3 stars***
‘I didn’t know what was happening so I fell asleep.’ Well not me, but one of my companions on this fun filled visit to the local movie theatre. Actually two of them fell asleep, so that’s 50% of our team. They didn’t miss all of the film, but probably a third of it, so the ending might have rejuvenated them or perhaps it was just the thought of the film ending and home time being just around the corner. They may have been tired; it might have been the movie.
WALL-E has some interesting surprises; it’s probably not the film you expected it to be. When you see it listed as a child’s film you think it’s going to be full of tempo, fun, jokes and excitement. WALL-E is not that movie. WALL-E is a computer animated adventure and science fiction film.
Firstly, it’s a Walt Disney film so you know the standard must be high. It’s also a PIxar movie, so you now expect brilliance and you get it, but in the quality of the film making, not necessarily in the expected ways of entertainment and fun.
It takes us through a romance between two robots from the future. Instead of dialogue, we get the robot’s sounds and body language.
WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth-Class) meets EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator.) EVE is trying to find life on earth. WALL-E has found life on earth after 700 years. The humans in space have been waiting to go back to their earth, but are now all television watching cabbage potatoes losing bone structure, but having gained body mass from what looks like 30+ meals a week at their local greasy fast food eatery.
Sigourney Weaver is one of the voices used and I can’t help but wonder why these types of movies need such expensive (no offence Ms Weaver) big name stars to ‘talk’ for the animated characters when they don’t need to appear on the film, in person. I’m told because they are the world’s elite actors they give the world’s best performances required by the animators. I can’t help that think that many skilled actors could have done the task for many millions less, but that won’t make the theatre ticket price any less. I don’t believe we go to the cinema to hear our stars when we visit an animated feature.
The movie isn’t thrilling; it is enjoyable as it sends out two clear messages of love between two people (well here, it’s two robots) and the message that if we don’t take care of the planet we’ll lose what we have and need to live in a spaceship somewhere orbiting a long way, away waiting for the earth to restore itself without our help.
It’s the only film I’ve ever seen that features a loyal cockroach. This animal made it though the dirt and grime of the human race. That shouldn’t have been a surprise. Perhaps we all learn something. I’ve learnt that the message will have been lost on too many of its audience; it’s too clever at getting the message across. Most of the audience where I saw this movie was aged between five and ten years old. I hope the message was at least subliminal, but I’m not convinced. I’m looking forward to Ice Age 3.
Popularity: 8% [?]
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