Wall-E

Pixar has only released nine movies up to date (some being Toy Story, Monster's Inc. and Finding Nemo) yet all of them have touched the hearts of millions - including me. Wall-E was no different. It may even be one of the best I've seen by Pixar.

It's the 22nd century and Earth is so over-run by un-recycled waste that the planet can no longer support life. Buy 'N Large - the magacorporation of every economic service and government on the planet - creates an exodus to outer space on the starship Axiom. While humanity is continuing to live life outside Earth, thousands of WALL-E's (Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth-Class) are left behind to clean up the mess.

However, 700 years later life isn't back and only one WALL-E is left - our friendly protagonist. He spends his days - after charging his battery in the sun - scooping up trash, making it into neatly compacted squares and piles them on top of one another creating skyscrapers. Among the trash he finds treasure, collecting them in a cooler he carries with him. Items that he finds among the waste are spare parts for himself, light bulbs, lighters, a Rubix cube, a spork etc. The spork is one of my favorites. At night, upon return to his storage area decked out with Christmas lights, he places his new found treasures with the rest. Already there is a cup for spoons and forks. He tries fitting the spork into a category yet can't, so he sets it in the middle. The cuteness of that act made me smile. (Also the finding of a bra which he places over his eyes and goes 'wow'). He frequently watches a videotape of the 1969 movie Hello, Dolly!, especially the performances of "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes a Moment". The movie teaches him emotions - such as care which he has for a cockroach that lives with him - and the act of holding hands which becomes his motive.

The next day his daily routine is shattered upon the arrival of a spotless and new spaceship. EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) is then dropped off. WALL-E falls in love with her at first sight, but she doesn't bother with him because he's not her directive - which is to find life. However, after he follows her around for a few days (and makes a sculptor of her) she becomes interested in his behavior. Bringing her back to his 'home', WALL-E shows EVE his findings. Among these are a plant which he replanted in a boot. EVE scans the plant, realizes it's life and stores it inside herself before deactivating. Not knowing what just happened, WALL-E is devastated and goes to great lengths to protect her - keeping her dry in the rain and covering her up in the cold - before she is retrieved by the ship that dropped her off. Distraught, WALL-E clings to the outer hull as it departs into the depths of space back to the Axiom.

This is the first time we hear human voices in the movie, about a third way through. We meet people who get around the Axiom by hover chairs and have robots doing their very will. Due to this, and low gravity causing bone loss, they've gain a considerable amount of weight making it impossible for them to get around without the chairs.

EVE tries to complete her directive with the new found life by getting it to the captain, yet problems arise (which I'm going to leave for those who want to see it).

The movie is colorful, yet not over-done. At times I forgot I was watching an animated film. The animators did such a good job making WALL-E, EVE and all other robots so real. (Pixar also did something they've never done before, too - use a real person/actor within the movie.) They had human emotions and actions, even their movements. Such movements like when WALL-E showed EVE a part from Hello, Dolly! where they were dancing. He picked up a metal lid, used it as a hat to copy the actors, and danced around while singing the tune to the song playing. Even though WALL-E is a hunk of rusted metal I felt a deep affection toward him - it was a little hard not to with all the personality the little robot had.

With most of the movie having limited dialogue it easily crossed language barriers, which is all the better, since the social commentary is something we all need to know: the planet just needs a little care to keep it healthy.

I recommend for everyone to see this. There were times when I couldn't keep in the "aww" and times where I was almost in tears. I'm a horror and action movie fan yet I loved this dearly. I love all Pixar movies, but WALL-E is one of the best. I have seen this movie twice this month, and don't regret spending the money.