“WALL-E” is a modern silent movie. It proves that we have not become dependent on language or wit to express our emotions; it can still be done through art, music and common affection. It knows that the essentials of comedy are nothing more than facial expressions and pure charm. “WALL-E” understands the beauty of innocence, the faults of humanity and the sheer joy of friendship and love, and it doesn’t have to say a word to prove it.
The movie does however have some dialogue (no point in repeating what Mel Brooks did), but I believe the message would be as strong without it. “WALL-E’s” title character is a lonely robot on the now uninhabitable Earth in the year 2815. 700 years prior, humans left Earth to live on a space station where everything is automatically provided for them, and all of mankind has become fat and lazy, as automated robots now hold them in blissful ignorance and control. But the sci-fi stuff isn’t why we came.
As WALL-E eternally picks up garbage, he’s developed a personality, which is pleasant in a way. Most stories that tinker with this lifelike robot concept eventually end in the robots rebelling, unless they become as depressed and as miserable as mankind like Marvin in “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” This is a delightful alternative, as WALL-E collects treasures he finds in the garbage or how he longs to hold another’s hand. After finding a plant growing on Earth, a pod named EVE soon comes to collect it. She enchants WALL-E, and the two become friends. The pair soon returns to the human mother ship, where the captain (Jeff Garlin) hopes to re-colonize the planet.
There’s so much to like about this movie. It’s charming, funny, heartwarming, and it does it all without wit or dialogue, and I think it is this fact that makes it accessible to anyone. Adults will be captivated by the animation alone, and kids will be able to enjoy every moment without having to hang onto every word.
I liked WALL-E’s character instantly. I was sold by his body language, how he sports those big and pouty, binocular eyes. He doesn’t have to win you over with R2-D2 bloops; he just does it through facial expressions, just as Charlie Chaplin would’ve done it. Kudos to the Pixar animators for capturing his emotional movements so well.
I also admired WALL-E’s curiosity. It’s this trait that spawns so many of the brilliant sight gags that could be hackneyed in the hands of the Kung-Fu Panda, but are adorable with this little robot. What’s most intriguing however is the story’s ability to create a similar curiosity amongst the audience, as they wonder what other treasures the future holds. The more we give in to that curiosity, the more we discover, and as a result, the more we are stunned.
But even curiosity can’t hold for a feature-length picture. The last step was WALL-E’s innocence on screen. He never gets angry, he’s never shy, he’s always friendly, and his constant joy is translated to the audience. We can smile as he scurries around space with a fire extinguisher or see our eyes light up when he reaches out for EVE’s hand.
WALL-E’s character is what made this movie good, its morals are what made it great, and the animation and soundtrack are the icing on the cake. WALL-E preaches the importance of an innocent form of love and friendship, a fact I’ve already made clear but am more than happy to reiterate. WALL-E and EVE’s relationship is one in a million, and I don’t think there is a soul on Earth that wouldn’t be touched by it.
Likewise, the movie has an intriguing message about society that makes for a terrific sci-fi. In Pixar’s future, humans have become entirely out of shape, lazy, and blind to the world because all of the insignificant trivialities that occupy our time today have become even more readily available. They’ve forgotten all the carefree joys that make life worth living, destined to become no more than robots themselves. One of the automated robots says at one point, “If we remain here we will survive,” to which the captain responds, “I don’t want to survive. I want to live!” Pixar has answered a secret to life right here, but how do you prevent others from wasting their lives? Pixar has answered that too; “WALL-E” simply reaches out to someone. “Kung-Fu Panda’s” morals of believing in yourself is kid’s stuff. No adult needs to hear that again, but “WALL-E’s” message is something everyone can learn from.
Pixar has created a masterpiece in character, story, and ethics, and we already knew they were masters of animation and music, but here they’ve outdone themselves. The landscapes are enchanting, the soundtrack is mesmerizing (a guaranteed place-holder for the action), and it all does so much for this movie. I can only hope it would be as good without it, but this luxury will ensure that “WALL-E” will age appropriately, so that even in WALL-E’s day of 2815, people can still appreciate it for all its splendor.
4 stars
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