WALL·E (2008)

This movie isn't just the best kids' animations ever made; it is one of the best movies ever made.


WALL-E is a small waste-collecting robot left behind on Earth by humans to clean up the planet. People fled Earth due to the overwhelming amount of trash they had produced. While Pixar envisions a future more bleak than Blade Runner, they still manage to spin it into a heartwarming, kid-friendly tale of how technology will somehow save us all from ourselves.

Though WALL-E is a robot and therefore not designed to have a personality, he has spent seven hundred years alone, clearing enormous piles of garbage. He is apparently the only operational robot left on Earth, and in fact, there isn't much alive on Earth either; his sole companion is a cockroach. Forced to perform self-repairs, he cannibalizes other robots. Over time, and through these self-repairs, WALL-E has developed a personality.

What struck me most about the film was how expressive and captivating WALL-E is as a character. This is all established within the first 20 minutes, a period utterly devoid of dialogue. We see only a robot, a cockroach, and mountains of trash, yet WALL-E rapidly becomes one of the most heartwarming characters of all time.

The story takes a turn when WALL-E unintentionally embarks on a space journey, falls in love, and changes the course of human history.

This children's comedy does not shy away from illustrating our capacity to exhaust the Earth's limited resources, create mountains of landfill without sufficient recycling, and increasingly impact the Earth's weather patterns detrimentally. The unhealthy choices we make regarding food and exercise, and the increasingly sophisticated tools we use to simplify our lives are making humanity progressively obese and less able to survive in the wild.

The film also does not sugarcoat corporate behavior. It showcases the corporate tendency to ignore problems, attempting to fix them too late, or simply deciding to avoid them altogether. The mega corporations end up issuing a directive for all ships to escape to space and ultimately to remain in space. The movie even highlights the superficiality of corporate advertising with lines like "Attention Axiom Shoppers, try Blue! It's the new Red!"

One criticism I have of this movie is the proposition that Earth could ever become more inhospitable than space. Space is filled with DNA-altering radiation from the sun's beams. No matter how bad Earth is, only a full-out nuclear war could make it less hospitable than space. However, this is a children's cartoon, not a hard-hitting sci-fi novel. I have watched this movie over twenty times, and it never loses its charm. The fact that WALL-E was not nominated for best actor seems a gross oversight.



You should not watch WALL·E if...

• You're not fond of almost dialogue-less movies for the first half of its run time.
• You are looking for a high action, fast-paced film.
• You have difficulty understanding and appreciating abstract concepts and social commentary.
• You strongly dislike sci-fi genre and prefer traditional animation.
• You don’t enjoy sentimental storylines or messages about environmental sustainability.

Whats the deal with...
Warning: The following may contain spoilers:

What's the deal with the movie "WALL-E"? I mean, we're told space is safer than a polluted Earth. Really? We've got floating chairs, infinite cupcakes in a cup, and nobody has to walk anymore. Sounds like a dream, right? But the moment a single little plant pops up through a mountain of trash on Earth, suddenly it's, "Pack it up, folks, we're moving back!"

Let's talk about these humans in space. They can't even walk anymore! The most exercise they get is moving their fingers to get more snacks. And we're supposed to believe they're ready to take on the challenge of farming? They see one green leaf and it's all, "Oh, let's go home and start gardening." They've been living in a world where everything is done for them, and now they're going to shovel dirt? I'd like to see how that first "Back to Earth Bootcamp" goes. "Alright everyone, today we're going to learn a little something called 'manual labor'. It's like swiping on your screen, but your whole body moves."

People who loved this movie also loved...
Up (2009)

A heartwarming and beautifully animated film from Pixar, the same studio that brought you WALL·E. The movie tells the story of a grumpy old man who ties thousands of balloons to his home to fulfil his life-long dream of going on a South American adventure. He discovers, however, that he has an unexpected stowaway: a young and eager boy scout.

The Iron Giant (1999)

From Brad Bird, the director of The Incredibles, this animated feature is a poignant commentary on fear and friendship. The Iron Giant, like WALL·E, develops a bond with a human. The movie is also infused with humor and action, making it a fantastic choice for the whole family.

Big Hero 6 (2014):

Like WALL·E, Big Hero 6 is full of heart, humor, and engaging characters. From the creators of Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph, the film is about a young robotics prodigy who forms a superhero team to combat a masked villain. The bond between the young prodigy and his creation, Baymax, is reminiscent of the title character's relationship with EVE in WALL·E.

Ratatouille (2007):

Directed by Brad Bird, the same person who directed The Iron Giant, Ratatouille is a gorgeously animated tale about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef. It combines comedy, adventure, and cooking in the beautiful setting of Paris. It exemplifies Pixar's ability to create compelling, emotionally rich stories within unexpected premises, much like WALL·E.

Finding Nemo (2003):

A beloved classic from Pixar, Finding Nemo shares WALL·E's themes of adventure and the quest for love. This aquatic adventure of a Clown Fish named Marlin, seeking his lost son Nemo across the ocean, delivers humour, heart, and unforgettable characters along the way.

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