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!
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A timeless masterpiece
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!"
WALL-E Brings Pathos to Computer Animation
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.