Today’s quick review: WALL-E. On a future Earth overrun with trash and abandoned by humanity, a lone robot named WALL-E toils to clean up the mess. WALL-E finally makes a new friend when an advanced robot named EVE lands on the planet in search of plant life. Eventually the two robots return to EVE’s home, an enormous spaceship where the remaining humans live a life of leisure.
WALL-E is a family science fiction adventure from Disney and Pixar. WALL-E envisions a future where consumerism has rendered the Earth uninhabitable, humanity has grown lazy and helpless, and robots perform nearly all the work. The movie follows EVE and WALL-E as they return hope to a stagnant humanity in the form of a single, living plant.
WALL-E does an excellent job of making its characters endearing. WALL-E and EVE are mostly mute, but their personalities shine through clearly, thanks to their expressive designs and their sense of wonder. The robots are cute in appearance and behavior, and the movie has a knack for finding new ways for them to interact with the world. WALL-E delivers a steady stream of thoroughly charming moments.
But for all of its charm, WALL-E is hit-or-miss. To make up for the lack of dialogue, the movie relies heavily on pantomime and sentimental moments. Viewers who are not enchanted by WALL-E and EVE will find that the movie offers them little. WALL-E also presents an overly cynical take on the future, a barbed jab at modern society that meshes oddly with its optimistic characters.
Give WALL-E a shot when you are in the mood for something cute and sentimental. WALL-E delivers charm in spades, and your enjoyment of the film will depend on how well its flavor of charm matches your tastes. Steer clear if you dislike schmaltz. For a similarly emotional Disney adventure, check out Up.
8.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for a creative premise, cute characters, and a steady stream of sweet moments.