Wall-E

It seems that with every new release from Pixar, critics hail a new breakthrough in the world of animated features. Pixar’s can be called “entertaining” in the least, and in many cases they are truly something special. But from time to time, the endless admiration can be a bit much. This time around, the praise is completely justified. WALL-E, the story of a brave little robot with a little more personality than intended, is nothing short of a masterpiece. Showing a remarkable display of risk and bravery for a company sitting on top of the world, director Andrew Stanton and the folks at Pixar have ultimately crafted a simple moralistic tale that at its core is one of the most touching love stories seen in years.

Over 700 years from now, mankind has so trashed the Earth that they have left. A small envoy of robots was left behind to clean up and purify the planet while humans are gone. Those robots have all shut down – all save one. Wall-E continues his task day after day, stacking piles of compacted garbage that stretch higher than skyscrapers. And aside from a friendly cockroach and an old VHS copy of his favorite movie, he spends his days in isolation. That is until an aggressive probe robot named EVE (no doubt the newest Apple product) lands on Earth and Wall-E is smitten at first sight. He follows EVE back to the enormous ship holding the rest of mankind to fulfill his quest for love. And in the meantime, he may just save the world.

The film takes a page from the beginning of cinema, emphasizing its visuals over any kind of dialogue. While Wall-E and EVE are constantly making sounds, few words are ever shaped. And the film is all the better for it; the bleeps and squeaks become far more endearing than if Wall-E actually spoke. Extended coherent dialogue isn’t even introduced until well into the film when the humans actually appear, and everything that comes before it is sheer genius. Wall-E wheels across the deserted planet with his cockroach friend and with a single raise of the eyes, we know everything about him. His romance with EVE is the purest film romance since Charlie Chaplin gazed at the blind girl in CITY LIGHTS. The climax of the film (an emotional climax, rather than action-oriented) rightfully deserved such lofty comparisons. Filled with enough honesty and genuine feeling to melt even the hardest of hearts and draw tears from anyone, the filmmakers have accomplished something extraordinary; they’ve made the world fall in love with two of HAL’s cousins.

Not that there aren’t robots closer to our favorite red-eyed villainous PC to be found. The ship’s autopilot is basically HAL 2.0, complete with monotonous voice and unblinking red beam. But instead of being a rip-off, the grandfather of all sci-fis is lovingly paid homage throughout the film, including snippets of the Blue Danube and Also Spach Zarathustra in the soundtrack. But even a menacingly distant autopilot computer cannot be adequately described as a villain, nor can any of the other characters in the film. Like the beloved Wall-E and EVE, everyone has a flaw. From the endearing personality flaws of the main characters to the passivity of the humans to the relentless loyalty of the film’s supposed villains. This is another brave step; though the film is set far in the future, Stanton has crafted a story much more realistic than most narratives. Add in a surprising amount of social commentary (including a shocking inclusion of today’s “stay the course” mantra) and the filmmakers must be saluted for their achievement. Yes, there are environment and anti-corporation themes, but that doesn't make the film political at all. It's a love story, first and foremost.

Rather than churning out an easy fluff exercise, Pixar has made something truly special. Risking a lot in telling a story about a robot who cannot speak and setting it in a serious-minded dystopian future isn’t exactly the key to success in a G-rated family film. But WALL-E is a film that should be ranked alongside SNOW WHITE, FANTASIA, THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and TOY STORY as a milestone in animation storytelling. And more than that, it deserves to be included among all the other love stories that will last forever.

****/****