Lyzsi SinclairWALL-E - instant classic
WALL-E
It is as simple as that. WALL-E is an instant classic. The latest Pixar film somehow outdoes their best, and their best includes some of the greatest animated films of all time - Toy Story (and its sequel), The Incredibles, A Bug's Life.
Not only does it set new standards in digital animation (and those heights are getting quite lofty these days), it tells an important and timely story. Along the way, it constantly surprises, delights and amuses.
It also draws heavily on the great science fiction and space fantasy movies of the past - Wally bears more than a passing resemblance to ET and No 5 from 80s kids movie Short Circuit, and visual references to everything from Star Wars, Star Trek,, Blade Runner and most notably 2001 abound. But for the most part this adds to the fun rather than detracting from it.
Our hero, Wally, is the last robot cleaning droid still working on Earth, 700 years after the human race has vacated due to their unfortunate habit of creating extraordinary amounts of garbage. In that time, he has somehow managed to develop a personality, exhibiting an absorbing and occassionally hilarious curiousity.
When, after presumably hundreds of years of solitude, a sleek robot known as Eve literally drops from the sky, Wally is instantly smitten and he follows his new-found love around like a puppy. When Eve is suddenly snatched back by a giant spaceship, Wally follows. On this ship, both he and the audience come face-to-face with some wildly inventive scenarios which, intellectually at least, are quite scary.
Wally, is, in the manner of Pixar films, absolutely adorable. His naivete, ingenuity and perserverance in the face of the odds that the scriptwriters stack up against him will melt even the hardest heart, and it is indicative of the skill of the entire Pixar creative team that I often forgot I was watching an animated film. Even the five-year-old sitting next to me was riveted for almost the entire 100-minute running time, a record for her. This is even more startling given the first half of the film features almost no dialogue.
Almost every element of the film works, from the unusual end-of-the-world premise to the robot love story to the pet cockroach. The only criticism one could have is the slightly heavy-handed approach to the inevitable environmental message. But hey, it is a kids film.
In short, see it. You will love it. Take a child if you want, but this film will be just as enjoyable for your own inner child. Your outer adult will probably enjoy it even more.
