moviereview - WALL.E

WALL.E

	WALL.E, a rubbish compactor, has been left to tidy up Earth after mankind goes on holiday. The arrival of EVE, a robot looking for life, sparks an adventure that will determine the fate of the planet.	score 4+	moviereview rates films from 1 (unwatchable) to 5 (unmissable)
			FIND A MOVIEREVIEW

Cast
Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Sigourney Weaver

Director
Andrew Stanton

Screenwriter
Andrew Stanton

Country
USA

Rating / Running Time
G / 103 minutes

Australian Release
September 2008

Official Site

From a spectacular opening that soars far above a polluted, abandoned Earth, it is immediately clear that this sci-fi epic is without precedent. That it also draws from a rich film legacy yet creates something utterly unique with that material underlines just how special this film is. From the breath-taking beauty of Andrew Stanton’s artistic direction to the cheery cheekiness of its romantic subtext or the dire warning of its eco-message, there is little about Wall.E that doesn’t inspire. But to wrap it all successfully in a ‘something for the whole family’ G-rated package, well, give that man an Oscar.

Mankind has been travelling space for seven centuries while rubbish compactors clean up the mess left behind by the Buy N’ Large corporation. One of them, a rusting robot called WALL.E has developed a personality of sorts and, through repeated viewings of an ancient copy of Hello Dolly, learned to dance and pine. When a shiny-white reconnaissance machine arrives, he falls harder than Michael Crawford. But EVE is on duty, looking for life on Earth, and such a discovery among WALL.E’s treasures leads them both on an adventure that will determine the fate of mankind.

It is surprising how touching an affair between a worn-out toaster and a cyber-egg designed by Apple can be: one to rival Annie Hall or Titanic depending on your reference point. Their kiss is the stuff of movie magic. Yet some audiences have found the fat, stupid, consumerist and utterly dependent humans that WALL.E encounters a wildly prejudiced depiction of fat, stupid consumerists. Bad luck. It is a vital point of Stanton’s story that ‘oneness’ must be protected wherever it is found – be that a lone plant, a singular love or a solitary planet.

Fortunately, WALL.E never gets mired in message. There’s much more going on, such as the brilliance of a dialogue-free first half that echoes greats like 2001: A Space Odyssey - not only in content but also in spirit. Nor does Stanton succumb to a Shrek-like hip-to-be-hip parade of pop referencing, even though cinema history oozes from every frame. Look behind the robot’s eyes and you’ll find Charlie Chaplin, maybe Woody Allen, looking back.

WALL.E is the spirit of filmmaking drawn large. It’s funny, thrilling, inspiring and heart-warming. Sigourney Weaver is the voice of the Ship's Computer. It’s everything we go to the movies for.

// COLIN FRASER