JohnDoe
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BrentonWall-E (2008) - Trailer Included
September 24th 2008 00:01
Open the Pod Bay Doors Wall-E, I want more
In Australian Cinemas Now
Writer/Director: Andrew Stanton
Music: Thomas Newman
Voices: Ben Burtt, Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Garlin, John Ratzenberger, Fred Willard, Elissa Knight
Pixar studios are the modern day pantheon of animated feature films. Ever since the success of their first full length cinema event Toy Story in 1995 they have continued to raise expectations of what can be achieved through the medium.
The production houses latest achievement, WALL-E shatters any doubts that a manufactured reality can connect on an emotional level with audiences.
A marvel of pure visual storytelling harking back to the days of cinemas golden age, there is a nickelodeon pantomime quality to the characters that reminds the viewer of iconic silent comedians like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Setting this tone against a state of the art digital future makes for a charming and often dazzling cinema experience.
Wall E, EVE and that Cube
All that remains on the surface post apocalypse is one lone robot named WALL-E (an acronymn for Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth-class.). Isolated and lonely, he continues to complete his prime directive, of cleaning up the endless trash left behind. Building towering structures from the compost bricks he makes, the landscape is now filled with high rise garbage piles.
Developing a personality all his own, over time WALL-E’s daily routine includes collecting relics and curios that he places in his lunchbox. They are symbols that intrigue his mechanised yearning for understanding. Most importantly though Wall-E craves companionship, a friend, someone he can share his time.
While endlessly rewatching an old VHS tape of the film Hello Dolly he comes to comprehend the nature of love and also recognises his own lonely plight.
Then one day, without warning the earth begins to shake, a deafening noise is heard and then a spaceship lands. From it emerges a sole probe droid, EVE (Extraterrestial Vegetation Evaluator) and Wall-E is immediately infatuated.
Wall E - The tin man with a heart
John Doe Says:
Poetically imaginative, by blending live action footage with CGI for the first time Pixar has created a work of artistic splendour. Delivering not only a touching and beautiful work, but also a classic science fiction film that can be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Solaris and 2001 A Space Odyssey.
Written and Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) this romantic and tender film, bravely decides to make the opening 40 minutes virtually dialogue free. Endearing itself almost immediately with its simultaneous bleak scenario of optimism . Even later on the script remains sparse, preferring to show instead of tell its plot. This engages the mind, letting the audience assess and make conclusions on what they have seen. It also allows for a level of subtlety that has been missing from the genre till now.
The films messages are not rammed down your throat, the sentimentality is never vocalised and so we are left to take from it what we will. There is much about over reliance on technology, a disconnected society and the shape of things to come.
Due to the minamilist style of the action, Thomas Newman’s musical score has to lift us and carry us through, and it does. There is a magical nuance to the experience that comes largely down to his emotive melodic accompaniment. When combined with the ingenius sound FX that are pivotal to the miracle this film performs, it is the big budget experimental film.
Love across the universe
Normally relying on big name stars to voice their characters, here Pixar has gone largely unknown save for the Axiom Ship’s voice of Sigorney Weaver (A clever twist on her parts in Galaxy Quest and Alien).
As Wall-E and numerous other robots we have Ben Burtt doing the vocals. Burtt is a highly respected and sought after sound FX guru who amongst others did sound design for the Indiana Jones and Star Wars films.
There is something very Joshua in War Games meets number 5 from Short Circuit about the leads mode of communication and it is endearing. There are also plenty of references to movies of the past, parallels between HAL in 2001 and AUTO being the most obvious. Keep your lens focused too because a lot of WALL-E’s toys in the background are easily recognisable. (Eg: Rex from Toy Story)
Going against the conventions in much the same way as E.T did for Alien invasion, here we have machines that act more human than the de-evolved humans. Instead of trying to take over the world or destroy it, the robots are our friends. JD is not a fan of animorphising in films, making animals talk, giving inanimate objects human characteristics, but here it won him over.
For John Doe this is Pixar’s greatest achievement (Though the Incredibles is still a close second), he cried, he laughed and he was awestruck. Tackling important issues with a steady hand, the way the story is told makes every scene intriguing. Piquing curiosity and inspiring thought, as the Hollywood Reporter said in their review, “the films one fault really is where does Pixar go from here after setting the bar so high.”
Truly a film for “Children of any age” the sense of wonderment and joy that comes from viewing is sublime.
It would be wrong to not also acknowledge the fabulous short “Presto” that precedes the film. A Looney Tune/Tex Avery style escapade of hijinx between a Magician and a bunny, JD was taken back to his childhood and giggled from the first frame to the last.
WALL-E Trailer
WALL-E trailer 2
Behind the scenes of WALL-E
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