David O'ConnellWALL-E
October 13th 2008 04:13
An energetic adventure and moving love story about animated robots - it sounds like a concept doomed for disaster, but in the expert hands of the Pixar animation studio this endearing feature has legitimate claims to becoming a film regarded, in future, as a classic of the art form.
Directed by Andrew Stanton, the man responsible for A Bug’s Life and Finding Nemo, WALL-E is the beautifully told story of a lone robot, still forlornly dedicated to his duties on the long forsaken planet Earth, all human life having dispersed hundreds of years ago to the far reaches of space.
WALL-E is a robotic trash compacter endowed with human personality traits, his only companion a loyal cockroach as he performs his pointless tasks, collecting odd bits of interesting junk for his home like a true hoarder, whilst replaying moments from a video of Hello Dolly which fascinate him.
His solitary existence is interrupted by the appearance of a robot probe, EVE, who he’s instantaneously infatuated with, following her around as she performs her own strange, inscrutable tasks.
They soon form a tentative friendship - WALL-E transformed into a charming but blundering love-struck klutz - which is threatened when he offers her his latest find, a single plant discovered amongst the wasteland's junkheaps. EVE goes into shutdown, and when her mothership returns to retrieve her, WALL-E grabs hold and goes along for the ride.
He soon discovers that the ship, the Axiom, contains the overweight ancestral remnants of the human race, whose automated, unhealthy lifestyle has seen them deteriorate through many generations. The humans are cleverly sketched, droll creations, especially their clueless but amiable Captain (Jeff Garlin).
The action is ramped up to occasionally frenetic levels inside the ship as WALL-E tries to track EVE’s path, encountering all sorts of obstacles along the way.
Their unique and instantly likeable identities are one of the film’s strongest features; we genuinely care about their fate and even though it seems inevitable how things will turn out, there’s a lot of fun to be had in the journey before they get there.
The film is a testament to the sparkling imaginations of its creators, screenwriters Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, who even forgo traditional dialogue in the film’s first act, relying on the intrigue of the set-up and the ingenuity of their loveable robotic star.
Thomas Newman’s captivating score is perfect in supporting the gloriously rendered visuals, with a magical sense of wonder and adventure evoked; he proves, as he did with Finding Nemo, his ability to transcend traditional drama in creating diverse musical accompaniment.
With its irresistable characterizations, engaging narrative and gentle environmental cautions, WALL-E ticks all the right boxes, faithfully adhering to the magical formula of Pixar's storytelling strengths. The end result is yet another of their memorable, fully-formed creations which is set to leave an everlasting mark on the history of animated filmmaking.
Directed by Andrew Stanton, the man responsible for A Bug’s Life and Finding Nemo, WALL-E is the beautifully told story of a lone robot, still forlornly dedicated to his duties on the long forsaken planet Earth, all human life having dispersed hundreds of years ago to the far reaches of space.
WALL-E is a robotic trash compacter endowed with human personality traits, his only companion a loyal cockroach as he performs his pointless tasks, collecting odd bits of interesting junk for his home like a true hoarder, whilst replaying moments from a video of Hello Dolly which fascinate him.
His solitary existence is interrupted by the appearance of a robot probe, EVE, who he’s instantaneously infatuated with, following her around as she performs her own strange, inscrutable tasks.
WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth class) grabs a ride on the Axiom!
They soon form a tentative friendship - WALL-E transformed into a charming but blundering love-struck klutz - which is threatened when he offers her his latest find, a single plant discovered amongst the wasteland's junkheaps. EVE goes into shutdown, and when her mothership returns to retrieve her, WALL-E grabs hold and goes along for the ride.
He soon discovers that the ship, the Axiom, contains the overweight ancestral remnants of the human race, whose automated, unhealthy lifestyle has seen them deteriorate through many generations. The humans are cleverly sketched, droll creations, especially their clueless but amiable Captain (Jeff Garlin).
EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator)
The action is ramped up to occasionally frenetic levels inside the ship as WALL-E tries to track EVE’s path, encountering all sorts of obstacles along the way.
Their unique and instantly likeable identities are one of the film’s strongest features; we genuinely care about their fate and even though it seems inevitable how things will turn out, there’s a lot of fun to be had in the journey before they get there.
The film is a testament to the sparkling imaginations of its creators, screenwriters Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, who even forgo traditional dialogue in the film’s first act, relying on the intrigue of the set-up and the ingenuity of their loveable robotic star.
EVE and the Axiom's startled Captain
Thomas Newman’s captivating score is perfect in supporting the gloriously rendered visuals, with a magical sense of wonder and adventure evoked; he proves, as he did with Finding Nemo, his ability to transcend traditional drama in creating diverse musical accompaniment.
With its irresistable characterizations, engaging narrative and gentle environmental cautions, WALL-E ticks all the right boxes, faithfully adhering to the magical formula of Pixar's storytelling strengths. The end result is yet another of their memorable, fully-formed creations which is set to leave an everlasting mark on the history of animated filmmaking.
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Comment by David O'Connell
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Hey Lilla,
Even wholemeal? (;
WALL-E is pretty special, that's for sure!
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Comment by Bryn
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This is a brilliant movie.
A masterpiece of animation and storytelling.
Thomas Newman's sublime score.
Ben Burtt's amazing sounds.
Check a review I wrote HERE if you're interested.
Comment by David O'Connell
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Screen Fanatic
Pixar can truly do no wrong. I loved Ratatouille last year, but they've surpassed even that with WALL-E, it's a classic for the ages.
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Comment by Bryn
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