Book Smart

WALL-E might not be the best movie of the year.  After all, there’s a lot of year left.  But it IS a great movie, exemplary in every respect.

It bucks a trend that’s bothered me over the past few years:  the need for “kid’s movies” to nod and wink at parents – to include a few age-inappropriate jokes that the parents who were dragged along can appreciate.  The opposite side of this coin is when movies for teenagers and young-adults are marketed at young children, and wind up not working entirely for any one audience.  WALL-E does not have either problem.  Instead, WALL-E is a children’s story through and through; but is such a well told story that it will appeal to viewers of all age levels – much like classic movies such as Mary Poppins or Beauty and the Beast.

The visuals of WALL-E are always spectacular.  Toy Story was amazing when we first saw it, and Pixar had continued to push the limits of what audiences expect from computer animated movies.  The landscapes and skylines of WALL-E’s earth are epic, soaring, and beautiful.  Every setting is carefully and consistently designed, both interesting and easy to look at.

WALL-E’s story is simple, but appealing.  It begins simply, but builds smoothly into a an epic journey.  Much like Lord of the Rings, the characters of WALL-E have simple desires but are drawn into larger-than-life events, and carried forward by a sense of responsibility.  As the climax of the movie approaches, the danger and consequences of the action are very tangible, but not too scary for young viewers.

The dialogue of WALL-E is interesting to observe.  While humans do eventually join the story, the majority of the film is about robots.  While a few do speak highly digitized English, the majority of the movie’s communication is non-verbal.  We learn about WALL-E’s personality through the way he moves.  When he travels to the human space-cruise-ship, he meets many other robots who speak through their actions.  Though the lack of dialogue might bother some people, it is a strength of the film that it tells a strong story without speech.

I’ve heard a few people say that WALL-E has an environmentalist message.  While there is a moral to the story, I don’t think that’s it.  Instead, the movie warns against the dangers of a sedentary, consumeristic lifestyle.  It doesn’t carry this to an extreme, either – just enough to get you thinking.

Bottom line:  Go see WALL-E.  It will make you want to hold hands and watch Hello, Dolly!.