Wall-E

There are always a good selection of kids films or kid orientated films throughout the course of the year. And since perhaps Finding Nemo and the second Shrek film, there haven't been as many of these films by Disney/Pixar ect to get overly excited about. Though it seems every child that sees these films are pleased with the end result and seen as this is their genre, it's hard to criticise a film when all that matters is it's main audiences enjoyment.
But while Finding Nemo and Shrek 2 were the most recent films that adults also thoroughly enjoyed and watched off their own steam, it's taken a short while for another high standard animated film to come out that would grip and bedazzle a mixed viewing audeince. Wall-E not only proves that kids films are still exciting, but that the ability to find a even balance for all the family can be executed in a funny, charming and beautiful way.

Before you find out anything about the plot, you have to realise just how breath-taking this film is. Who would of thought that a barren abandoned earth could look pretty and digitally stunning or that a vast repeated scene of outer space could become a great spectacle for us once again.The attention to detail is great and appreciated, with even the most mundane object been carefully structured.

The animation is flawless. Absolutely flawless. Especially on earth and the robots. It looks real. Much of the time it's impossible to tell whether or not it is real. The few slightly-shaky styled shots that appear a few times in the film only makes the animation that much more amazing and realistic. The humans are really good, too, while not realistic in the sense of you seeing it right now in real life, but they do have a realistic feel to them. The thing with the humans, I believe, is that they were purposefully meant to have this slightly rounded, slightly unrealistic feeling.
I believe the reason is to take a satirical look at humans, and what our goals for a future, perfect utopia, is. It questions what we want, and shows you what is a very, very likely outcome of our desires for a 'better' world, showing both positive and negative effects. The animation for the humans, I believe, was made rounded and slightly more cartoonish to emphasize that that is how we will become. Fat, lazy, yet so perfect. At times, especially with that perspective on the humans, they actually do look very real.

The films core is in it's blissful innocence, a balance of perfect multi-layered humour and action that is neither too drab or childlike for parents or secretly harbouring innuendos that some parents might not want their kids to be aware of. The innocence of Wall-E'scourting of Eve and their budding romance is simply beautiful.
The film is about a robot named WALL-E (or 'Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class'), who is the only thing left on earth with some sort of emotion. His only companion seems to be an industructable yet somehow cute, cockroach. He longs for company and enriches himself with knick nacks he finds when he is scourging the planet cleaning up the waste. Then one day he meets another robot named EVE, and his adventure really begins.

There is a message in the film about taking care of ourselves and our planet or else we'll end up living in a wasted world and though it's claimed that this may not be too interesting for children, it seems that Pixar have managed to get their point across in a simple and cheerful way without imposing any school like moments. The social commentary in "WALL·E" is sobering because it's never overbearing and most importantly because we see the world through machines, machines who feel more about Earth and life than the humans do.
It is a majestic science fiction epic like we haven't seen in a couple of decades and it is a genuinely touching and never cheap romance. WALL·E pay homages to popular films and figures of the past- Chaplin, Keaton, Tati, the Marx Brothers, "2001: A Space Odyssey" (this one is particularly spectacular), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" are actually homages and not ripoffs.

From the entertaining shorts shown before the film to the memorable characters, locations, and animation we have come to expect, Pixar films are now event cinema, and they have outdone themselves with "WALL·E". This film is spectacular, majestic, touching, involving, and achingly beautiful. Most importantly, however, it is perfect entertainment. Personally you will be hard pressed to find an animated film or any film that can satisfy you more than "WALL·E in 2008.

5/5