WALL-E

In trying to express my thoughts about WALL-E, I can’t help but think about watching Michael Jordan play basketball. In his prime, the question wasn’t whether or not The Chicago Bulls would win with him leading the way…the question was only how many would they win by? At the movies, the only equivalent to watching Michael Jordan dominate the rest of the class is Pixar Studios. Thirteen years…nine movies…all of them amazing…

…and WALL-E is their masterpiece.

WALL-E is a robot, specifically a Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth class. Our story begins in 2700, and our planet has become a mass of garbage and pollution from an age of mass consumption. Earth has become so bad in fact, that mankind can’t live here anymore. Instead, humans have taken refuge on a gigantic luxury cruise space craft. The clean-up has been entrusted to a fleet of WALL-E’s, but over time, the fleet has dwindled down to one – but a charming “one” indeed.

WALL-E is programmed to spend his days hydraulically crushing mankind’s garbage into cubes, and using those cubes to build brand new skyscrapers of waste. However, this particular WALL-E has grown curious about the items he’s disposing of, and as the old proverb goes, one man’s trash, is another robot’s treasure. Bit by bit, WALL-E adds to his prized collection…a spork here, a rubber duck there, all capped off by a working video copy of HELLO DOLLY. Life is simple, yet fulfilling. And then out of nowhere, company comes knocking.

“Company” in this case is a probe sent from the luxury liner – a research drone designed as an Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator (“EVE”). Sparked by what he’s seen in his favorite movie, WALL-E takes a shining to EVE, and actually develops feelings for her. He tries everything he can to impress her, including showing her every treasured thing he’s found. All of it is an attempt to fulfill his wildest romantic dream…to hold her hand. However, just when it all seems to be going so well, he shows her the prize find – a sprouting plant. This activates EVE’s prime directive – she takes the plant, shuts down, and waits.

Lonely and confused, WALL-E stays with the unresponsive EVE. Finally after a few days, her ship returns for her – but far be it from WALL-E to be left alone so easily. He stows away on her ship, following her with high hopes across the galaxy back to the luxury liner. There mankind has continued on the big box, high sloth, mass consumerism that destroyed the planet. Everyone is blissfully unaware that anything strange is going on. Meanwhile, as they bring the plant to its intended destination, WALL-E and EVE quickly discover that their find could change the entire course of life on the ship. For the lazy human passengers, for the dutiful robot crew, and even for the desolate planet that has been abandoned for centuries.

WALL-E spends very long stretches as a silent movie – one where there is precious little dialogue. WALL-E and EVE can say each other’s names, but that’s all. Instead, nervousness and whimsy are conveyed with their moves, chirps, and physical reactions – all of which are filled with enough heart and soul to make Charlie Chaplin proud. In the age of animated films being driven by celebrity voices, such a concept is revolutionary. It leads me to reflect on the film’s only flaw – that it’s intended audience (children) won’t fully appreciate it, and may bore by its subtlety.

The film builds, borrows, and believes in the greats. It has packed its 103 minutes with moments from classic musicals, sci-fi, fantasy, and action movies. It all reminds me of how WALL-E keeps himself up and running by keeping a steady supply of parts from those that went before him – and in both cases, it’s a brilliant idea.

Heightening the entire experience are the gorgeous visuals in the computer animation. Scene after scene dazzles with brightness and texture, especially the moments set in the junkyard that earth has become. While Pixar’s doughy humans will usually snap you back to the reality of the fact that you’re watching a movie, it’s easy to get lost in the moments that WALL-E spends sifting through his dump. The visuals are amazingly detailed, and might easily make many others momentarily forget that they are watching a cartoon.

Like a nothing-but-net shot from Air Jordan himself, WALL-E arrives in the middle of a disappointing summer to give us a moment of greatness. It tells a gentle fable about the dangers of environmental neglect and mass consumerism, all backed by a tender love story. In the past, Pixar has treated us to “The Cool” (INCREDIBLES, TOY STORY), “The Brave” (A BUG’S LIFE, FINDING NEMO),and “The Sweet” (RATATOUILLE, MONSTERS, INC). With WALL-E, they have found their way to putting everything they do well together, and finally attaining a moment of dominance and perfection.

Matineescore: ★ ★ ★ ★ out of ★ ★ ★ ★

What did you think? Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions on WALL-E.