Wall•E: Top-notch entertainment!

Pixar does it again!

I know there are many reviews saying great things about WALL•E, the latest creation from Pixar, but I want to add mine into the mix.

Films that really stand out seem to come along less and less often these days, as the Hollywood money machine churns out more and more sequels to scrape the maximum profits from each franchise (the trailers before the film seemed to confirm this – High School Musical 3, Madagascar 2 and Ice Age 3). Which makes it all the more refreshing when a really original and thoroughly entertaining film like WALL•E comes out. Pixar really did save Disney!

It’s hard to know what to say without spoiling the film; it certainly has a very engaging plot which is presented in a very believable way. What’s amazing is how animated blocks of metal can be brought to life so convincingly. It’s very telling that the first 30 minutes contain no dialogue, yet you don’t even notice it. I haven’t seen such a lovable robot since Johnny 5 in Short Circuit (which WALL•E bears more than a striking resemblance to!).

In case you don’t know, and haven’t seen the trailers, WALL•E is the a trash compacting robot on an abandoned Earth, left behind to clean up the planet while the human race goes on an intergalactic cruise. Unfortunately for whatever reason, the “clean up the earth” plan didn’t go so well, and WALL•E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) is the last of his kind.. But he trundles along quite happily cleaning up the planet, and develops a fascination with various human artifacts he finds. Then, a hi-tech robot called EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) arrives, sent to inspect the habitability of the planet, and everything changes…

The film manages to suit a variety of audiences; Kids who enjoyed The Incredibles, Toy Story, and Shrek will love the playful fun style of the film (and adult fans of animated films will be pleased by the numerous in-jokes and Easter eggs); Science-fiction fans will enjoy the post-apocalyptic Earth of the film, the references to Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the sheer amount of consistent, coherent detail; movie buffs will love the cinematic shots and the convincing but not over-the-top special effects, and let’s not forget, this film is ultimately a feel-good love story (yes that’s right, a robot love story!), so I’d be very surprised if anyone watching doesn’t leave feeling warm and fuzzy.

I’ve said more than enough, I hope you get the message now, if you haven’t already, go and see this film!!

To finish up I just want to highlight one more genius touch, make sure you watch the credit sequence all the way through, which is an amazing piece of filmmaking in its own right, telling the “what happens next” story in a truly original way, and is perfectly placed to ease viewers out of the film gently without being left itching to find out what happens next.