I consider this the best movie of the summer, if not year. Yes, I mean that. I do indeed mean that I liked it even more than the Dark Knight. Why? Read on, my friend....


The Look

Let's be honest, we as an audience, are spoiled with animation as of late. We expect a lot from these studios, especially Pixar. The bar has been set high by several films, but guess what? Not all animation films are aiming for photo-realism. That is only one direction to take an animated film. When an artist paints a person, their goal is not always to paint them in perfect proportion, and several greats have been appreciated for their ability to do otherwise.

That being said, Wall-e looks fantastic. No, the people do not look like real people, as a previous reviewer has pointed out. Their faces more closely resemble those in Toy Story or Ratatouille. Has Pixar failed us? Are they not making progress? Have they reached their graphic ceiling? No. It's just not the aim of every film to make people look like people. Sometimes artistic style and creativity trump technological display. If you need to see people there's 6.5 billion out there to look at, so basing an opinion on this is a bit silly.

Regardless, this film has intense detail in many ways. Just you wait for the Blu-ray release. Character detail and use of focus is top notch in every scene. Lighting has never been as realistic. Setting design is immense, realistic, appropriate, and enveloping. Smoke and dust design gives volume and gives a chaotic life to the settings just as a natural setting would have. And the styling of characters is not only humorous in reference to technology, but also indicative of social issues that are prevalent throughout the entire films (social, economical, personal, etc.). Suffice to say the film looks great, is designed well, and very thought out. In the same way, the editing and production quality is no less than great... what we've come to expect from a company at the highest echelon of modern animation.


The Sound

The first credit at the end of the film. Ben Burtt. That name mean nothing to you? That's okay. Most people don't dig that far in, however I do. Burtt is the sound designer for all the Star Wars films, as well as many others you'd recognize. He is paralleled by only the greatest of sound designers, (i.e. Walter Murch, Randy Thom, etc.), most of whom are from the same camp at Skywalker, and Burtt's work in this film is no exception. In fact, it may be his best work to date. I know of no other occasion where a sound designer gets the first credit in a film, and rightly so in Wall-e, as the voices are, for the most part, generated through sound design, not recording of actors. And though they are 'computerized' voices, they are very expressive.

Perhaps the most important fact here is that the entire first half contains little more than 5 minutes of true dialog, so it is left to the animators and sound designers to tell a story, and they do so magnificently.

Additionally, there are some nuances in the sound design that make me appreciate the work they put into the film; such as the sound Wall-e makes when he powers up which happens to be a macintosh boot-up sound. "Mo," who cleans the Axiom spaceship almost certainly is a electric razor shaving a beard. The sound design an amazing marriage of natural sound with futuristic sounds and is executed in a way that is nothing short of perfection.

Admittedly, I have an affection for this aspect of films as it's more or less what I do, so I tend to pay more attention to the audio (music as well as sound design) than other people do.

Lastly in sound, the music. Thomas Newman rarely lets me down, and Wall-e is even more of an achievement than I expected. Newman has a pretty distinct sound. You'd know him for American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Cinderella Man, the Green Mile, the Shawshank Redemption, and many, many more. This film is a little different for him. He often has a haunting quality to his music, and there are elements of this in Wall-e, but it represents a departure from his staple sound. I could get very nerdy here and deep into the music, but I'd just recommend you buy the soundtrack if you're into movie scores, or at the very least preview it on iTunes.


The Story

This story is very much a love story. At least that is the foreground of this film. As a previous reviewer pointed out, yes... this has indeed been done before. I might challenge you to find an original concept for a film... good luck.


I won't script out the story for you, that's what the film is for, but the story does probe some very deep issues beyond its surface love theme. In this regard, it has a dark, yet humorous, ecological and social commentary. In a way it serves as a warning (similar to how Happy Feet did, but in a more subtle manner), but it also asks the viewer to analyze the social state of their lives, especially in relation to technology. It highlights the separation of humans from one another through technology. This could really be a term paper on its own if you so desired to delve that deep. But I'd rather just go over the basics elements if you guys don't mind.


Though the film revolves around love and social issues, there is no lack of humor and entertainment. It really satisfies on so many levels that it's hard to find flaw in the plot.


While the story is great, it may have some minor pacing issues upon first viewing. Upon second and third viewings, I was able to pay attention to some of the details which I missed the first time around, and found that the film moved much faster. This may be my only gripe for the entirety of the film. The story, however, is by no means a weak aspect of the film. That is really all you need to know without watching it.


The Summary

Look, I could spend all day talking about this film because I just love it, but it really does it no justice for me to babble on. Rent it when it's out, or better yet, just buy it. Pixar deserves our money for this one in my opinion, and I'm more than willing to give it to them.


Everything about this movie screams Oscar, and rest assured it will take home its share. The music and sound are surpassed by none. The look is detailed and impressive. And the story has substance while satisfying on even the surface level, a love story in the foreground with a socio-ecological backdrop.


I highly recommend this film to anyone of any age. You can thank me in the comments section! Cheers.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8