On paper, this film should not work. Our setting is in a (potentially not-so) dystopian Earth where garbage has overrun the planet. Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earthcases, or Wall-E for short, have been assigned to clean up the mess while all of humanity is harbored away on a cruise in space on board the Axiom. On top of this insanely original story, Pixar makes the extremely bold decision to have no character dialogue for the first twenty-two minutes of the film, and the first human doesn't speak until about halfway through the film. It shouldn't work, but Pixar somehow makes it work and creates a masterpiece in the process. This film is a classic because of its titular character. Wall-E is one of animation's greatest triumphs. He finds a way to work his way into our hearts and never leave. Wall-E is a character that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Wall-E has an assignment while on Earth, and he is willing to accomplish his part of the goal to clean up the trash with all of his heart. However, thanks to his collection of earthly artifacts as well as the archived Hello, Dolly, Wall-E knows that there has to be more to this life than lonely trash collecting (more on Wall-E below).
Enter Eve, or Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator. As Eve arrives on the scene to literally change Wall-E's life, Wall-E soars to new heights that only Pixar can reach. Eve is the perfect counterpart to Wall-E as she experiences the exact opposite character arc as Wall-E. Eve believes that there is nothing to life other than locating life on Earth. She will let nothing stand in her way of accomplishing her directive (even a giant magnet doesn't stand a chance, as evidenced in one of the film's best sequences as Eve obliterates the magnet and a host of tankers in the process). However, when her path crosses with Wall-E's, she begins to understand that this life has so much more to offer. Pixar has created some of Hollywood's best duos in its history, and Wall-E and Eve belong in the same breath as Woody and Buzz and Mike and Sulley for their best duo to date. Through their commitment to one another, we witness the power of undeserved love and devotion. Wall-E features one of the industry's best romances ever, and who would have thought that it would come from two robots?
I have alluded to it already, but the animation in Wall-E is downright breathtaking. While the setting is on Earth, Pixar delivers some of their best work, but when the scene shifts to space, they find a way to raise the bar even higher yet again. The first sequence in space, in particular, as Wall-E is hanging on for dear life on the back of Eve's ship is a defining moment in the studio's illustrious career. Each scene is impeccably detailed with rich backdrops and excellent character animation. Additionally, Thomas Newman returns to Pixar and composes perhaps the greatest score of his career. He was fantastic in Finding Nemo, but with Wall-E, he truly outdid himself. In a film filled with highlights, Newman's music is something you will leave thinking about and remembering. Also, a review of Wall-E would be incomplete without applauding the timely messages and challenges issued throughout the film. At first, it is absurd to think about a planet overcome by garbage with humans totally ignoring that fact due to their obsession with their electronic devices, but as Wall-E continually crosses into uncharted moral territory for animation, we quickly realize that its plead for conservation and awareness is one of the most poignant messages found in cinema in the modern era. One cannot finish watching Wall-E without having a conversation about its presented ideals. That is the power of cinema and the magic of Pixar.
If you were to ask a seasoned critic what Pixar's best film is to date, odds are they will say Wall-E for their answer. This is Pixar's Mona Lisa. There are better films out there, but Wall-E will be the one everyone talks about decades from now due to its lush animation, classic characters, and above all, its passionate proclamations. Today, Wall-E is a sheer masterpiece of epic proportions that certainly belongs in the conversation for Pixar's finest film.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: You have probably noticed throughout Pixar's films that "A113" appears in some fashion in each film. The most prominent use of this can be found in Wall-E, where it is revealed that AUTO's secret directive is entitled "A113." Room A113 was a classroom at Cal Arts where many Disney and Pixar animated learned and perfected their craft. The other appearances of A113 in Pixar films are as followed: Andy's mom's license plate (Toy Story/Toy Story 3), code on a cereal box (A Bug's Life), airport announcement (Toy Story 2), pillar inside a warehouse (Monsters Inc.), model code of a camera (Finding Nemo), room number in Syndrome's lair (The Incredibles), Mater's license plate number (Cars/Cars 2), lab rat tag number (Ratatouille), court room sign (Up), address for the witch's store in Roman numerals (Brave), classroom number for Scaring 101 (Monsters University), Riley's classroom number (Inside Out), formed subtly by picket fences (The Good Dinosaur), and the tags of Fluke and Rudder (Finding Dory).
Behind the Scenes: A good portion of Wall-E is essentially an animated silent film. In fact, the first half hour of the film features no dialogue at all, just videos from Buy N' Large and Hello, Dolly. To study the art of pure visual storytelling, director Andrew Stanton and his crew claimed to have watched all of Charlie Chaplin's and Buster Keaton's films during lunch breaks while Wall-E was in production. Additionally, Ben Burtt provides the voices for Wall-E, Mo, and many other additional characters. He recorded over 2,500 different sounds for the film over the span of two years. At this point, he had previously worked on Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith, and upon finishing his work there, Burtt promised he would never appear in another film featuring robots again. However, once he read through the script for Wall-E, he couldn't resist signing on. Stanton told Burtt during their first meeting together, "I need you to be 80% of the cast!" Also, Elissa Knight provides the voice for Eve. Knight is not a trained actor; actually, she was a humble employee at Pixar when she got the part.
Favorite Character: His name is the title, so it makes perfect sense for Wall-E to be my favorite character here. Only Pixar could make a trash-collecting robot who barely talks one of their best creations to date. When we are first introduced to Wall-E, he is simply doing his job of cleaning the Earth even though he is literally the only one left to do so. The opening sequences of Wall-E are purely delightful because of Pixar's ability to tell a story while also developing a character. However, Wall-E's characterization hits hyper-drive whenever his world is forever changed by the appearance of Eve. The relationship between Wall-E and Eve is so richly developed and nurtured that I pick up on subtle nuances upon each additional viewing of Wall-E. The reason Wall-E is my choice for this section is due to his incredible devotion to Eve. Even when his entire life is turned upside down, Wall-E stands by Eve, and he stands by the hope of a better Earth in the future although AUTO would beg to differ. As a leading character, Wall-E should be Pixar's most unrelatable character in the studio's canon, but thanks to some sheer magic, Wall-E becomes a legend.
Favorite Scene: I previously praised Thomas Newman's score, and in my favorite scene, his score takes center stage. The track entitled "Define Dancing" is the backdrop for one of Pixar's most visually stunning and magical sequences to date. As Wall-E had just rescued the endangered plant from exploding, Eve breaths a sigh of relief not only for the survival of the plant, but for Wall-E as well. We obviously know by this point that Wall-E is crazy about Eve, but in this sequence, Eve finally returns the feeling as the two lovestruck robots dance like no one is watching. The animation on display here is some of Pixar's finest work, rivaling the studio's best scenes ever such as the final battle in The Incredibles or the climatic door fiasco in Monsters Inc. Then, to provide the film with Pixar's signature emotional moment, Sigourney Weaver explains to us what dancing is really all about, and as Wall-E and Eve dance the night away, our hearts rejoice and soar like never before.Updated Ranking: Following the precedent set by Ratatouille, a few years ago, I would have been shocked if you would have told me I would have Wall-E ranked so high today. Alas, time changes things again.
- The Incredibles
- Toy Story
- Finding Nemo
- Ratatouille
- Wall-E
- Monsters Inc.
- Toy Story 2
- A Bug's Life
- Cars
Tomorrow, Disney's final film before the third Golden Age arrives commences with Bolt!
-Cody Fleenor
No comments:
Post a Comment