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Movie Review: WALL-E
by Bill Wine
In the 28th century, WALL-E, the only robot on an uninhabitable Earth, meets EVE, a newly arrived search robot. When she leaves to report her findings to the humans traveling in space, WALL-E follows her across the galaxy.
RATING: G
GENRE: Animated comedy
RELEASE DATE: June 27, 2008
RUNNING TIME: 97 minutes
VIOLENCE FACTOR: None to be found
BAD WORDS: Nowhere to be heard
RACY? Not even close
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW: A clever short about a musician and his rabbit, named Presto, precedes the main attraction.
GRANDS:
CRITIQUE:
Hello, WALL-E, well, hello, WALL-E. It's so nice to have you back where you belong.
Milennial grandparents who haven't noticed that their grandchildren are growing up during what will eventually be seen as the Golden Age of Animation should take a refresher course in the output of the Pixar animation studio alone: Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars. Seven for seven. No way could the studio keep up that level of quality, right? Wrong.
Clear a space on the masterwork mantel for WALL-E, every bit as superb as the potent Pixar pics that have preceded it. Set 700 years in the future, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class), is a garbage hauler and compactor, and the only robot left on water-depleted, refuse-covered Earth. Humans abandoned their planet to take a conveniently timed cruise. Performing his duties for all these years, WALL-E has developed a personality: He's inquisitive and playful, and enjoys watching the only video in his collection, Hello, Dolly. Though he has a cockroach for company, he's lonely.
A probe droid named EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator), an agronomist of sorts, shows up, checking out whether or not the vacated planet is safe for humans to inhabit. WALL-E is immediately smitten. So when the humans beckon EVE, WALL-E follows. And we follow too, eager to find out just what has happened to our planet.
Writer-director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) does it again in a brilliantly conceived and designed, painstakingly detailed, epic journey to that magical place where awe-inspiring animated art meets sparkling entertainment.
Alert your grandchildren in advance to the film's slow, almost silent setup so that they won't get antsy. Because if they hang in there, they will be richly rewarded with a moviegoing experience that soars with comedy, drama, sci-fi, and even romance.
Is there an ecological message? Sure. But it isn't preached, it's woven seamlessly into the narrative. Good golly, don't you dare miss WALL-E.
GP Rating System:
Four Grands = Bravo, don't miss it
Three Grands = Pretty good, short list it
Two Grands = Just okay, don't dismiss it
One Grand = Yeah, we dissed it
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| We were fortunate to take our grandson to "Friends and Family" day at Pixar to see this wonderful movie as our friend works there. Our grandson is 5-1/2 and truly enjoyed it, but not as much as we did. Pixar animation is stellar! The combination of an environmentally-conscious plot and love story is remarkable! A must see for all once again!
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