"WALL-E" represents the perfect mix between innovation and tradition. Pixar, the supreme leader in computer animation, has conceived a feature film which expands animation to a technical level which had never been reached before while treating it with very simple narrative concepts, which we could recall from old silent movies from the era of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
The director of "WALL-E", Andrew Stanton, treats his movie as a huge tribute to science fiction, by inserting many different themes and concepts, such as robotics, interstellar travel, the apocalyptic concept of a desert Earth, mega-corporations and space colonization.
"WALL-E" is a family movie, but that doesn't necessarily mean that audiences have to content themselves with simple themes and ideas. And it's fine. But the fact that the movie works so well is intrinsically linked to the genius of Pixar's screenwriters. Those guys have effectively created a complex story with an extremely simple narrative structure.
The story opens around year 2800. The first shot opens on a spatial background with planets and galaxies and the camera then moves to reveal the Earth. But is that really the Earth? A first look seems to show our planet enveloped in a yellowish atmosphere, contrasting with the ocean blue to which we're so accustomed. When the camera then zooms upon the Earth, our initial fears are confirmed: the whole planet is a huge desert, complete with totally empty cities and huge towers of garbage compacted in cubes. That sight fills the entire landscape.
Those garbage towers are the work of WALL-E, the hero of the movie. For the last 700 years, his workdays are exactly the same: he picks up the garbage he finds (and he's far from lacking of work on that level), transforms it in huge cubes and organizes them in towers. But he keeps in his shelter a few objects which catch his attention and which he doesn't dare to sacrifice.
And then one day, a huge rocket arrives from the sky. From it appears EVE, a female robot whose primary function is to inspect the Earth in order to determine if it can sustain life once again. The timid WALL-E makes contact with EVE and shows her his artifacts, among them is a small plant, an ordinary discovery for WALL-E, but a rather significant one for EVE.
In less time that it takes to say it, the two robots find themselves aboard the giant spaceship Axiom, where human beings, now ridiculously obese, gelatinous and lazy, live in an Utopian lifestyle, courtesy of the Buy 'n Large mega-corporation.
WALL-E and EVE live an extraordinary and thrilling adventure during which they will fall in love. Yes, you read that well. Not only do the robots in this movie have a well-defined gender, they are also able to express emotions as strong as love.
Even if some of the robots in this movie have a language and a vocabulary as developed as humans, most of them communicate with only a few words, often pronounced in a slow and detached way. WALL-E, for example, reminded me of R2-D2, since he primarily communicates and expresses himself with electronic sounds rather than with syllables. And I think it's way better that way, because it makes him more innocent, more charming and more attractive than if he'd expressed himself with more words.
The way that these robots express their state of mind lies mostly in specific movements, body language and facial expressions. For example, when WALL-E curls up his mechanical limbs towards his body while lowering his tremendous "eyes" (actually cameras), you don't need words to explain what he's feeling. That's the same situation for EVE. She has some kind of video screen instead of a face, where luminous blue spots light up to simulate eyes. When those blue spots are arranged in her face in such or such pattern, a very precise feeling is expressed.
What a fusion! I had never seen such a convincing mix of technology and emotion in a film before. Even in "A.I.", where a robot designed to look like a boy is programmed to express love.
This masterstroke is due to the animators at Pixar, who clearly demonstrates once again who is the master in the domain of computer animation. Not only character animation is exceptional, but the presentation of an apocalyptic desert world is also breathtaking. The realism of the opening scenes is mystifying for an animated movie. There are some moments in which you could forget that you're watching an animated film.
"WALL-E" is an excellent science fiction movie, but it's also an excellent tribute to science fiction movies. Andrew Stanton has inserted in his film a lot of references to pictures such as "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Star Wars", "Blade Runner", "Idiocracy" and "I Am Legend". And in the great tradition of Disney movies, important life lessons are learned in "WALL-E", and their importance is as capital as it can be, considering the state of the Earth after humans have decided that it was easier for them to forget those precious life lessons.
However, I found very ironic the fact that a Disney picture would carry a message against mega-corporations and against the concept of brand loyalty.
Overall, "WALL-E" is an absolutely extraordinary movie. Fans of animation and science fiction will surely appreciate it for its technical and narrative qualities, but families and kids will definitely fall under the charm of those two robots and their heart-melting love story. A must-see!
The director of "WALL-E", Andrew Stanton, treats his movie as a huge tribute to science fiction, by inserting many different themes and concepts, such as robotics, interstellar travel, the apocalyptic concept of a desert Earth, mega-corporations and space colonization.
"WALL-E" is a family movie, but that doesn't necessarily mean that audiences have to content themselves with simple themes and ideas. And it's fine. But the fact that the movie works so well is intrinsically linked to the genius of Pixar's screenwriters. Those guys have effectively created a complex story with an extremely simple narrative structure.
The story opens around year 2800. The first shot opens on a spatial background with planets and galaxies and the camera then moves to reveal the Earth. But is that really the Earth? A first look seems to show our planet enveloped in a yellowish atmosphere, contrasting with the ocean blue to which we're so accustomed. When the camera then zooms upon the Earth, our initial fears are confirmed: the whole planet is a huge desert, complete with totally empty cities and huge towers of garbage compacted in cubes. That sight fills the entire landscape.
Those garbage towers are the work of WALL-E, the hero of the movie. For the last 700 years, his workdays are exactly the same: he picks up the garbage he finds (and he's far from lacking of work on that level), transforms it in huge cubes and organizes them in towers. But he keeps in his shelter a few objects which catch his attention and which he doesn't dare to sacrifice.
And then one day, a huge rocket arrives from the sky. From it appears EVE, a female robot whose primary function is to inspect the Earth in order to determine if it can sustain life once again. The timid WALL-E makes contact with EVE and shows her his artifacts, among them is a small plant, an ordinary discovery for WALL-E, but a rather significant one for EVE.
In less time that it takes to say it, the two robots find themselves aboard the giant spaceship Axiom, where human beings, now ridiculously obese, gelatinous and lazy, live in an Utopian lifestyle, courtesy of the Buy 'n Large mega-corporation.
WALL-E and EVE live an extraordinary and thrilling adventure during which they will fall in love. Yes, you read that well. Not only do the robots in this movie have a well-defined gender, they are also able to express emotions as strong as love.
Even if some of the robots in this movie have a language and a vocabulary as developed as humans, most of them communicate with only a few words, often pronounced in a slow and detached way. WALL-E, for example, reminded me of R2-D2, since he primarily communicates and expresses himself with electronic sounds rather than with syllables. And I think it's way better that way, because it makes him more innocent, more charming and more attractive than if he'd expressed himself with more words.
The way that these robots express their state of mind lies mostly in specific movements, body language and facial expressions. For example, when WALL-E curls up his mechanical limbs towards his body while lowering his tremendous "eyes" (actually cameras), you don't need words to explain what he's feeling. That's the same situation for EVE. She has some kind of video screen instead of a face, where luminous blue spots light up to simulate eyes. When those blue spots are arranged in her face in such or such pattern, a very precise feeling is expressed.
What a fusion! I had never seen such a convincing mix of technology and emotion in a film before. Even in "A.I.", where a robot designed to look like a boy is programmed to express love.
This masterstroke is due to the animators at Pixar, who clearly demonstrates once again who is the master in the domain of computer animation. Not only character animation is exceptional, but the presentation of an apocalyptic desert world is also breathtaking. The realism of the opening scenes is mystifying for an animated movie. There are some moments in which you could forget that you're watching an animated film.
"WALL-E" is an excellent science fiction movie, but it's also an excellent tribute to science fiction movies. Andrew Stanton has inserted in his film a lot of references to pictures such as "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Star Wars", "Blade Runner", "Idiocracy" and "I Am Legend". And in the great tradition of Disney movies, important life lessons are learned in "WALL-E", and their importance is as capital as it can be, considering the state of the Earth after humans have decided that it was easier for them to forget those precious life lessons.
However, I found very ironic the fact that a Disney picture would carry a message against mega-corporations and against the concept of brand loyalty.
Overall, "WALL-E" is an absolutely extraordinary movie. Fans of animation and science fiction will surely appreciate it for its technical and narrative qualities, but families and kids will definitely fall under the charm of those two robots and their heart-melting love story. A must-see!
