WALL-E

Macrobetix – ”A beautiful but striking warning against the current path of humanity, becoming alarmingly more relevant as time passes. Is this to be our destiny? Is it an Axiom?

700 years into the future and mankind has fled planet Earth due to over pollution making it inhospitable to life. The only remaining functioning robot left on Earth is Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth-Class robot Wall-E. Over the hundreds of years he’s been alone (other than befriending a cockroach, the only living creature that could survive the hostile environment of Earth.)

Wall-E has slowly branched from his core programme and developed his own personality. He’s become obsessed with trinkets from human culture, along with longing for partnership inspired by the film Hello Dolly he watches repeatedly. Where he learns about human concepts like romance, dancing, and holding hands. We see the state the humans have left Earth as Wall-E goes around doing his duties.

Until EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) arrives from a probe ship to investigate Earth for signs of vegetation. Wall-E is immediately love struck by Eve, echoing the song from Hello Dolly ‘It only takes a moment’ and from that moment onwards he refuses to part from her. There are so many poignant and beautiful moments within the first 30 minutes of the film, in which there is no dialogue. Wall-E eventually shows Eve his collection of trinkets and things he’s found, one of which is a plant showing Earth can once again sustain life. Eve immediately kicks into her directive, takes the plant and goes into shutdown mode awaiting collection. Eve is then picked up by a spaceship which Wall-E clings onto in a desperate attempt to stay with her.

As they make their way to the Axiom (an axiom refers to a widely accepted principle or rule that needs no explanation because it’s considered to be universally true or obvious. I.e this is the destined home of humanity?!)

Wall-E is seen enjoying the views and wonders of the universe. Once on board a bunch of robots come to inspect and clean the cargo. One called M-O (Microbe-Obliterator) finds Wall-E and is astounded at his level of ‘contamination’. This robot is the second compelled to rebel against its current programming after meeting Wall-E. The first being Eve, but her rebellion takes a little longer to kick in. Wall-E flees after Eve leaving M-O caught between sticking to the programmed colour coded paths or cleaning after Wall-E’s dirty tracks. After some consideration M-O breaks free of the designated paths and rushes after Wall-E furiously cleaning behind him.

Wall-E then meets his first human, which after several hundred years of succumbing to electronic distractions and junk food has become completely imprisoned. Not only to a chair, but to digital media and screens.

After falling out of his chair attempting to give Wall-E some trash, he awakens from his technological prison and the birth of the human rebellion begins. This happens a second time when Wall-E turns off a women’s screens. She immediately becomes aware of her situation and sees the world around her for the first time. The two characters are later seen splashing in a pool they never even knew was there, holding hands and most importantly, talking face to face rather than through screens.

Eve eventually makes her way to the captain of the Axiom where it is revealed her plant specimen has been stolen. Eve is sent to maintenance and Wall-E for cleaning. During which time the captain has been made aware of his situation, again after meeting Wall-E and is inspired to find out more about Earth eventually longing to return home.

Wall-E frees more robots as it’s discovered that AUTO, the Ai system controlling to Axiom (clearly based on HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey) Is behind keeping humanity in space and imprisoned in thier digital dream world. The captain, the humans and the robots all work together to defeat AUTO, return to Earth and begin life again. As the captain says ”I don’t wanna survive, I wanna live.”

As well animated as it is thought provoking, moving and comedic. Not only the greatest Pixar film, but one of the greatest Sci Fi films too.”

Leya – ”AMAZING”