Pixar delivers with touching robot love story ‘WALL-E’
By Ben Saylor
Insights
Published July 9, 2008

The best movie of the summer (so far) doesn’t involve a guy in an armored suit, an old guy with a whip or even a tattoo-covered assassin. Instead, it’s got a little robot that collects trash.

The little robot is the title character of “WALL-E” (Waste Allocation Load Lifter – Earth Class). Left on Earth when the planet became too messy to manage, WALL-E spends his days compacting trash into cubes, which he stacks one on top of another in towering buildings of garbage. He also collects oddities (like utensils) that he stores in the makeshift home he shares with his only friend, an amusingly resilient cockroach. At night, he watches an old tape of “Hello, Dolly!” and one can see the longing for companionship in his expressive, binocular-shaped eyes.

WALL-E and EVE

WALL-E gets more than he bargained for when a giant spaceship deposits a sleek white robot called EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) in his neighborhood. For WALL-E, it’s love at first sight; for EVE, it’s blast this unknown entity with the laser attached to her arm. Gradually, however, the two robots form a bond, as unlikely as it sounds, one that extends across the stars once EVE’s mission becomes clear: Having found a sign of photosynthesis on Earth (in the form of a tiny plant discovered by WALL-E), she must return to the Axiom, a gigantic spaceship populated by giant human beings. These people have become so lazy they live in floating chairs and have robots cater to their every whim.

“WALL-E” is a fascinating and wholly unique entry into the Disney/Pixar catalogue for a few reasons. The first thing about this movie that surprised me is its audaciousness. Even setting aside making the main character a robot that doesn’t speak much English (his diverse sounds are created by veteran movie sound wiz Ben Burtt), the movie makes the bold step of having most of the first act focus on WALL-E and his solitary life on Earth. As has already been pointed out in plenty of reviews, the beginning of “WALL-E” is not unlike a silent film, and the physical comedy the filmmakers use in this portion of the film is nothing short of brilliant.

WALL-E collecting junk.

The film takes another risk when WALL-E and EVE arrive on the Axiom. Writer-director Andrew Stanton obviously wants to deliver a message about today’s ultra-consumerist culture; much of the spaceship is like a humungous shopping mall/luxury resort.

But for those who might decry Pixar’s inclusion of such criticisms, know that this portion of the movie never threatens to overwhelm the proceedings; at the end of the day, this is the story of WALL-E and EVE. Stanton also makes sure to give the movie an optimistic (but not overly so) ending.

As an adult, I really enjoyed this movie, and I bet most kids would too. After not making it through all of “Cars” and deciding that “Ratatouille” wasn’t nearly as good as I initially thought, “WALL-E” came as a breath of fresh air to me. In my book, it’s Pixar’s best work since “Finding Nemo.” (which, as it happens, was co-directed by Stanton)

On the Net:

• "WALL-E" official Web site at Disney.com
• Area showtimes for "WALL-E"