I’m not a huge fan of animated movies, especially not the new-school, CGI animated films. Something about the look just feels empty. But Wall-E is a different story entirely. Visually, Wall-E has more going for it than any other CGI animation. The attention to detail and the hilarious, albeit at times overblown, social commentary raise the movie above any other of its kind. This is all the more impressive considering that the full movie, at its heart, would seem to be a rather innocuous tale of robot love on the surface. If only real romantic comedies had such depth to them, maybe I wouldn’t hate them so much.
The film tells the tale of a lonely robot who lives on Earth carrying out his mundane duties. In his free time, he hangs out with his pet cockroach and watches Hello Dolly while constantly yearning for love. Earth has become a giant trash pile, with the inhabitants having left centuries before. Then one day, a space ship lands, and Wall-E sees another robot. She scans around for life while Wall-E tries to put the moves on her. Then she finds a plant and goes into hibernation mode. A spaceship returns to collect the female robot, named EVE, and Wall-E hitches a ride to a spaceship called the Axiom… a spaceship filled with the bloated, lazy bodies of the descendents of the original Earthlings. Their life of ease has turned them into a bunch of Rosie’s who cruise around in tricked out wheelchairs without a care in the world. Wall-E must find his girl, and in the process, save the entire human race.
Visually Wall-E is rich with details and references that give it a subtext that is great to experience. The crumbled and wasted Earth serves as a startling reminder of just what humans are doing to the planet. The modern ease of the lives of the humans on the Axiom points out the flaws in contemporary American society in a way that is inoffensive, effective, and poignant. The fact that the film is told mostly through images and without dialogue also helps matters, as you’re not busy digesting a message from a character’s mouth. Instead, you’re busy putting together the images and messages online, which makes you an active participant in the process. Of course, if you’re a dumb fattie in a wheelchair, you’ll just be wondering what EVE and Wall-E are going to do to consummate their love.
Humor-wise, Wall-E is typical kids’ fare. Much of it is slapstick and noise-based, which will catch you off guard every now and then. The LPM’s may not be off the charts, but they are supplemented with ideas and interesting imagery.
The characters are also pretty cool. For being a glorified trash compactor, Wall-E is definitely animated, and the fact that he can’t say anything but a couple of words never gets in the way of him feeling alive. EVE on the other hand is a little bit annoying at times. Her high-pitched whistling of the robots name gets a little too much near the end when she screams it over and over. If I had to listen to that in real life, I would turn that robot into a pile of bolts.
The overall product feels fresh and interesting throughout. It’s an enjoyable to watch Wall-E online free on multiple levels, whether you’re looking for cool imagery, a love story, slapstick humor, or delicious social commentary. This is as good a CGI cartoon as I’ve ever watched.
The movie is cool, I didn’t expect to enjoy it, but it was pretty damn fun. I’d watch Wall-E online again, which is high praise from someone who hates cartoons.
