little rat movie or even as enthralling as Finding Nemo, but still an achievement and better than what most other studios can even dream of.
But
There was about 15 minutes of story here. Maybe 20. Much like a silent film of the past which doesn't hold up to today's standards, Wall-E just wears thin after a while. Yawning was contagious in parts, as was seat squirming. I've only experienced that once before at a Pixar film, Cars. Which also had a very shallow story, BTW.
Wall-E felt longer than it was, never a good sign for a film. That they can carry a film that long with almost no dialog is amazing, but the pacing could have been stronger.
But frankly, what you watch is a very compelling character basically run around in a video game environment. It's as if the whole movie was created just so it could be put onto an Xbox. "This is the garbage collections stage." "Now that you cleared that, here's an interstitial story element." "Now this is the run away from EVE stage." "Now the run away from the guard robot stage." "Now the run away from cleaner robot stage." "More guard robots, different floor" Etc. And watching someone play a video game is just not that exciting. How many chase scenes does one movie need? If you thought the end of Monsters Inc. was overly long due to the drawn out chase, you ain't seen nothing until you sit through the 40 minutes of chases in Wall-E.
A technically distracting problem was the mixing of LIVE ACTION footage of Fred Willard and Hello Dolly with animated humans. It made no sense from a visual standpoint, and I really don't know what Lasseter was thinking here letting this idea get into the final film. Why Fred Willard wasn't animated like everyone else is just beyond comprehension.
Another major problem with the movie is that Wall-E doesn't matter much to the story. He is not concerned with getting from A-B, which is kind of important. Without giving too much away, Wall-E is only interested in making EVE his girlfriend, which means that the "mission" that he is put on is not important to him. Which means he has no stake in the outcome. He doesn't care if it succeeds or fails other than it would please the girl robot, and even then, she doesn't really care either. And the resolution is full of deus ex machina moments. All of which reinforce the video game feel of the movie, where it's about clearing levels and completing tasks rather than a uniquely compelling story.
In addition to the lack of a layered story and main character who has any stake, the environmental message was heavy handed and logically flawed to the point of being laughable. Goes far beyond the most outspoken doom and gloom propaganda you've ever heard. And it's not an ironic extreme, it's just a stupid one. The opening of the film was annoying in it's stupidity, no matter how well crafted it was. (The wall-mart bashing was similarly stupid, but at least that was more ironic.) But in terms of the trash and the air, humans could not have survived on the earth they left long enough to create the technology to leave it if it was in that condition. And no matter what some would like you to believe, it would be impossible to reach that state in less than 100 years. Not to mention that if humans create a giant biosphere to live in until they fix the earth, why do they fly off into a far off solar system it it? There is no need. Just create it ON earth. Self-contained is self- contained. And this shouldn't matter at all except it is a film aimed at children (and simple minded adults) with the goal of indoctrinating them into an extremist way of looking at the world, and specifically the USA (the world was deserted, but there was no mention of any city or country other than the USA).
And I truly believe that the reason so many critics liked this film so much was this last point. It was anti-USA, anti-business, and environmentally alarmist, and fits perfectly with the Hollywood and media agenda of the last 15 years. I really respected Pixar for not falling into the "message film" trap, but I guess that combining Pixar management with Disney brought some of that influence into the fold, which is a bad thing for all of us.
But
There was about 15 minutes of story here. Maybe 20. Much like a silent film of the past which doesn't hold up to today's standards, Wall-E just wears thin after a while. Yawning was contagious in parts, as was seat squirming. I've only experienced that once before at a Pixar film, Cars. Which also had a very shallow story, BTW.
Wall-E felt longer than it was, never a good sign for a film. That they can carry a film that long with almost no dialog is amazing, but the pacing could have been stronger.
But frankly, what you watch is a very compelling character basically run around in a video game environment. It's as if the whole movie was created just so it could be put onto an Xbox. "This is the garbage collections stage." "Now that you cleared that, here's an interstitial story element." "Now this is the run away from EVE stage." "Now the run away from the guard robot stage." "Now the run away from cleaner robot stage." "More guard robots, different floor" Etc. And watching someone play a video game is just not that exciting. How many chase scenes does one movie need? If you thought the end of Monsters Inc. was overly long due to the drawn out chase, you ain't seen nothing until you sit through the 40 minutes of chases in Wall-E.
A technically distracting problem was the mixing of LIVE ACTION footage of Fred Willard and Hello Dolly with animated humans. It made no sense from a visual standpoint, and I really don't know what Lasseter was thinking here letting this idea get into the final film. Why Fred Willard wasn't animated like everyone else is just beyond comprehension.
Another major problem with the movie is that Wall-E doesn't matter much to the story. He is not concerned with getting from A-B, which is kind of important. Without giving too much away, Wall-E is only interested in making EVE his girlfriend, which means that the "mission" that he is put on is not important to him. Which means he has no stake in the outcome. He doesn't care if it succeeds or fails other than it would please the girl robot, and even then, she doesn't really care either. And the resolution is full of deus ex machina moments. All of which reinforce the video game feel of the movie, where it's about clearing levels and completing tasks rather than a uniquely compelling story.
In addition to the lack of a layered story and main character who has any stake, the environmental message was heavy handed and logically flawed to the point of being laughable. Goes far beyond the most outspoken doom and gloom propaganda you've ever heard. And it's not an ironic extreme, it's just a stupid one. The opening of the film was annoying in it's stupidity, no matter how well crafted it was. (The wall-mart bashing was similarly stupid, but at least that was more ironic.) But in terms of the trash and the air, humans could not have survived on the earth they left long enough to create the technology to leave it if it was in that condition. And no matter what some would like you to believe, it would be impossible to reach that state in less than 100 years. Not to mention that if humans create a giant biosphere to live in until they fix the earth, why do they fly off into a far off solar system it it? There is no need. Just create it ON earth. Self-contained is self- contained. And this shouldn't matter at all except it is a film aimed at children (and simple minded adults) with the goal of indoctrinating them into an extremist way of looking at the world, and specifically the USA (the world was deserted, but there was no mention of any city or country other than the USA).
And I truly believe that the reason so many critics liked this film so much was this last point. It was anti-USA, anti-business, and environmentally alarmist, and fits perfectly with the Hollywood and media agenda of the last 15 years. I really respected Pixar for not falling into the "message film" trap, but I guess that combining Pixar management with Disney brought some of that influence into the fold, which is a bad thing for all of us.
I am at odds with majority of IMDb audience
dforster10 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I decided to add my voice because this film is highly rated and I have never found myself at such odds with the majority of the IMDb audience.
Spoiler at end.
I read enough to see that I have nothing to add concerning its technical achievement, obviously well done.
I am an avid science fiction fan (books and film) so I agree with those who find this story weak. I went because I wanted to know why this film was so highly rated across all the demographic areas although I had my doubts based on the preview.
Apparently many do not agree with me but I would like to caution others that if you look forward to thought provoking ideas and having your preconceived notions challenged you will be disappointed. Even younger audiences may become bored after 1/2 hour although the visual stimulation may be sufficient.
My background includes special effects in film and computer program development so I naturally appreciate the films technical prowess. But I also know well almost all the science fiction films made to date including those with serious as well as comic presentations and WALL-E does not rate well for me when compared to them.
WALL_E missed being sufficiently provocative or amusing so I found it bland. The film, however, was much better portraying the emotional connections between the two main characters which is quite an achievement considering WALL-E was a garbage disposal unit who apparently developed over a long period of time a more than human heart (think of your feelings for roaches).
Spoiler follows: The ideas of planet ruin via garbage and humans becoming fat, technologically catered to, isolated in space, and thus unmotivated beings after 700 years is interesting but each of these is not original and I, at this time, cannot clearly describe why the film failed to engage me. Perhaps with such a future there should be more angst.
Spoiler at end.
I read enough to see that I have nothing to add concerning its technical achievement, obviously well done.
I am an avid science fiction fan (books and film) so I agree with those who find this story weak. I went because I wanted to know why this film was so highly rated across all the demographic areas although I had my doubts based on the preview.
Apparently many do not agree with me but I would like to caution others that if you look forward to thought provoking ideas and having your preconceived notions challenged you will be disappointed. Even younger audiences may become bored after 1/2 hour although the visual stimulation may be sufficient.
My background includes special effects in film and computer program development so I naturally appreciate the films technical prowess. But I also know well almost all the science fiction films made to date including those with serious as well as comic presentations and WALL-E does not rate well for me when compared to them.
WALL_E missed being sufficiently provocative or amusing so I found it bland. The film, however, was much better portraying the emotional connections between the two main characters which is quite an achievement considering WALL-E was a garbage disposal unit who apparently developed over a long period of time a more than human heart (think of your feelings for roaches).
Spoiler follows: The ideas of planet ruin via garbage and humans becoming fat, technologically catered to, isolated in space, and thus unmotivated beings after 700 years is interesting but each of these is not original and I, at this time, cannot clearly describe why the film failed to engage me. Perhaps with such a future there should be more angst.
Best movie of the century
0U15 February 2020
To this day, this is still my favorite pixar film. The animation is stellar, its heartwarming, funny and proves that pixar movies are always bound to be great (except for cars 2 but thats a different story). This has a shot at the title "best movie of the century"
WALL-E is one of the most cutest, lovable characters Pixar ever invented!!
michael1139126 June 2008
Not only it's Pixar's best film of all-time but it's the best movie of this year and one of the greatest imaginative, visually, moving & excellent animated films in years and surprisingly, one of the best sci-fi movies since E.T.!! Coming with high expectations, it definitely succeeded mines. It's so beautiful, moving, hilarious & sad at the same time. And for those who has been anticipating Thomas Newman's score for WALL-E, it's certainly one of his best right behind Finding Nemo in which I thought was his best score to date! Like I said it's Pixar best film so far, WALL-E knocked off Ratatouille of the top spot in which I thought it was their best film to date and officially, WALL-E is the best Pixar film i've ever seen with Ratatouille right behind and Finding Nemo, third. Pixar fan or non-Pixar fan, you'll definitely enjoy this one. WALL-E will forever be remembered as one of the most lovable characters ever created on film!!!
More intelligent, heartfelt, thought provoking, and flat-out masterful than anything that's been released in years.
comixdude31 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I thought that Pixar was one of the greater animation studios of the new millennium; after seeing Wall-E, I'm convinced that Pixar is the greatest modern animation studio, and perhaps one of the most talented and treasured film companies period. Writer-Director Andrew Stanton has not only managed to create a technical marvel with Wall-E, pushing the boundaries of computer animation technology to the limits, but also a work of pure art that's more intelligent, heartfelt, thought provoking, and flat-out masterful than any movie in years.
The film start's off on a simultaneously sweet and sour note: The opening reveals the gorgeous backdrop of galaxies and stars, with music from the movie 'Hello-Dolly!' overlapping it all in a sugary visual treat. Not seconds later, the camera traverses space to slowly close in on the planet Earth which, 700 years in to the future, has gained a sickly green tint to it along with an orbital atmosphere of pure garbage. Further zooming reveals a desolated city (New York, maybe?) its buildings and bridges rotted way. The entire opening is very reminiscent of the recent I Am Legend, except much, much more ruined. It is however, technically beautiful; the images are so photo realistic that you're amazed that they've been generated by computer.
The only remnants of humanity are monstrous skyscrapers of compacted trash and billboards aplenty advertising the bright and colorful, yet somehow ominous company known as Buy n' Large, a thinly veiled Wal-Mart clone. And, of course, Wall-E itself.
Wall-E is far more than a mere 'it', however. Through hundreds of nuanced and heartfelt animation quirks, as well as the "voice" given by Ben Burtt, Star-Wars veteran and creator of another famed beeping robot named R2-D2, Wall-E has been imbued with enough life to fill three-dozen cheap summer kids flicks, all without ever saying more than two or three actual words.
Wall-E has been operating for centuries, long after his other Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class counterparts have shut down or broken apart, scouring the wastelands of earth and compacting the land's garbage in to neat little cubes.
It's a lonely job, with the little robot's only companion being a spunky little cockroach. Wall-E has over the years collected an impressive amount of junk with which he passes the time, including lighters, toys, spare parts, and an old VHS copy of Hello Dolly!, which is Wall-E's instructor in the ways of life, love, and keenly choreographed dance. Indeed, Wall-E gazes upon two lovers holding hands and the look in his binocular eyes is both heartbreaking and beautiful.
It all changes however, when a beautiful robot from the human colony in space arrives; her name is EVE. Despite here tendencies to blow up anything that moves, Wall-E is smitten at first sight, and EVE comes to eventually share those feelings. After taking note of a very unique possession of Wall-E's however, EVE reports back to the Earth ship Axiom and is whisked away back in to space. Wall-E, being as devoted as he is, follows her into the unknown, and it is there that the movie really gets going, with Wall-E and EVE taking part in an adventure with the fate of humanity itself in the balance. Characters like the Captain of the Axiom (voiced by Jeff Garlin) appearing to flesh out the film's plot, as well as a gaggle of amusing "rogue" robots that aide Wall-E and EVE in their quest.
As the movie develops, however, the leading characters' romance becomes the core of the movie, with Wall-E and EVE's love being one of the few genuinely lovely and convincing romances of recent cinema. The touching moments Wall-E shares with EVE in his workshop, as well as their first "kiss" preceding a marvelous dance through space highlight a relationship that tugs at the heartstrings and moistens the eyes far more than movies like Fool's Gold or What Happens in Vegas. The romance between the two leads is the very soul of the movie, and could not have been better executed.
The film is gorgeous to boot: With colors and images that dazzle and linger long after the film is over. Films like No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood, as beautiful as they are, seem to revel in the gloom of browns and blacks. Wall-E, on the other is vibrant and alive, turning even the beginning's post-apocalyptic wasteland in to a marvel.
The biggest surprise of Wall-E, however, would be its surprising amount of maturity. Wall-E deals with themes of pollution, rampant consumerism, societal complacency and obesity, media desensitization, and other themes that would frankly fly over a child's head. Kids will see a world full of people who are humorously fat and happy; older members of the audience, however, will see a society that tells of a future not centuries ahead of us but perhaps only decades. The overblown laziness and rampant consumerism is evident already today, and the notion of Wall-E's future being so similar is funny yes, but also a touch unnerving.
It is for this reason that I hold Wall-E in such high esteem: It is a heartfelt work of inarguable art that not only entertains but holds enough conscience and commentary to get even the most casual of moviegoer thinking about the future. It is beautiful and it is heartbreaking. It is funny and it is also a tad scary. It has two supposedly life-less robots teaching humanity the very meaning of being human, as well as learning the meaning of true love themselves. It made me laugh, it made me (almost) cry. It has the distinction of being Pixar's best movie, as wells as the hands down best movie of the year (so far); an almost perfect, if not completely perfect summer movie that kids and adults will almost assuredly love.
And it is also one of the greatest movies I have ever seen.
The film start's off on a simultaneously sweet and sour note: The opening reveals the gorgeous backdrop of galaxies and stars, with music from the movie 'Hello-Dolly!' overlapping it all in a sugary visual treat. Not seconds later, the camera traverses space to slowly close in on the planet Earth which, 700 years in to the future, has gained a sickly green tint to it along with an orbital atmosphere of pure garbage. Further zooming reveals a desolated city (New York, maybe?) its buildings and bridges rotted way. The entire opening is very reminiscent of the recent I Am Legend, except much, much more ruined. It is however, technically beautiful; the images are so photo realistic that you're amazed that they've been generated by computer.
The only remnants of humanity are monstrous skyscrapers of compacted trash and billboards aplenty advertising the bright and colorful, yet somehow ominous company known as Buy n' Large, a thinly veiled Wal-Mart clone. And, of course, Wall-E itself.
Wall-E is far more than a mere 'it', however. Through hundreds of nuanced and heartfelt animation quirks, as well as the "voice" given by Ben Burtt, Star-Wars veteran and creator of another famed beeping robot named R2-D2, Wall-E has been imbued with enough life to fill three-dozen cheap summer kids flicks, all without ever saying more than two or three actual words.
Wall-E has been operating for centuries, long after his other Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class counterparts have shut down or broken apart, scouring the wastelands of earth and compacting the land's garbage in to neat little cubes.
It's a lonely job, with the little robot's only companion being a spunky little cockroach. Wall-E has over the years collected an impressive amount of junk with which he passes the time, including lighters, toys, spare parts, and an old VHS copy of Hello Dolly!, which is Wall-E's instructor in the ways of life, love, and keenly choreographed dance. Indeed, Wall-E gazes upon two lovers holding hands and the look in his binocular eyes is both heartbreaking and beautiful.
It all changes however, when a beautiful robot from the human colony in space arrives; her name is EVE. Despite here tendencies to blow up anything that moves, Wall-E is smitten at first sight, and EVE comes to eventually share those feelings. After taking note of a very unique possession of Wall-E's however, EVE reports back to the Earth ship Axiom and is whisked away back in to space. Wall-E, being as devoted as he is, follows her into the unknown, and it is there that the movie really gets going, with Wall-E and EVE taking part in an adventure with the fate of humanity itself in the balance. Characters like the Captain of the Axiom (voiced by Jeff Garlin) appearing to flesh out the film's plot, as well as a gaggle of amusing "rogue" robots that aide Wall-E and EVE in their quest.
As the movie develops, however, the leading characters' romance becomes the core of the movie, with Wall-E and EVE's love being one of the few genuinely lovely and convincing romances of recent cinema. The touching moments Wall-E shares with EVE in his workshop, as well as their first "kiss" preceding a marvelous dance through space highlight a relationship that tugs at the heartstrings and moistens the eyes far more than movies like Fool's Gold or What Happens in Vegas. The romance between the two leads is the very soul of the movie, and could not have been better executed.
The film is gorgeous to boot: With colors and images that dazzle and linger long after the film is over. Films like No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood, as beautiful as they are, seem to revel in the gloom of browns and blacks. Wall-E, on the other is vibrant and alive, turning even the beginning's post-apocalyptic wasteland in to a marvel.
The biggest surprise of Wall-E, however, would be its surprising amount of maturity. Wall-E deals with themes of pollution, rampant consumerism, societal complacency and obesity, media desensitization, and other themes that would frankly fly over a child's head. Kids will see a world full of people who are humorously fat and happy; older members of the audience, however, will see a society that tells of a future not centuries ahead of us but perhaps only decades. The overblown laziness and rampant consumerism is evident already today, and the notion of Wall-E's future being so similar is funny yes, but also a touch unnerving.
It is for this reason that I hold Wall-E in such high esteem: It is a heartfelt work of inarguable art that not only entertains but holds enough conscience and commentary to get even the most casual of moviegoer thinking about the future. It is beautiful and it is heartbreaking. It is funny and it is also a tad scary. It has two supposedly life-less robots teaching humanity the very meaning of being human, as well as learning the meaning of true love themselves. It made me laugh, it made me (almost) cry. It has the distinction of being Pixar's best movie, as wells as the hands down best movie of the year (so far); an almost perfect, if not completely perfect summer movie that kids and adults will almost assuredly love.
And it is also one of the greatest movies I have ever seen.
Pixar should rest now, they achieved perfection.
Chiyonosake231 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Well I don't even know where to begin there is so much in this one.
Well maybe if i say i am usually cinical and disdainful towards love stories (at least those type of love stories you see nowadays...), and i usually see them only suitable for girls who wanna cry a few tissue full, and i prefer a Shakespeare-like ending, where every major character dies or loses something (sanity, beloved one etc) over an usual corny happy ending, and then i add, that i still LOVED this masterpiece so much i myself cried in the end, and i was cheering for Wall-E to remember to Eve, to get repaired and to see them "live happily ever after".
I was browsing on a video-sharing channel some day and i stumbled upon a video where a guy says the following about Wall-E: "I am a cinical bastard, but even that little piece of rotten, black glass i call my heart was warmed by this movie"
And i don't even get started on how delicate and clever the symbolism in this animation is. Or on how sarcastic, yet true all the scenes are, which ones are featuring the humans, who became more like a senseless pigs tied to their chair in front of their computer.
The whole thing feels so gentle, so classy and uplifting i cant even tell. If humanity will extincts one day and some other intelligent species will find the ruins of our culture i want them to find this movie, and remember us as gentle, warm-hearted, intelligent beings, which we weren't most of the time.
And i am not exaggerating. This was really truly this good. At least for me. Sayonara
Well maybe if i say i am usually cinical and disdainful towards love stories (at least those type of love stories you see nowadays...), and i usually see them only suitable for girls who wanna cry a few tissue full, and i prefer a Shakespeare-like ending, where every major character dies or loses something (sanity, beloved one etc) over an usual corny happy ending, and then i add, that i still LOVED this masterpiece so much i myself cried in the end, and i was cheering for Wall-E to remember to Eve, to get repaired and to see them "live happily ever after".
I was browsing on a video-sharing channel some day and i stumbled upon a video where a guy says the following about Wall-E: "I am a cinical bastard, but even that little piece of rotten, black glass i call my heart was warmed by this movie"
And i don't even get started on how delicate and clever the symbolism in this animation is. Or on how sarcastic, yet true all the scenes are, which ones are featuring the humans, who became more like a senseless pigs tied to their chair in front of their computer.
The whole thing feels so gentle, so classy and uplifting i cant even tell. If humanity will extincts one day and some other intelligent species will find the ruins of our culture i want them to find this movie, and remember us as gentle, warm-hearted, intelligent beings, which we weren't most of the time.
And i am not exaggerating. This was really truly this good. At least for me. Sayonara
Wonderful Message
claudio_carvalho8 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
In the Twentieth-Eighth Century, Earth is completely depleted and with the ecological system destroyed. The powerful corporation Buy N Large builds a huge spacecraft called Axiom and sends the entire civilization for a five-year cruise while trash collector robots called WALL-E (Waste Allocator Load Lifter - Earth) would clean the planet. However, the equipment fail and seven-hundred year later, only a single robot WALL-E is performing his duty. His only companion is a cockroach and his great entertainment is watching an old "Hello Dolly" videotape. When a spaceship lands on Earth out of the blue and leaves the probe Eve, WALL-E follows her and falls in love for Eve. After a hostile initial contact, the dangerous Eve gets close to WALL-E and he gives a small plant to her. Eve gets the plant and automatically sends a signal to the spaceship that returns and takes Eve back. However, the desperate WALL-E grabs on the hull and travels through the space chasing Eve until they reach Axiom and find a full automated facility crowded by lazy and fat human beings unable even of walking with their legs. The expectation of life on Earth brings hope to the Captain against the will and prime direction of the auto-pilot that organizes a mutiny on board.
"WALL-E" is one of the best animations I have ever seen, with adorable characters and a deep story, showing a possible scenario of the depletion of our planet caused by the lack of concern from the big corporations with the environment. In addition, there is the beautiful love story of WALL-E, the importance of small and forgotten things; a great nostalgia of the old times among many other message. The story is very well developed in spite of having very few dialogs. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "WALL-E"
"WALL-E" is one of the best animations I have ever seen, with adorable characters and a deep story, showing a possible scenario of the depletion of our planet caused by the lack of concern from the big corporations with the environment. In addition, there is the beautiful love story of WALL-E, the importance of small and forgotten things; a great nostalgia of the old times among many other message. The story is very well developed in spite of having very few dialogs. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "WALL-E"
An innocent little robot begins to have feelings for a robot named EVE.
WhosDaisy5 April 2015
It's not unusual for Pixar to make a movie that is unforgettable.
This film proves that humans aren't the only things with feelings, and it shows it in an awesome way. The movie has barely a word spoken in the first 30 minutes, but tells a story so touching and so innocent it leaves you breathless. The first half is transcendent.
Although WALL-E is a robot composed of assorted metals, he is anything but lifeless.
I was really surprised at the quality and depth of the movie. This is not your ordinary children's cartoon by any stretch of the imagination.
I can not say that I highly recommend it, but it is worth watching once.
This film proves that humans aren't the only things with feelings, and it shows it in an awesome way. The movie has barely a word spoken in the first 30 minutes, but tells a story so touching and so innocent it leaves you breathless. The first half is transcendent.
Although WALL-E is a robot composed of assorted metals, he is anything but lifeless.
I was really surprised at the quality and depth of the movie. This is not your ordinary children's cartoon by any stretch of the imagination.
I can not say that I highly recommend it, but it is worth watching once.
Define dancing
Wall-E
jaredmobarak25 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Robots falling in love. There is a lot to like about the new Pixar film Wall-E. The animation goes without sayingbetter than anything out there. The glares, the environments, everything is rendered spectacularly, right down to the flame of a Zippo lighter. As for the story, leave it to these wizards for creating a tale that hits on a gut level, letting our simplest emotions come to the surface in order speak to our hearts and souls. With fewer words than Arnold Swartzenegger had to speak in Terminator 2, this movie relies on its visuals and on the movements and actions of the characters. It is appropriate that we are shown clips from older musicals to show humanity before Earth was abandoned. If we harken back to them for the joys of people, why not go to silent era style in order to portray communication between beings that cannot speak? Wall-E, his crush EVE, and all the other robots involved can say little than their name, however, we understand exactly what they mean throughout. The entire film speaks on a level that most people might have forgotten. In an age of Hollywood spoon-feeding the masses by having actors preach the obvious, Pixar has shown their originality again by getting an audience to partake in a film that makes them pay attention and work a little; something that the message of the piece is trying to have come across for humanity in general.
I credit the filmmakers for showcasing a world that has been left unlivable due to pollution and excess, yet never stooping to the level of liberal propaganda to soapbox an environmental agenda. No, the idea of "going green" or "stop global warming" never comes out blatantly, but instead we are shown the message of how technology is making us gluttons and sloths, reliant for everything and unable to even see what is going on right in front of our faces. Humanity, drifting on a space station for 700 years being waited on hand and foot, has become a giant mass of inactive waste. Watching their awakening at the hands of a little waste removal machine, seeing love, life, and beauty as if for the first time ever is a wonderful thing. Sure the homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey is fantastic, but these moments work on another level altogetherthat of truth. Consumer culture and materialism has destroyed our society to the point that social status depends on the car you drive and the trinkets you can collect rather than the job you do and the work you put in. To see the Captain of the vessel, housing what has become of the human race, slowly open his eyes to what could be is mind-blowingly simple, yet also so necessary for children these days to see what burying their heads in the computer and cell phone is doing to the societal structure of the world. We need to stop being lemmings, droning along without purpose. There is a reason for life, things to strive for and love is one of them, something very prevalent here.
The robots themselves become more human than the humans, showing the emotion and compassion that people have left by the wayside. Curiosity takes center stage as Wall-E finds treasures amongst the trash he has been programmed to clean up for a return of life to Earth. Stacking his compacted boxes of refuse into skyscrapers taller than those left behind, he finds shelter in an abandoned tractor where he keeps spare parts and objects to play with during his solitude. Never expecting a visitor, or the impact that finding a small sapling of greenery could cause, a sophisticated robot named EVE arrives and changes his world forever. Not only does she become the woman of his dreams, but she also causes him to leave Earth and discover the spaceship, which has been trying to find his home for way too long.
Maybe it is funny to say, but the chemistry between these two machines is quite palpable and real, as they discover feelings that they shouldn't have due to programming and such, but they have evolved into sentient creatures. They fight for freedom against the spaceship's auto-pilot and take a stand to end the tyranny that has been subtly and effectively beating the humans into submission. Of course they may not be doing it for the humans per se, there is a matter of needing to go back for spare parts, but you'll understand once you see. Sure the Captain does his part to see the hero that Wall-E becomes to his stagnant race and being voiced by the hilarious Jeff Garlin definitely helps. When he starts viewing the history of Earth and just exudes wonderment and joy, you really enjoy the ride as he attempts to reverse his sloth and actually stand on his two legs for possibly the first time ever.
Where I do have a problem with the film is the pacing. Yes, I know there is very little dialogueand I whole-heartedly praise the film for itbut the beginning does have a tendency to drag. Maybe some of that has to do with it being an extended version of the trailer, but it just gets a little tedious as we wait for EVE to arrive and end the cute monotony of Wall-E playing with his finds in ways they aren't supposed to be used for, we've seen it before in The Little Mermaid. Even once they are on the ship, the cat and mouse game gets a little prolonged to pad the runtime a bit. The story here isn't very complex and I just wish there had been more to it, or at least a bit faster paced of a plot progression. Otherwise, though, this is another solid film from Pixar, showing that they definitely have the creativity and storytelling ability to infuse heart back into cinema and try new things rather than regurgitate for a big paycheck.
I credit the filmmakers for showcasing a world that has been left unlivable due to pollution and excess, yet never stooping to the level of liberal propaganda to soapbox an environmental agenda. No, the idea of "going green" or "stop global warming" never comes out blatantly, but instead we are shown the message of how technology is making us gluttons and sloths, reliant for everything and unable to even see what is going on right in front of our faces. Humanity, drifting on a space station for 700 years being waited on hand and foot, has become a giant mass of inactive waste. Watching their awakening at the hands of a little waste removal machine, seeing love, life, and beauty as if for the first time ever is a wonderful thing. Sure the homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey is fantastic, but these moments work on another level altogetherthat of truth. Consumer culture and materialism has destroyed our society to the point that social status depends on the car you drive and the trinkets you can collect rather than the job you do and the work you put in. To see the Captain of the vessel, housing what has become of the human race, slowly open his eyes to what could be is mind-blowingly simple, yet also so necessary for children these days to see what burying their heads in the computer and cell phone is doing to the societal structure of the world. We need to stop being lemmings, droning along without purpose. There is a reason for life, things to strive for and love is one of them, something very prevalent here.
The robots themselves become more human than the humans, showing the emotion and compassion that people have left by the wayside. Curiosity takes center stage as Wall-E finds treasures amongst the trash he has been programmed to clean up for a return of life to Earth. Stacking his compacted boxes of refuse into skyscrapers taller than those left behind, he finds shelter in an abandoned tractor where he keeps spare parts and objects to play with during his solitude. Never expecting a visitor, or the impact that finding a small sapling of greenery could cause, a sophisticated robot named EVE arrives and changes his world forever. Not only does she become the woman of his dreams, but she also causes him to leave Earth and discover the spaceship, which has been trying to find his home for way too long.
Maybe it is funny to say, but the chemistry between these two machines is quite palpable and real, as they discover feelings that they shouldn't have due to programming and such, but they have evolved into sentient creatures. They fight for freedom against the spaceship's auto-pilot and take a stand to end the tyranny that has been subtly and effectively beating the humans into submission. Of course they may not be doing it for the humans per se, there is a matter of needing to go back for spare parts, but you'll understand once you see. Sure the Captain does his part to see the hero that Wall-E becomes to his stagnant race and being voiced by the hilarious Jeff Garlin definitely helps. When he starts viewing the history of Earth and just exudes wonderment and joy, you really enjoy the ride as he attempts to reverse his sloth and actually stand on his two legs for possibly the first time ever.
Where I do have a problem with the film is the pacing. Yes, I know there is very little dialogueand I whole-heartedly praise the film for itbut the beginning does have a tendency to drag. Maybe some of that has to do with it being an extended version of the trailer, but it just gets a little tedious as we wait for EVE to arrive and end the cute monotony of Wall-E playing with his finds in ways they aren't supposed to be used for, we've seen it before in The Little Mermaid. Even once they are on the ship, the cat and mouse game gets a little prolonged to pad the runtime a bit. The story here isn't very complex and I just wish there had been more to it, or at least a bit faster paced of a plot progression. Otherwise, though, this is another solid film from Pixar, showing that they definitely have the creativity and storytelling ability to infuse heart back into cinema and try new things rather than regurgitate for a big paycheck.
Overrated
smartass46017 July 2008
So yeah, this is a pretty good movie. It's something that the everyone in the family can enjoy; and is well worth the 9 bucks I paid to see it.
However......
this movie probably shouldn't be in the top 250, let alone top 25. It's not even Pixar's best. Both of the two Toy Stories, AND Finding Nemo are better movies! They may not surpass WALL-E in animation, but they are better, and more original stories. Even the animation doesn't leave me in awe as it does so many others on IMDb apparently. It is repetitive, and lacks style in a way. An example would be "scared" WALL-E (even if you haven't seen the movie, you've seen it in previews). He just shakes! That would be OK, except he does it 3 or 4 times in the movie! Do something different! To add to that, both the story and music is basically stolen. 2001: a space odyssey, star trek, star wars; all stolen from.
However......
this movie probably shouldn't be in the top 250, let alone top 25. It's not even Pixar's best. Both of the two Toy Stories, AND Finding Nemo are better movies! They may not surpass WALL-E in animation, but they are better, and more original stories. Even the animation doesn't leave me in awe as it does so many others on IMDb apparently. It is repetitive, and lacks style in a way. An example would be "scared" WALL-E (even if you haven't seen the movie, you've seen it in previews). He just shakes! That would be OK, except he does it 3 or 4 times in the movie! Do something different! To add to that, both the story and music is basically stolen. 2001: a space odyssey, star trek, star wars; all stolen from.
Great animation (as ever) but lacks a compelling story
paulo2030 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Nothing much to say, really, about the animation. PIXAR steps it up another notch. Simply stunning, which is par for the course for PIXAR. I gave the film six stars and at least five of them go to the visuals.
However, the story didn't really match those visuals. And the two robot leads were cute, I'll grant, but not much more than that.
SPOILERS FOLLOW.
Basically, humans created the mess that made it necessary for them to leave the planet. And we're supposed to root for them to come back? I'm sorry, I just don't get it. It's not a strong enough reason for me to root for the protagonists. And the antagonists are, likewise, not compelling enough, with no real apparent motivation for keeping the humans from re-inhabiting earth, unless it's to protect the earth from humans overloading the world with trash again, in which case, I'm not sure we shouldn't have rooted for them instead.
And what about the other species? We see fish in the end credits. Presumably, the planet was okay for them and other species? The movie doesn't really go into that, unless I missed something.
Meanwhile, while the humans were away, they came to rely on being carted around on hover-chairs. As the film explains, this leads to some bone loss. And their ability to walk has apparently atrophied over the centuries. Only it hasn't, as we see the uniformly obese humans learn to walk again, much like overgrown infants learn to walk. Perhaps this is meant to be symbolic, but it doesn't make a lot of logical sense.
Finally, I'm not sure why a live action Fred Willard was used, but this is a minor point. Given the rest of the movie, I find that I really don't care. I just find it a little odd.
However, the story didn't really match those visuals. And the two robot leads were cute, I'll grant, but not much more than that.
SPOILERS FOLLOW.
Basically, humans created the mess that made it necessary for them to leave the planet. And we're supposed to root for them to come back? I'm sorry, I just don't get it. It's not a strong enough reason for me to root for the protagonists. And the antagonists are, likewise, not compelling enough, with no real apparent motivation for keeping the humans from re-inhabiting earth, unless it's to protect the earth from humans overloading the world with trash again, in which case, I'm not sure we shouldn't have rooted for them instead.
And what about the other species? We see fish in the end credits. Presumably, the planet was okay for them and other species? The movie doesn't really go into that, unless I missed something.
Meanwhile, while the humans were away, they came to rely on being carted around on hover-chairs. As the film explains, this leads to some bone loss. And their ability to walk has apparently atrophied over the centuries. Only it hasn't, as we see the uniformly obese humans learn to walk again, much like overgrown infants learn to walk. Perhaps this is meant to be symbolic, but it doesn't make a lot of logical sense.
Finally, I'm not sure why a live action Fred Willard was used, but this is a minor point. Given the rest of the movie, I find that I really don't care. I just find it a little odd.
A Most Endearing Love Story In Space...And Back
Chrysanthepop2 November 2008
Over the years I've become quite a sucker for Pixar movies and just love each and every one of them. While there are the states of the art animation and sound effects, the stories have heart. The characters are adorable yet real. It reminds one of those charming movies Disney used to make but Pixar films are very much a unique cinematic experience.
'WALL-E' is quite unusual compared to the previous Pixar movies. There's hardly any dialogue between the two protagonists other than saying each other's name. In fact, barely a word is spoken in the entire first half hour but WALL-E and Eve's silent and playful love story is such a joy to watch. Even though of few words, both characters have strong personalities and the character development is wonderfully done.
The animation is colourful and vivid. Sound effect is amazing. The robot characters are cute and charming. The score deserve special mention as it's mesmerizing and beautiful. Andrew Stanton has done a terrific job as director and co-writer. The portrayal of WALL-E's loneliness and need for love is very well done and then the change that is brought within after the entrance of Eve and his eventual determination to rescue her is effectively shown. There are many genuinely funny and creative moments and it manages to stay away from being 'just plain silly'. The story is rich with humour, action, drama and adventure.
Ben Burtt and Elissa Knight do a fabulous job with the voice acting for WALL-E and Eve. John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy and Sigourney Weaver lend great support. While 'WALL-E' tells a magnificent love story it reminds us that Earth is our home and nothing can replace it. It's a joyous magical experience and another sure winner from Pixar.
'WALL-E' is quite unusual compared to the previous Pixar movies. There's hardly any dialogue between the two protagonists other than saying each other's name. In fact, barely a word is spoken in the entire first half hour but WALL-E and Eve's silent and playful love story is such a joy to watch. Even though of few words, both characters have strong personalities and the character development is wonderfully done.
The animation is colourful and vivid. Sound effect is amazing. The robot characters are cute and charming. The score deserve special mention as it's mesmerizing and beautiful. Andrew Stanton has done a terrific job as director and co-writer. The portrayal of WALL-E's loneliness and need for love is very well done and then the change that is brought within after the entrance of Eve and his eventual determination to rescue her is effectively shown. There are many genuinely funny and creative moments and it manages to stay away from being 'just plain silly'. The story is rich with humour, action, drama and adventure.
Ben Burtt and Elissa Knight do a fabulous job with the voice acting for WALL-E and Eve. John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy and Sigourney Weaver lend great support. While 'WALL-E' tells a magnificent love story it reminds us that Earth is our home and nothing can replace it. It's a joyous magical experience and another sure winner from Pixar.
WALL-E: A Wonderful Achievement
Bumblebee_Man20 July 2008
When it comes to animated films, Pixar are masters of the craft. Ever since their feature film debut, the magnificent 'Toy Story', the animation studio have brought us such instant classics as 'Monsters Inc.', 'The Incredibles' and 'Finding Nemo', a film which remains as one of the biggest selling DVDs of all time. Surely it's about time that they delivered us a bad film? Well, sorry to disappoint, but Pixar's 'WALL-E' is among not only their greatest work, but among the greatest animations ever produced.
The film opens with some astonishing shots of a desolate, rubbish-laden, polluted Earth; a boldly dark opening for a family oriented feature. It is amidst these dystopian surroundings, however, that our hero - arguably more adorable than a basket full of puppies and kittens - is first introduced to us. WALL-E is a character of genius; combining elements of Johnny 5, Charlie Chaplin and Mr. Bean, Andrew Stanton (Director) and crew have created something that will no doubt go down in history with R2-D2 as one as the screen's most memorable machines.
It is the 22nd Century, and mankind have left Earth in giant Space Cruisers waiting for the surface of their planet to finally become habitable again. 700 years have past, and WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class), is the last of a group of robots left to clean up the planet. In a disturbing sequence, our hero ventures home through trash heaps laden with 'dead' WALL-E's... another sign that this is not the usually Pixar fare, but something more meaningful, more bold, more... adult in theme. And this is what the first act of the film is. WALL-E, accompanied by his pet cockroach (who, as a testament to Pixar's genius, we grow to care for just as much as the metal man himself), goes about his daily routine. It is in this mostly silent section of the film that we grow to love WALL-E. As he rumages through human garbage, finding interest in things that seem mundane to us, we discover that after all these years, this little robot has developed something that makes him seem more to us than an animated clunk of cogs and rust... a personality. His incredibly curious nature make for some of the most adorable moments depicted in film (including moments such as WALL-E meets car keys and WALL-E meets... bra). We delve further into this intriguing personality when we invited into the little guy's 'house', a storage space for all his collected junk. Whilst WALL-E watches a VCR of the musical 'Hello, Dolly!", we see from his large, emotional eyes and clasping hands that he is, heartbreakingly, all alone on this immense world.
Then, the following day, as WALL-E goes about his trash-cube-making business, something extraordinary, both to us and WALL-E, occurs. A space ship touches down on the surface, holding within it EVE, a futuristic, Ipod-resembling droid here to scout the earth for plant-life... and WALL-E's one true love (aww).
This love story eventually leaps from Earth into space and onto The Axiom, an immense Space Ship on which a large number of the American population - depicted as lazy, obese, consumerist slobs - go about the same mundane routine day in, day out. Message heavy, but never preachy. In the end, through WALL-E, everyone learns the true meanings of life: Love and the relationships with those around us. Oh, and to take care of the planet, of course.
Beautiful visuals, astonishing characterisation and a sequence with WALL-E and EVE floating through space that is more romantic than anything your likely to see this year, make 'WALL-E' an outstanding achievement that proudly stands among Pixar's finest work. WALL-E is a completely realised character, and one which I am sure we have not seen the last of. Although, some would argue, not as accessible as other films in the genre (some children may grow resteless during the film's earlier, dialogue-free sequences), 'WALL-E' will leave a lasting impression on cinema goers of all ages.
And that is the genius of Pixar. The only studio ever to create films that are, truly, 'for all the family'.
-Dan Henry, 20th July 2008
The film opens with some astonishing shots of a desolate, rubbish-laden, polluted Earth; a boldly dark opening for a family oriented feature. It is amidst these dystopian surroundings, however, that our hero - arguably more adorable than a basket full of puppies and kittens - is first introduced to us. WALL-E is a character of genius; combining elements of Johnny 5, Charlie Chaplin and Mr. Bean, Andrew Stanton (Director) and crew have created something that will no doubt go down in history with R2-D2 as one as the screen's most memorable machines.
It is the 22nd Century, and mankind have left Earth in giant Space Cruisers waiting for the surface of their planet to finally become habitable again. 700 years have past, and WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class), is the last of a group of robots left to clean up the planet. In a disturbing sequence, our hero ventures home through trash heaps laden with 'dead' WALL-E's... another sign that this is not the usually Pixar fare, but something more meaningful, more bold, more... adult in theme. And this is what the first act of the film is. WALL-E, accompanied by his pet cockroach (who, as a testament to Pixar's genius, we grow to care for just as much as the metal man himself), goes about his daily routine. It is in this mostly silent section of the film that we grow to love WALL-E. As he rumages through human garbage, finding interest in things that seem mundane to us, we discover that after all these years, this little robot has developed something that makes him seem more to us than an animated clunk of cogs and rust... a personality. His incredibly curious nature make for some of the most adorable moments depicted in film (including moments such as WALL-E meets car keys and WALL-E meets... bra). We delve further into this intriguing personality when we invited into the little guy's 'house', a storage space for all his collected junk. Whilst WALL-E watches a VCR of the musical 'Hello, Dolly!", we see from his large, emotional eyes and clasping hands that he is, heartbreakingly, all alone on this immense world.
Then, the following day, as WALL-E goes about his trash-cube-making business, something extraordinary, both to us and WALL-E, occurs. A space ship touches down on the surface, holding within it EVE, a futuristic, Ipod-resembling droid here to scout the earth for plant-life... and WALL-E's one true love (aww).
This love story eventually leaps from Earth into space and onto The Axiom, an immense Space Ship on which a large number of the American population - depicted as lazy, obese, consumerist slobs - go about the same mundane routine day in, day out. Message heavy, but never preachy. In the end, through WALL-E, everyone learns the true meanings of life: Love and the relationships with those around us. Oh, and to take care of the planet, of course.
Beautiful visuals, astonishing characterisation and a sequence with WALL-E and EVE floating through space that is more romantic than anything your likely to see this year, make 'WALL-E' an outstanding achievement that proudly stands among Pixar's finest work. WALL-E is a completely realised character, and one which I am sure we have not seen the last of. Although, some would argue, not as accessible as other films in the genre (some children may grow resteless during the film's earlier, dialogue-free sequences), 'WALL-E' will leave a lasting impression on cinema goers of all ages.
And that is the genius of Pixar. The only studio ever to create films that are, truly, 'for all the family'.
-Dan Henry, 20th July 2008
See also
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