WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - June 27, 2008
I didn't think it was possible, but Pixar have topped themselves -- this is an amazing film, and almost certainly Pixar's best. A rousing triumph from start to finish, this was an awe-inspiringly good film. About a lovable but lonely robot, tasked with cleaning up a barren, abandoned Earth, whose life is turned upsidedown when a female robot named Eve comes to scan the Earth for any signs of life. The film does an impressive job of developing WALL-E and Eve; even without any dialogue, both characters are more likable and fully realized than most humans in the average Hollywood film. There is so much to love in this movie -- from the direction (this is a visually stunning film) to the characters to... well, everthing, I really can't think of much to complain about in this film. It takes a premise which sounds iffy on paper (a whole film revolving around an essentially mute, R2D2-esque robot) and turns it into something magical, something which so perfectly utilizes all of the strengths of the animated medium (telling a story through visuals and imagery) and none of the weaknesses (excessively chatty, wisecracking characters and a tendency to cater to the lowest-common-denominator). It is the rare film that you watch and you realize -- right away -- that you are watching a classic, a film that will be talked about and remembered for years to come. This is one of them. I loved it. ****