A trash-collecting robot falls in love with a life-seeking probe and travels across the stars to rescue her, inadvertently saving mankind in the process.

FAMILY/SCI-FI

Wall-E (2008)

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Written by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon

Starring Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard,
John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver

Oscar Wins - Best Animated Film

Oscar Nominations - Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Score (Thomas Newman),
​Best Original Song (Down to Earth)

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Connor Eyzaguirre

March 12, 2021

8/10

Prior to this review, I had only seen Wall-E once. It was back in 2008 when I was thirteen, and I didn't really like it. But up to that point, the Pixar films I'd seen had been mostly funny and I hadn't really caught on to the harsh life lessons that Pixar injected their films with. Of course, that changed super quick with Up the following year. With this viewing, I finally saw something in Wall-E that made me realize why Pixar fans adore it. It's reminiscent of silent films by Charlie Chaplin, particularly City Lights, and it has a good, wholesome message about helping one another in times of crisis and protecting our planet.

Wall-E (Burtt) is a trash-collecting robot and the sole inhabitant of a dried-out planet Earth. Mankind left centuries ago on a spaceship called the Axiom, and Wall-E has been doing his best to clean the planet for their eventual return. But Wall-E has personality, and he collects random treasures he finds in the trash. Most of all, he's lonely, but that all changes when EVE (Knight) shows up. EVE is a probe sent to find organic life, and when she does, she is sent back to the Axiom. But Wall-E thinks she's being kidnapped and hitches a ride to save her. Along the way, Wall-E and EVE fall in love and mankind, who are now all fat and immobile, realize that Earth is their one true home and they have to save it. It's a good story with a sweet finale.

Wall-E may not be Pixar's funniest or saddest entry, but it's a solid family adventure that's aged very well. The minimal dialogue actually drags you into the story and characters, and as usual, the animation is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It took me a while to get onboard with this one, but I'm glad I did.