Review of WALL·E (2008) by Cal H — 07 Aug 2016

A movie starring the loneliest robot in the world is the best film I have seen all year.

Wait...are you serious? Wall-E, the best film of all year? Better than Indiana Jones? Get real. Iron Man? You have to be kidding me!

But the truth is Wall-E is unlike any movie I have ever seen. It evokes more emotions through its title character than most movies can dream of. And yes, this is from a robot who cannot speak English.

The movie starts off showcasing a trashed Earth around the year 2700. Humans have smothered the planet in garbage, so they decided to leave on enormous ships and let Wall-Es (Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-Class) clean up the mess. However, after hundreds of years, all of the Wall-Es have broken down, leaving the world messy as before.

However, one Wall-E still remains, going through his daily tasks of cleaning and compacting trash. Yet this robot seems to have developed a personality. He's curious of his surroundings, constantly collecting trinkets that interest him. He's resourceful and displays a Charlie Chaplin style humor. However, Wall-E also longs for a partner and displays true emotions of sadness and loneliness. And while you watch, you really can't help but sorry for this little guy.

I'm sure you have heard the stories of Wall-E's dialogue-free first thirty minutes. The stories are absolutely correct; the only recognizable human speech comes from old tapes and songs our title character experiences.

However, the first thirty minutes is perhaps the best introduction to any movie I have ever seen. Seeing Wall-E on this abandoned planet of ours is constantly breathtaking in its imagery and scope. It sets a resoundingly perfect tone for the movie, for the introduction has occupied my thoughts since the credits rolled.

When a robot named Eve comes to Earth from the humans in space, the story really falls into motion as Wall-E goes to the human ship. From here, the movie displays the struggle of humanity and the battle for finding love, while keeping the humor and sense of wonder in tact. The movie never lets down on surprises and never ceased to amaze me.

Everything about this film is fantastic. The animation is top notch, photo realistic in spots. The story, while simple, captures the tone and mood perfectly while evoking many emotions from the audience. And Wall-E, the robot who cannot speak English, is a lovable protagonist that I sympathized with more than most on screen characters.

While the environmental themes may be a bit heavy handed in spots (though the creator insists the trashed Earth was merely a way to display the love story), the film rarely stumbles. It's a rare and ambitious piece of filmmaking that sets the bar so high for animated films that even Pixar will be comparing themselves to this gem.

Wall-E is the best movie of the year so far and I cannot sing any higher praises for it.