Review of WALL·E (2008) by Chris M — 25 Sep 2013

Five years ago, I used to consider WALL-E (2008) my personal favorite Pixar film. I was drawn into the romance between the two main robots. I liked how the first couple minutes of the film were almost like a silent film. I loved the designs on the robots themselves, especially their well-designed and expressive eyes. Simply put, I thought it was an awesome movie. But I have to admit that as time goes by, that declaration I made earlier no longer holds true. Unlike Toy Story (1995) and Up (2009) which still stand the test of time very well, I start noticing more of the flaws in WALL-E than I did five years earlier. That being said, I still do really enjoy this movie and all of the elements that really make it special. And sometimes for a film like this, that's all that really matters.

The movie tells the story of a robot named WALL-E, whose programmed duty is to clean up the massive amounts of garbage left on Earth. He still has to perform his duty even after the human population evaded Earth a couple centuries ago due to its increasing pollution. Unlike similar robots that were built the same way, WALL-E has developed a personality and enjoys collecting anything that looks special (whether it be artifacts of human civilization or mechanical parts used by other units of his kind). One day, he finds a small plant in the middle of nowhere and takes it back to his home. The same day, he also discovers a visitor landing on Earth looking for habitable life. This visitor is also known as EVE, a high-tech robot who is quick at triggering her lasers, but also shares the same curiosity in life as WALL-E.

When EVE discovers WALL-E's plant and a spaceship comes back again to pick up EVE, WALL-E (who has now fallen in love with her) follows her as this ship transports to the Axiom. The Axiom is a ship where the entire human population from Earth is now residing. Everything on that ship is controlled by either robots or any other kind of technology. As a result, the humans on board the Axiom, including the captain himself, are very physically and mentally dependent on technology to say the least. EVE is supposed to transport to the Axiom since this plant may help save Earth. But when the plant is suddenly missing due to various plot developments, it's up to WALL-E and EVE to find it.

In many respects, WALL-E is a film that I should love more than I actually do. It takes advantage of the fact that movies are still, and always will be, a visual art form by making the first couple minutes similar to a silent film. This part of the movie is very well told visually, since we are able to have an understanding of what the plot will be about and figure out for ourselves what WALL-E likes and dislikes. The unique design of these robots also contributes to the strength of the film's visuals since all we really need out of these robots to visually express themselves is their eyes. Unlike in Transformers, where you can't make out any facial details, you can make out anything here that a special effects creation needs to have in able for us to care about them. I really endorse the design of EVE especially, with her blue LED eyes and the anti-gravity technology found in her arms and head. Whoever came up with the design for these robots really knew what they were doing.

So what is it about WALL-E now that prevents me from calling it a masterpiece? Well, I found the film's second half to be inferior to the first. The point when WALL-E and EVE boarded the Axiom is when the film got a little needlessly over dramatic, a little too busy and a tad too silly for me. A specific scene that comes to mind that shows these aspects is the film's climax. There seemed to be way too many subliminal references to other films (specifically 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)), and a clichéd plot device used in many other family films (you'll know it when you see it) which really isn't executed that well here.

While WALL-E and EVE are definitely worth caring about, I never understood why it's big news on the Axiom if robots get into trouble. Is there really nothing else more important in terms of the news other than "rogue robots"? There are similar scenes like that which make too big a deal out of things of that nature that it just becomes more odd than important narratively speaking. With the exception of Mop (who is at his best when contemplating whether or not to continue cleaning the Axiom) and the Captain (who is eager to learn more about Earth), I found that the other characters that Pixar was trying to put into this story weren't developed that well for me. The main antagonist of the second half is especially a disappointment given that it was simply a cheap rip-off of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

The main reason WALL-E works as well as it does is because of the chemistry between the two main robots. And on that level, WALL-E is nothing short of sublime. Even with very little dialogue, WALL-E and EVE are still very likable characters because of their design and their facial expression. They get across a lot solely through their eyes and body language. If anyone can make robots into warm and cute characters with plenty of personality to spare, it's Pixar. The humor is plentiful and genuine. The animation is spectacular, of course. The main characters have plenty of likability to them. These simple reasons along with the others I've stated earlier are enough to make WALL-E well worth 1 1/2 to 2 hours of your time.