WALL·E

From PASTO, COLOMBIA-Via: L. A. CA; CALI, COLOMBIA+ORLANDO, FL The ONLY Tony Kiss Castillo on FaceBook! ....................................

Shame on me for ignoring my own rule of thumb and slurping up so many of the gushing reviews for Wall-E. My expectation was somewhere around Pluto, but this only managed to take me to Saturn. Normally, Saturn would warrant a rave review, but not when a film falls somewhat short of that ever-so-high bar you've set for it! Don't get me wrong. Pixar has hit a home run with Wall-E. They just did not hit one out of the park, as so many others would have you believe.

The movie really does work on just about every imaginable level. The Pixar animation team most certainly outdid themselves, taking CGI to an impressive and breathtakingly realistic new level for 2008. Wall-E is, at times thought-provoking, ironic, laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, entertaining, and perhaps, somewhat romantic. Yes, all of this with a highly original story line and offbeat musical accompaniment. Those elements which are borrowed from other movies are at least incorporated with a fresh twist.

Wall-E most definitely has its shortcomings: A little over the top at times in the "Gee, aren't we just the cutest on screen Bots you've ever seen?" Department. There are also a couple occasions where the substitution of dialog for assorted sound effects becomes a bit tedious.

Fortunately, the movie is very low key as regards the results of long term ravaging of the environment, not at all in-your-face as so often is the case with movies made in the recent years. Taken as a whole, though, Wall-E deserves between 8 and 8 1/2*. In any case, please, simply put aside the reviews and just watch Wall-E, hopefully, leaving your expectations behind. You'll probably have a very enjoyable and entertaining 90 minutes.

8* STARS*...ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English or Español, are most welcome!