Wall-E (2008)

Over the past thirteen years, the powerhouse duo of Disney and Pixar Studios has brought us nine feature-length animated films, from Toy Story to Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo to its latest project, WALL-E. Each having their own unique characters and plot, every one of these films has scored big at the box office, hitting instant popularity with adults and children alike. WALL-E is no different.

The film opens on a desolate Earth. Smog covers the sky, the ground is a crust of dirt and rock, completely devoid of grass or flower, and there’s not a being in sight, save one corroded and nearly broken down robot. Our titular hero’s primary objective is simply to clean… To clean and compact the mountains of rubbish left behind by the humans who abandoned the planet over 700 years before. Day in and day out, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class; the last one of his kind) performs this duty faithfully, seemingly unaware that there’s anything else out there for him. His sole companion is a cockroach who follows his every move. When the sun goes down, WALL-E retreats to his makeshift home, where every shelf is covered with knickknacks, sundries, and oddments that he picked up while performing his daily job. Rubber duckies, lighters, plastic silverware, spare parts, bobbleheads… WALL-E takes an interest in all, knowing that he could full-well have use for them in the future. For WALL-E, daily life is quiet and predictable.

This, however, is all about to change. While he is out cleaning and compressing one day, ever-curious WALL-E follows a laser beam to the spot where a spaceship is in the process of landing. Frightened, he hides until he sees a sleek and beautiful she-bot emerge. Although she is a little rough around the edges, blasting away at anything that moves, the lovely EVE proves that there’s more to her than meets the eye – Or the lens, in WALL-E’s case. Inevitably, WALL-E soon finds himself falling in love. This is where the film gets interesting, as the viewer observes EVE searching for something, (her “directive,” she says) although we have no idea what that might be until she eventually finds it.

WALL-E follows EVE back to the massive and lavish Axiom ship, quickly discovering where all of the humans escaped off to when they left Earth. The Axiom is practically a planet of its own, equipped with everything necessary to make life aboard as easy as possible for its inhabitants. And it shows. Every human onboard is grotesquely obese, almost blobs in a sense, and seem to have no interest in doing anything remotely physically demanding. They float around in hovering chairs, talking on their screen- phones and drinking their food out of a straw. The humans have robots to perform their every duty, whether that be pouring their coffee, brushing their teeth, or even piloting the Axiom (which we soon come to find may not have been the best idea).

In short, the rest of the film centers around WALL-E, EVE, and a few of their discarded robot companions striving to fight against some rogue robots, in hopes of saving a small plant: their only chance of returning to Earth and consequently restoring it.

WALL-E is much more than a simple animated children’s film – It’s a social commentary. An Inconvenient Truth, Happy Feet, Soylent Green… The concept of environmentalism is one that film has never been devoid of, yet WALL-E embraces this theme in a simple and invigorating manner. After leaving the theatre, I was pumped to do my part and help revive the planet, and in the progress save our environment from what it will undoubtedly become if we continue to ignore the pressing need for action.  Furthermore, the state of the humans aboard the Axiom was a glance at one of the possibilities of what we could be like in the future if this combination of technology and human laziness continues to advance at its current rate.

Although, admittedly, this message may have been missed by younger viewers, it is obvious that WALL-E is a film for them children and adults alike to enjoy. The undeniable adorableness that the characters emit is enough to make anyone chuckle and think “aww” as WALL-E and Co. commence their adventure of a lifetime. Conversely, I had tears in my eyes near the end of the film as EVE desperately tries to make WALL-E remember her.

The characters are so vibrant that dialogue seems superfluous and unnecessary. Their every movement and expression exudes emotion. Although they are naught but animated robots, WALL-E and EVE possess a chemistry that even live-action actors sometimes lack. Still, the few voices present were notable, including those of John Ratzenberger (who has had a cameo in every Disney/Pixar film to date), Kathy Najimy, and Sigourney Weaver (no doubt an allusion to her Alien days).

The computer animation of the film was breathtaking. I refuse to admit that the shivers running down my spine during the space sequences were merely due to my inclination for Disney films. The picturesque quality of an endless stretch of space glittered with brilliant stars is enough to make anyone forget reality. One thing I found particularly interesting was the incorporation of live-action footage. This rarely seems to work well with animated features, but it was quite convincing here.

I also loved the intertwining of the music from Hello, Dolly (the song “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” in particular, which soon becomes WALL-E’s theme). Apparently WALL-E has a soft spot for this musical, as it is one of the things he first shows EVE upon meeting her, the songs are recorded to his being, and he seems to watch it every day upon returning from work. This “recycling” of music, as it were, actually worked quite well, adding a bouncy soundtrack to the film which ties it all together.

WALL-E was definitely the best film of 2008 I have seen thus far. It incorporates just the right amount of cuteness, moral, and mystery, creating an intriguing storyline complete with an astounding backdrop of space, multidimensional characters (in more ways than one), and just enough emotion to make the film one that the viewer won’t soon forget.