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By its very definition, imagination is limitless. The only true restrictions to the notion exist in the connection to actual human thought. Clearly, whoever is hiring (or perhaps, cloning) the creative forces at Pixar have found a way to circumvent said biological boundary. In an artistic endeavor where there are no sure things, this astounding animation studio has that most unprecedented of reputations - they never make a mistake. Not only are their films fantastic examples of motion picture craftsmanship, but they keep getting better with each and every new offering. Take their latest, the special sci-fi allegory WALL*E. It a stunning achievement in computer generated imagery, and once again expands the company’s range in dealing with subject matter both speculative and wonderfully sly.
It’s been 700 years since humans inhabited Earth. Leaving it in an environmentally decimated state, waste removal robots are the only thing left behind. Their job - to compact and eliminate the mess. Centuries later, all that’s left is one surviving unit. WALL*E is a determined little droid that has developed a sort of consciousness. Picking through the rubble while listening to songs from Hello Dolly on his internal recording unit, the small service entity spends his days building skyscrapers out of trash. At night, however, he appears lonely, pining for someone, or perhaps something, besides his cockroach companion to share his dump-derived treasure trove. His prayers are answered one day in the form of EVE. She’s a automated sentry looking for any signs of life returning to the planet. Though she seems to have little time for our tin hero, he is instantly smitten. And when she has to leave, he’s not letting her go away.
WALL∙E
Andrew Stanton
Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver
(Walt Disney Pictures; US theatrical: 27 Jun 2008 (General release); UK theatrical: 18 Jul 2008 (General release); 2008)
While the aforementioned synopsis only addresses the first 25 minutes or so of WALL*E, to go any further would ruin this brilliant film’s many discernible delights. There is also a need for a narrative caveat - don’t believe the hype that Disney is dishing out over this latest supposed kiddie fare. This is not Pixar’s version of Robots, or a cutesy combination of silent comedy and Silent Running. Instead, this is complex, comparative evaluation of a planet and a people out of control, a coolly cynical (and often quite touching) swipe at junk culture, ‘Superstore’ suburban society, and all those who require comfort as their waistlines expand to match the malaise. If those statements fail to make sense, don’t be too distressed. After watching this fascinating film, you’ll completely understand what writer/director Andrew Stanton is after.
As the mind behind many of Pixar’s biggest hits - Toy Story, Monster’s Inc., Finding Nemo - Stanton is clearly reaching for a more mature theme here, one that centers on clear cause and effect, reality and revisionism, and an unspoken need for ecological concern. The first third of the film, taking place within a sadly scorched environment, hints at consumerism gone chaotic. All around are remnants of shopping centers, mega-marts, and harsh hard sell advertising. At times, WALL*E closely resembles John Carpenter’s cautionary satire They Live, only in this future shock society, the mandates to ‘buy or die’ are not subliminal…and definitely not of invading alien design. When EVE arrives, WALL*E stretches the subtext even further, her scanning ray rendering everything she explores “red”, or “inhabitable” - including the cityscapes which once defined civilization.
How some small fry raised on a routine diet of previous Pixar anthropomorphized animals will react to this material is intriguing, since it stands in sharp contrast to the stunt casting standards usually found within the genre. WALL*E speaks in a strange electronic whine, occasional blips enunciating actual words. EVE is more coherent, singular statements like “Directive” and “Plant” easily understood. But Stanton is much more interested in character development than any internal game of name that celebrity. This is the least fame driven collection of any Pixar company, many behind the scenes staying more or less unrecognizable. And while the visual antics are intriguing and downright clever, most of the jokes take place in locales that will test a wee one’s personal patience.
Once the story moves interstellar, so to speak, things get even dicier. WALL*E works best when you’re in on the razz, and no one under the age of 12 will get the insightful inferences. They will see the circumstances, the disconnect between people and place, the blob like behavior of a populace that no longer cares, and scratch their pointed little heads. Sure, the malfunctioning robot gang that becomes our heroes’ protectors, and some of the mesmerizing anarchic action sequences, will clearly keep younger audiences tuned in, but what’s self evident within WALL*E‘s world is that, for once, Pixar has purposefully inserted a far more complicated and multi-layered concept of story inside its flawlessly rendered designs.
And what a gorgeous set of images they are. WALL*E announces yet another massive leap in technological talent for the fabled filmmakers, a textural, tactile quality that continues to push CG 3D into uncharted artistic arenas. The visual element really helps sell much of what Stanton and crew are commenting on, the vast vistas with their epic scope and suggestive details filling the screen with more eye candy than even the most seasoned cinematic sugar junky can handle. If there is one minor flaw here, a pet peeve for those of us who enjoy good science fiction, it’s that WALL*E doesn’t spend more time in and around the dead planet. A mind could free associate for hours on the prophetic pictures that Pixar chooses to paint. Along with the tale told, we have quality of an unmatched caliber.
Of course, the animation giant has once again set itself up for one of the mightiest of (potential) falls. As each film opens, as Oscars continue to poor in, as accolades build and revisionist criticism starts to bubble, it’s hard to see where the company can go next. And you just know there are dozens of A/V villains out there waiting for Pixar to tank, to provide a problematic flop that fails to live up to Ratatouille‘s tenderness, Nemo‘s naturalism, Monsters’ amazing sense of invention, or The Incredibles aced super heroism. Hopefully, it never happens, but if it does, Stanton and his gang can probably point to WALL*E as the beginning of the end. When you raise the bar as high as this, down seems the only logical next step. If anyone can buck such motion picture providence, it’s this unflappable filmmaking co-op. A masterpiece like WALL*E proves that perfectly.
