"Wall-E" is a grand achievement on many levels, and worth having around to watch many times.
Perhaps most talked about, the extended opening sequence (~40 minutes) of near-silence, will lead us to other brilliant points, but deserves to be mentioned in its own regard. Being a Pixar film, director Stanton surely had to make the case that 'yes, 40 minutes with practically no dialogue or human characters is perfectly fine for our huge demographic of children.' This is a level of confidence in both self and team that we should all be insanely jealous of. IMDB trivia claims that the Pixar team watched Chaplin and Keaton films at lunch every day for a year and a half to be inspired by 'the possibilities of pure visual storytelling.' It shows. This opening chapter is funny, heartwarming, and continually interesting. Most of all, though, is that it is immersive. No, I'm not talking about the as-yet-unproduced 3-D version of "Wall-E." I'm talking about real immersion - the kind that is skilled enough to put you in a fictional world, make you fall in love with the protagonist, and set you up for some real questions of conscience later on, all through a demonstration of situation and personality by action alone (rather than, you know, having the characters explain the plot to us). Not a moment passes, even on multiple viewings, where the viewer begins to wonder "how much longer?!"
About this quiet takeoff. My favorite critic who isn't me, Mark Kermode, noted that a perfect double feature (for adults, this time) would be the 1971 film "Silent Running" with "Wall-E." Not only do you have robot autonomy as a main aspect of each film, but you've got this great theme of the herculean weight of the loneliness of space that, without the more lighthearted aspects of "Wall-E" would be almost soul-crushing. Whereas much of "Wall-E's" commentary comes at the beginning of the film and maintains a constant hum in the background (for those listening for it), "Silent Running" builds to a maximum crescendo near its end. There's also a great discussion to be had about each film's placement of who will end up being responsible for the existence of Good as a force in the universe as humans become a more and more unsustainable species.
The serious contrast that's inevitable between the first half of "Wall-E" and the second doesn't seem out of place. It's only jarring in as much as we feel how jarring the change is for dear Wall-E. It backs up the feeling that Wall-E has been alone for such a long time, and it makes the humans, their antics and the environment they've created for themselves, all the more alien.
That sense of alienation might contribute to one of the more impressively-played notes in the film. "Wall-E" would only seem preachy to someone out to condemn it from the beginning, yet in being fully invested in the protagonist, the viewer experiences a pretty difficult conundrum: to also root for the humans, who are so clearly to blame for so much (including our Poor Robot's dire straits), or to hope that Wall-E and his newfound love find a way to make it on their own?
Luckily, we are given the answer in a way that leaves no room for second-guessing our choice: the one quality that makes us humans capable of great things - whether we choose to use it every day or once in million trillion years - is the thing that, well, I'll say it: brings the humans up to the level of morality (and innocence) that Wall-E is capable of. And of course, the willingness to utilize that quality is redemptive in the multiple ways that should be expected out of Pixar films.
Finally, about that quality we're capable of; I was referring to what A.O. Scott called "the drive to invent new things and improve the old ones," and which might more simply be described as the anti-entropy. However, it occurs to me that there is another quality in each of the characters we're rooting for that is perhaps even more important: they're all misfits. They all make the decision to break the rules when necessary (many of them are literally broken themselves), regardless of any danger, regardless of the personal price to be paid, regardless of programmed (either by chip or by habit) laws of behavior. They all help to show us the value of independent action and thinking grey in a world dictated more and more by black and white judgments (or, in this case, one and zero judgments).
A joy to watch.
9/10
Perhaps most talked about, the extended opening sequence (~40 minutes) of near-silence, will lead us to other brilliant points, but deserves to be mentioned in its own regard. Being a Pixar film, director Stanton surely had to make the case that 'yes, 40 minutes with practically no dialogue or human characters is perfectly fine for our huge demographic of children.' This is a level of confidence in both self and team that we should all be insanely jealous of. IMDB trivia claims that the Pixar team watched Chaplin and Keaton films at lunch every day for a year and a half to be inspired by 'the possibilities of pure visual storytelling.' It shows. This opening chapter is funny, heartwarming, and continually interesting. Most of all, though, is that it is immersive. No, I'm not talking about the as-yet-unproduced 3-D version of "Wall-E." I'm talking about real immersion - the kind that is skilled enough to put you in a fictional world, make you fall in love with the protagonist, and set you up for some real questions of conscience later on, all through a demonstration of situation and personality by action alone (rather than, you know, having the characters explain the plot to us). Not a moment passes, even on multiple viewings, where the viewer begins to wonder "how much longer?!"
About this quiet takeoff. My favorite critic who isn't me, Mark Kermode, noted that a perfect double feature (for adults, this time) would be the 1971 film "Silent Running" with "Wall-E." Not only do you have robot autonomy as a main aspect of each film, but you've got this great theme of the herculean weight of the loneliness of space that, without the more lighthearted aspects of "Wall-E" would be almost soul-crushing. Whereas much of "Wall-E's" commentary comes at the beginning of the film and maintains a constant hum in the background (for those listening for it), "Silent Running" builds to a maximum crescendo near its end. There's also a great discussion to be had about each film's placement of who will end up being responsible for the existence of Good as a force in the universe as humans become a more and more unsustainable species.
The serious contrast that's inevitable between the first half of "Wall-E" and the second doesn't seem out of place. It's only jarring in as much as we feel how jarring the change is for dear Wall-E. It backs up the feeling that Wall-E has been alone for such a long time, and it makes the humans, their antics and the environment they've created for themselves, all the more alien.
That sense of alienation might contribute to one of the more impressively-played notes in the film. "Wall-E" would only seem preachy to someone out to condemn it from the beginning, yet in being fully invested in the protagonist, the viewer experiences a pretty difficult conundrum: to also root for the humans, who are so clearly to blame for so much (including our Poor Robot's dire straits), or to hope that Wall-E and his newfound love find a way to make it on their own?
Luckily, we are given the answer in a way that leaves no room for second-guessing our choice: the one quality that makes us humans capable of great things - whether we choose to use it every day or once in million trillion years - is the thing that, well, I'll say it: brings the humans up to the level of morality (and innocence) that Wall-E is capable of. And of course, the willingness to utilize that quality is redemptive in the multiple ways that should be expected out of Pixar films.
Finally, about that quality we're capable of; I was referring to what A.O. Scott called "the drive to invent new things and improve the old ones," and which might more simply be described as the anti-entropy. However, it occurs to me that there is another quality in each of the characters we're rooting for that is perhaps even more important: they're all misfits. They all make the decision to break the rules when necessary (many of them are literally broken themselves), regardless of any danger, regardless of the personal price to be paid, regardless of programmed (either by chip or by habit) laws of behavior. They all help to show us the value of independent action and thinking grey in a world dictated more and more by black and white judgments (or, in this case, one and zero judgments).
A joy to watch.
9/10
