[Spoilers...proceed at your own risk.]
The movie opens on a vast future world that is completely overrun with garbage. Stacks of garbage are taller than skyscrapers, the air is brown and the oceans appear to have disappeared. Even orbit is filled with satellites, so much so that the planet looks fuzzy.
There are only two bits of life on the planet, a cockroach and a robot that has been compacting garbage for centuries. And yes, I count the robot as 'life', in fact Wall-E is more alive than most actors in most films. The first forty minutes are almost completely without dialogue and they're nothing short of amazing. We watch Wall-E scoot around and get a sense of his world. And his loneliness.
The love interest shows up and the plot moves along. There are moments of heart-rending tenderness. There are many, many laughs. The overall concepts are very interesting. There were a couple of young children in our theater and I was curious how they'd handle the movie. They were quiet and obviously drawn to the story. Strangely, it reminded me of a silent movie.
The movie has drawn some criticisms about the environmental message being too heavy-handed. It didn't bother me. The story is something of a cautionary tale, but the scope of the caution is so overblown as to be unreal. It serves as a base for the movie, but I couldn't take too seriously beyond that.
It's a great movie and I wouldn't be surprised to see it get a Best Picture nom.
1 comment:
I saw "Wall-E" last night and have to say I enjoyed it too. I had the same impression of the beginning scenes as you expressed. Farther into the picture, on the B & L in outer space, some of the action was confusing to me.
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