Wall-E is Prett-E Good

Seldom do you see a movie get so many rave reviews as this new Pixar animated movie Wall-E. At first glance I had no real desire to see it, but the overwhelming response to the movie convinced me to give it a shot. Glad I did… it is a good movie.

Let’s be clear, I don’t think it is the greatest movie ever made, nor do I think it’s even Pixar’s best movie. But, this movie should please just about anyone who watches it. Whether you want to take the kids to the movies, it’s a date or just a night out with friends, everyone should enjoy this movie from start to finish. One exception might be young boys, who may want more action in their movies.

I won’t give away much at all here. Wall-E is a robot that is sort of a cross between R2-D2, Johnny-Five from the Short Circuit movies and your trash compactor. He’s been alone for a long, long time on a now-deserted Earth until another robot arrives. It’s love at first sight, at least for Wall-E. As usual, Pixar is able to convey the most basic human emotions through animated objects. Longing, loneliness, fear, excitement and love as just a few examples. There’s plenty of humor that will connect with every age group and a little social commentary for the adults to boot. The special effects and animation are breathtaking. There are certain scenes where I was amazed that what I was watching was actually animated and not real.

The biggest knock I have on Wall-E is that I don’t feel a need to watch it again. For me, it’s kind of like the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks. I saw it and enjoyed it, but I don’t need seconds. Meanwhile, a movie like The Incredibles I will stop and watch almost anytime I flick by it on TV. Ever baby sit a five year old? You know that you will end up seeing some of these Pixar movies over and over and over again. I have seen Toy Story 2 about a zillion times, and I still get a kick out of it. I don’t know if Wall-E could stand up to that many viewings for me or a kid. There’s very little dialog and it’s just not as funny as other some other Pixar movies.

Bottom Line: If you want to see a good movie, Wall-E is a safe bet. No matter how old you are. Some of you saps will absolutely love this movie, others will simply have an enjoyable experience at the movies.