WALL·E did it!!!

People have come to wonder when Pixar’s streak of great films is going to end. Even their weakest film, Cars, was still galaxies better than the average Hollywood film. And now, WALL·E is just terribly effective. Just brimming with imagination, this film is one of my favorites of the year, so far.

In the far-flung future, Earth has been left behind by its human inhabitants. A single robot, WALL·E, has remained to carry out his duty of cleaning up the planet. Over the years, WALL·E has developed a bit of a personality, and he’s grown to yearn companionship. One day, he gets his wish, when a female robot EVE arrives on Earth with a mysterious mission. But just as WALL·E and EVE make a connection, EVE gets taken away to space. WALL·E stows away on EVE’s ship, and follows her straight into the depths of space, where the fate of the human race is revealed.

WALL·E keeps things decidedly simple plotwise. Low on dialogue and high on expression, the first half of the film plays out like a pure exercise in visual storytelling. And if there’s one thing that Pixar does well, it’s storytelling. Despite a very limited vocabulary, these characters absolutely sing, exhibiting enough personality to transcend their animated form. The character designs are supremely elegant, keeping things focused on simple expression. The film’s just bursting with imagination, and it’s easy to get swept away in the universe they’ve created.

It’s a given that the film looks good. Pixar has always been pushing the boundaries of animation, and they continue to make things look better and better. But it’s not just the look of the animation that’s improved. In general, their filmmaking has grown leaps and bounds. Emphasis has been given to the film’s virtual camera, which now employs some pretty great shooting techniques. The film ought to be commended for its use of depth of field, and the realistic way they move the camera to follow the action. It seems really basic, but the use of techniques like rack focus and follow focus add an element of realism to the way the film is shot. Through these methods, Director Andrew Stanton has imparted a powerful sense of movement to his film.

This movie once again proves that animated films don’t really need big-name actors to be effective. Ben Burtt, who provides the voice for WALL·E, isn’t even really an actor. He’s a sound engineer, and his devotion to audio clearly shows in the film. WALL·E and his supporting cast are a marvel of sound design. Elissa Knight, another non-actor, has provided the perfect voice for EVE. The actors that are there do some pretty good work as well. Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, and Kathy Najimy provide a nice bit of humanity to the proceedings.

WALL·E is really quite good. There are probably people who might quibble about the film’s inherent anti-consumerist message (especially given that the film is produced by Disney, maker of merchandise), but those are things to be dealt with outside the cinema. Inside, with the projector running, with the story being told on screen, it’s rather difficult to find fault in the film. This is a lovely movie they’ve created: one with great characters, a few good twists, some exciting action, and a good dose of heart. It has a beautiful sense of wonder that will just take audiences away. This film is exactly why we go to the theaters in the first place.
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