To point out that Pixar’s latest
sure-to-be-blockbuster, Wall-E, will likely be one of the best
films of 2008 is just redundant: Pixar, with stuff like The
Incredibles and Ratatouille, has made it a habit to make
consistently great films. But another fact—that Wall-E won’t only be one of the best films of the year, but that it’ll also
likely become one of the best science-fiction films ever
made—well, that’s a bit more unexpected, and a bit trickier to
prove.
Making things even trickier is that I don’t want to give much away:
I could lay all of Wall-E out, plot point by plot point; I could
describe each of the film’s astonishing vistas; I could delve into its
brilliantly conceived, densely packed imagery; I could attest to how
emotionally and intellectually engaging it is, from its haunting,
melancholic opening to its end credits. I could bring up how
unconventional the film is (its stars are robots, and there’s a good
half-hour before anything even vaguely resembling spoken dialogue
appears), or I could point out that, of all the major Hollywood
releases I’ve seen, I can think of few that trump Wall-E for
sheer audacity.
But that’s all too broad, so I’ll narrow it down. In the future,
Earth’s a wasteland: deserted cities lie buried underneath mountains of
garbage; what little water there is left is dark and gloppy; and harsh,
orange light trickles through a clogged atmosphere. Even from
orbit—where we’ve even left junk on the moon, and a dense cloud
of abandoned satellites jostle against each other—the stain left
by humanity isn’t fading anytime soon. All the same, Wall-E—a
clunky, charming trash compactor on wheels—has been programmed to
clean. Packing up humanity’s refuse, Wall-E toils under vivid,
still-bright billboards (“Buy ‘n’ Large: Everything You Need to be
Happy!”), and, as he trundles about, compacting trash and collecting
knickknacks like battered hubcaps and scraps of bubble wrap, he has
only a tenacious cockroach as a companion. From the first moment he
appears, Wall-E is instantly identifiable and loveable (not for
nothing, one suspects, does his appearance recall that of Spielberg’s
E.T.), so we can’t help but share in his excitement and fear when Eve,
a shiny, mysterious robot, gracefully swoops in from space. When she
leaves Earth, our smitten hero tags along, and there he
finds—
See, and here’s where I can’t even do it justice, ’cause here’s
where Wall-E really cuts loose, getting even smarter and more
engaging as its scope becomes both epically grand and heartbreakingly
intimate. Along the way there’s a genuinely great love story, stunning
production design, amazing sound work, and visuals that’re nothing less
than astonishing (with good cause, too: Coen Brothers cinematographer
Roger Deakins and Industrial Light and Magic’s Dennis Muren serve as
the film’s visual consultants).
Wall-E is at once massive in scope and fantastically simple;
it’s a grand adventure story that also has something to say. (And what
it says is something that most American audiences in suburban
multiplexes will neither expect nor, likely, be all that fond of.)
Science fiction can do this, every once in a while, when it’s not mired
in staid genre conventions or content to be pulpy camp: It can
captivate, and astonish, and say things no other genre can.
Wall-E is a tremendous amount of fun—like most great
films, it is, at its core, simply a delight to experience—but
it’s also important, and beautiful, and sad. It’s a movie made by
computers, and set in the far future, and about two robots—and
yet, sometimes cruelly, sometimes sweetly, but always with grace and
wit, it shows us who we are and what we can be.
You say every robot movie is the “best ever.”
Remember your 1986 review of Short Circuit?
“Five Oscars for Johnny 5! Steve Guttenberg is sensational, a LITERAL laugh riot!” – Erik Henriksen
Steve Guttenberg is sensational!
I stand by that.
Based on this review, I expect Wall-E to change my life. If it doesn’t, I’m coming for you Henriksen!
I’m super excited to see it, although the two examples of Pixar movies you use as being sensational were the ones I liked the least. Hmmm. Excited anyway!
I saw it tonight and it was phenomenal. Their ability to convey such an array or emotions out of such a bleak and cold subject is astounding. Definitely in the running for best Pixar movie yet.
The opening short is fantastic too; a damn funny cartoon.
No way, Renée! I swear on my mother’s grave (or I would, if she was dead) that Ratatouille and The Incredibles are, after Wall-E, the best films Pixar’s done so far. But they’re also the least like Pixar’s earlier stuff, so I can see why you might like them less if you’re more into the lighter, Toy Story/Monsters, Inc. side of things. Wall-E is also way darker than I expected, and–though kids will dig it–seems made for an entirely different audience. It’s gonna be interesting to see how people react to this one, especially if they’re fans of Pixar’s early stuff.
Also, jesus, I hope Patrick likes the movie. I mean, I hope everybody likes the movie, but I really don’t want Patrick coming after me. His creepy mask creeps me out.
So I’m the only one that is significantly bummed out that Wall-E looks a hell of a lot like Johnny Five?
I loved WallE. It may have been because I was extremely sleep deprived & overheated, but I kept tearing up every ten minutes. It was an absolutely breathtaking space opera in which ‘humanity’ was constantly lost, found, and redefined. And gorgeous, too — I schlepped all the way to Clackamas Town Center to see it and it was a fantastic decision, because DLP is the way to go with a movie like this.
P.s. Why can’t I just ‘post comment’? What’s up with this ‘preview’ stuff?
The “humanity is destroying the planet” theme is getting a little tired. I am Legend, Omega Man, Mad Max, A Boy and His Dog, and (seemingly most similar to Wall-E) Soylent Green.
Dystopian future meets 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Wall-E wasn’t a bad movie, but my 4 year old was bored at the halfway mark. I thought the finale was kind of cheezy and had a very hurried feel to it.
“The “humanity is destroying the planet” theme is getting a little tired”
I don’t think so in the least. Besides, all those movies you just listed are great.
true true…simply an amazing movie…my 4-yr-old daughter loved it! and so did i.
I thought the humanity is destroying the planet theme was done in a completely original way, both with the use of humor and with the explicit manifestation of modern American values as opposed to the rather cliche “unexplained apocolyptic wasteland” seen in most of the films mentioned by Bruce above.. It did feel a little rushed, but I was happy for that because computer animation still makes me a little naseus in a rollercoaster sort of way and I wouldn’t have wanted to subject myself to more of it. Definitely the most interesting piece of cinema that Pixar has yet made (in my book). Bring those tissues if your a sentimental sort.
Ah Erik why do I feel like you’re writing me off to the fluff side of Pixar?!
I think Pixar succeeds particularly well in their cultivation of the *dark side*.
I don’t believe that Toy Story with it’s deranged neighbor exhibiting extreme sociopathic tendancies was a light movie. That said, I recognize the representation of oppression and discrimination against a specific groups of humanity in The Incredibles resonates more immediately and obviously.
However, I contrast the two movies as more of microcosm versus macrocosm representations.
I believe Pixar chooses very smart themes. I just thought that as whole productions The Incredibles and Ratatouille were far less engaging.
I want to get excited…but there’s no dialogue, right? He just beeps. And the guy who does the beeps is the same guy who “voiced” R2D2! That does NOT sound like a good two hours.