Deep Dive Pixar: Wes Look at WALL-E

It’s time for more Pixar shenanigans my friends as today, Deep Dive Disney looks at beloved Pixar classic, WALL-E, quite possibly the cutest movie ever that just so happens to take place after a horrible apocalypse event. In the distant future, pollution has transformed the planet earth into an inhospitable trash-filled waste land. Most of humanity has been relocated to various starship in Earth’s orbit where they have their every whim catered to robotic servants, causing them to grow fat and lethargic over the centuries as a result. The only remaining denizen of planet earth (save for a particularly resilient cockroach) is WALL-E, a trash compacting robot whose name stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth-Class. WALL-E (who is apparently a big fan of Hello Dolly) does his duty happily and has even taken to collecting trinkets he finds to decorate his makeshift house. When a more advanced robot named EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) arrives on Earth, WALL-E becomes smitten and an adorable romance ensues. However, when EVE finds out that plant-life is once again able to grow on Earth, she returns to her ship, the Axiom, with WALL-E in tow where hijinks continue to ensue. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get into, WALL-E.

Main Character:

There isn’t actually a whole lot to say about WALL-E or EVE. In fact, one can even make an argument that they’re not even the main characters of their own story, just key players in the story of humanity’s redemption. All I really have to say about them is that the romance they form with one another is pure concentrated adorable. I love how, despite limited facial expression and vocabulary they’re both still able to convey a ton of emotion over the course of their interactions. It’s actually really cute, almost like watching two puppies falling on love, only one of them has deadly built-in laser weapons.

Villain:

Much like WALL-E and EVE, there isn’t a lot to say about AUTO either. The Autopilot of the Axiom, AUTO, is only a villain in the loosest sense as he’s only acting as he’s been programmed. See, unbeknownst to the human occupants of the Axiom, the leaders of Earth declared the planet a lost cause centuries ago rather instead of continuing to put forth the effort to restore it. As such, AUTO was programmed to keep humanity from returning to Earth. When the Captain learns that Earth may be hospitable again, AUTO stands in his way. Even though AUTO gives face to the antagonistic force of the film (Ironic since he has no face) one could argue that the true villain of the piece is human complacency, something that AUTO has been programmed to perpetuate.

Side Characters:

Not a lot of side characters this time around. However, I need to say, WALL-E’s cockroach friend is absolutely hilarious, and apparently harder to kill than Superman. I also want to shout out John Ratzenberger and Kathy Najimy who play John and Mary, two humans who live aboard the Axiom who befriend WALL-E and because of them are inadvertently made to realize that there is more to life than being catered to constantly. I especially appreciate how the two of them witnessing the romance between WALL-E and EVE sparks their own romance.

Finally, there’s Captain McCrea, voiced by the very talented Jeff Garlin, who many will know as the Dad from the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs. In a lot of ways, one could argue that Captain McCrea is the true protagonist of this story, since he’s the one who’s inspired to return to Earth when he learns of Eve’s discovery and is the one who ultimately defeats AUTO. What I discovered upon this second viewing of the film is that… and I know that this will sound strange… The Captain here is kind of a Disney Princess. No, I don’t mean he puts on a dress, talks to animals and sings upbeat songs. However, much like many of the Disney Princesses, he’s trapped within a world that, at a glance, seems like a paradise. Everything he could ever want is right at his chubby fingertips and he need no venture beyond his confinement. However, a life where everything you ever wanted all the time can become stifling over time and you begin to long for new adventures and new experiences, much like The Captain does when the possibility of recolonization prompts him to look up what Earth was like before it became a barren wasteland. Yes, aboard the Axiom, he and the rest of humanity will remain safe and well provided for and the continued survival of the human race will be assured, but, as the captain says himself “I don’t want to survive, I want to live.”

Memorable Scenes:

Pretty much the entire first half of the movie, which is brilliantly done and presented with almost no dialogue, is probably my favorite thing about it. Like I said, the romance between WALL-E and EVE is adorable and the harm that comes to WALL-E during the romantic shenanigans is hilarious and reminiscent of something one might see in an old Looney Tunes cartoon.

And also, the Space Dancing scene is beautiful. I literally have nothing else to say about it, it really does speak for itself.

Finally, the end credits are great. They feature a montage of Earth's restoration and as Earth gets closer to its former glory, the art style changes over time. I think that it's really clever and beautiful to look at, particularly that image you see below of WALL-E and EVE in the style of Vincent Van Gogh.

Story:

This is clearly a film with an environmentalist message, it comes at it from a different angle than others of its kind. This doesn’t simply say “Polution is bad, full stop” but rather places the blame upon human complacency. The fight for the environment is a battle that never ends and requires effort on all of our parts. If we just sit back and expect someone else to solve our problems for us, then well, we end up with a planet filled with smog and garbage. This applies to the environment in an overt manner of course but can be applied to many other aspects of life. What’s important is that we, both as individuals and as a species, get off our lazy asses once in a while and do something to improve our surroundings.

The Dark Disney Factor:

I mean, did I mention the fact that this movie takes place after what is essentially the apocalypse and the Earth has been ravaged into a barren inhospitable hellscape where only cockroaches can thrive. That’s kind of fucked up. Also, the scene at the end where WALL-E is repaired but devoid of all his memories is pretty heart-wrenching. Fortunately, this movie gets a happy ending and all’s well that ends well.

Final Thoughts: That pretty much brings us to the end of another one. While I didn't have much to say about this film, that was by no means a slight against it. WALL-E is a fairly simply film with a fairly simple premise, but that simplicity is presented competently and wonderfully. I enjoyed this film immensely and look forward to subsequent viewings. However, next time around is a film I have not been looking forward to. Join me next time when I look at one of Disney's least remembered films, Bolt.