Mangos and Peaches

I saw this film twice this past weekend and I felt compelled to write something about it. I see a lot of movies, but very few compare to Wall-E. I loved every second of this movie from beginning to end. The second viewing was even better than the first because I was able to pick-up more of the details Pixar always throws into their films.

What is Wall-E?
Spoiler free summary: Wall-E would be best described as a romantic comedy that follows an unlikely hero who doesn’t even realize he’s the hero! If you’ve seen any of the trailers or previews for the movie you can probably guess how the romantic aspect of the movie is going to turn out and it’s pretty standard in the genre, but the hero aspect of the film may surprise you. The best part of this movie is how consistent and unchanged the main character is.

Usually in movies like this we’ll see the main character transform throughout the course of the film. For example: main character is introduced so audience can connect with him/her, They are resented with a situation in the movie that causes them to change as a person and in most cases “grow” to suit the lead role required by the film. Not Wall-E. Wall-E is the same innocent character in the first and the last frame of the film and amazingly it makes him more lovable.

There is also a strong message about the future of humanity and the environment, but it never feels like the writers are bashing you over the head with the message. Fucking Green it!

The characters
For the majority of the film we follow Wall-E around and experience the world through his innocent eyes. All the garbage the covers the Earth is like a big playground for him. Everyday is a new adventure where he goes out to fulfill his directive (clean up the planet) and discover new wonders tossed aside by humanity. There’s an interesting philosophy behind the characters and how they act, but that’s a topic better left for the viewers interpretation so I wont ruin it.

One of the things that impressed me was how effective and real the interaction between the characters were. The first half of the movie has absolutely no dialogue (aside from Wall-E and EVE speaking their own names), the eyes of the characters are a huge part of the design and are used to convey such a wide range of expressions that it really is awe inspiring. This film re-affirms that the eyes are the windows to a persons soul (or in this case the ghost in the shell).

Visuals
How were the graphics? In a word: breathtaking. Seriously, this movie looks amazing from begining to end. The animation is FLAWLESS and the environments are so expansive you feel like you’re watching actual video footage. This is also Pixars first attempt combining real actors inside a computer animated movie, but it doesn’t take away from the visual aspects. They keep everything incredibly simple while making it appear complex at the same time. Definitely raises the bar for future animated features.

Even the character designs are amazing. All the characters are incredibly functional and designed with the intention of creating a believable machine. Don’t believe me? Take a look at Wall-E and you’ll notice how every element on him serves a purpose and moves the way your reasoning would tell you it would naturally work. The second time around I also noticed a lot of the details on the other machines, beautifully intricate without sacrificing aesthetic design.

Sound
Audio plays a very important role in this film. So if sound is important, you should probably find a pretty decent sound technician to help you with your movie. Pixar went ahead and got the best sound engineer in Hollywood to lend his magical touch to the movie. Benjamin Burtt is better known for creating the “voice” of R2-D2 as well as countless other droids from the Star Wars films. His sounds can definitely be heard through the film and it builds upon the characters personalities. Needless to say, the soundtrack is dead-on for the film and it sets the mood for every scene without being overstated.

A fun easter egg I didn’t pick-up until the second viewing: The sound Wall-E makes when his solar battery is fully charged is the Apple start-up chime. It’s a nice little touch for anyone that has heard it before.

Pixar’s Masterpiece?
I would have to say yes, it is. It’s already taken the #2 spot as my all-time favorite film. Re-watchablility is a huge factor when I chose my top favorite movies and this one has it! Even though it will not beat out the big blockbuster movies this summer, such as Ironman, Hell Boy2, and The Dark Knight, it is a huge milestone for animated films and for Pixar. I loved, loved, loved this film and I can’t recommend it enough to everyone. It will stick with me for the years to come and continue to inspire me in ways I never imagined.

This movie is a MUST SEE IN THEATERS.
GO SEE WALL-E!