Set 800 years in the future, Wall.E tells the tale of a robot (Wall.E) programmed to clean up the devastating environmental damage that has caused what appears to be the decline and elimination of humans on Earth. The robot's daily routine is both endearing and witty. His love for human life, and dancing in particular, are evident from the collection of cultural memorabilia (including an iPhone, Pong and a VCR copy of "Hello Dolly", to name but a few) and his longing for human-like contact. During the film, he encounters Eve, a robot from outer space that has been sent to survey the remnants of Earth. Watching Wall.E attempt to 'court' Eve is both humorous and cute, reminiscent of a teenage boy in the awkward throes of first love. The story moves on to a far-off planet, where the remaining generations of humans have been living a technological life, so to speak. Obese, immobile, lacking free will and reliant on computers to keep order, humans have devolved in to a species subservient to computers. When Eve returns to their home ship with Wall.E in tow, chaos ensues and the rebellious robots must save the day.
Although Wall.E has an Universal rating, suggesting its appropriateness for children, the movie is certainly available to adults and children alike, with several levels of story-telling apparent. Wall.E is a moral tale that warns of the dangers of our current choices. Rubbish has spoiled Earth and killed all species except the cockroach- an environmental message without a doubt. Technology has taken over the world, to the extent that humans are so reliant on it that they do not feed, speak, interact, move, without the help of a computer- a warning against the evils of modern technology and the current obesity crisis surely. The humour displayed in this movie is again apparent on multiple levels, making Wall.E extremely suitable for children, whilst giving it a more adult appeal at the same time. Children will enjoy the characters, where adults will revel in the quirkiness of Wall.E's personality; children will like the humour of the cockroach where adults will enjoy reminiscing over the 70s and 80s memorabilia; where children will watch the story for what it is- a cartoon or a fairytale, adults will appreciate the moral tale and the writers' and producers' ability to create a piece that works on so many levels.
The quirkiness of the movie doesn't end with the characters and the storyline. There are some interesting facts about Wall.E that cement this as one of the most well-produced Pixar movies thus far. This is the first feature-length Pixar movie to incorporate live-action, in the form of the President, played by Fred Willard. There is no 'human' dialogue until 40 minutes in to the film, and yet the characterisation is done so amazingly well that viewers cannot help but relate to the robots, and the film itself, even without the usual 'human' elements. The sound of the devastating wind in Wall.E's world was created by the sound of Niagara Falls and the sounds of the insects were actually handcuffs locking. For more interesting facts on the film, go to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/
Disney & Pixar have done it again! Wall.E is an intelligent, touching, universally adaptable movie that rates as one of the best Pixar animations so far. Ranking 32nd in imdb.com's top 250 films and being pushed forward for this year's Academy Award's Best Picture, Wall.E comes highly recommended by all.