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LXXXIV: WALL-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008)
Just to note, get there early for the pre-film short, Presto (Doug Sweetland, 2008), about a hungry rabbit disobeying a stage magician and stay for the end credits for a history of art and computer animation.
I confess I haven't seen the whole Pixar back catalogue, which is wrong of me, but for some reason I've missed them. What immediately has to be said is that the first ten-twenty minutes is fantastic animation, with a mimicry of camera shots including out of focus animation. Why bother? Because there is likely a reason coninuity editing evolved for story telling. Once the probe returns I think it is less successful - and the humans in the final sections even less, especially as there is also films footage of real footage. It jars a little.
The plot offers an ecological parable: Earth has been laid waste by consumerism: theDisney multinational corporation has tried to meet everyone's needs and has flooded the planet with stuff. All of humanity is evacuated, with an army of solar-powered robots (WALL-Es) left behind to tidy up. Seven hundred years later apparently only one WALL-E survives, who has developed a sense of sentience and playfulness. (No doubt its codenumber is P-NO-K-O.) It can repair itself from parts salvaged from other WALL-Es and has found a friend in Jiminy Cricket a cockroach. (I know these can survive a nuclear blast and ships being scuttled for fifty years, but can they live that long?) When a probe arrives with an EVE, WALL-E develops a crush (uh-huh) and follows it around as it discovers a seedling. EVE is programmed to take it back to the Axiom, the main ark containing humanity, and WALL-E hitches a ride. This is when things turn into 2001: A Space Odyssey (with nods to Alien).
Everything is alright, and even the thought that one seedling does not make a spring is proven to be too pessimistic. I'm not convinced the obese humans will survive the first storm. And it is clearly a utopian dream that the multi-nationals will tidy up the mess they've made. (I'm not clear why the company would allow the probe - save maybe for PR.)
But it is the spectacle that this film pulls off, and WALL-E is adorable in spades (he owes something to Keaton and Chaplin, and a lot to E.T.) The opening sequences of searching for treasures, and parcelling up rubbish are a joy. I confess I don't know enough about Hello, Dolly (WALL-E's favourite video) (and do tidying machines need to be able to record sound?) to tease out a specific subtext. I felt at times like it was proper sf, with cognitive estrangement and all that.
But there are a lot of screw you moments - or showing off. Look at what we can do? Skies, clouds, smoke, dust, recognisable objects, shade, shadow, gas. The problem with doing humans, of course, is needing to know they are cartoons and then noticing they're cartoons (or if the realism is too great, not realising they are cartoons).
Great fun - and I wonder how many people will check out the rest of the work of the captain's voice artist, Jeff Garlin and end up watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. Cool.
Totals: 84 (Cinema: 32; DVD: 47; TV: 5)
Just to note, get there early for the pre-film short, Presto (Doug Sweetland, 2008), about a hungry rabbit disobeying a stage magician and stay for the end credits for a history of art and computer animation.
I confess I haven't seen the whole Pixar back catalogue, which is wrong of me, but for some reason I've missed them. What immediately has to be said is that the first ten-twenty minutes is fantastic animation, with a mimicry of camera shots including out of focus animation. Why bother? Because there is likely a reason coninuity editing evolved for story telling. Once the probe returns I think it is less successful - and the humans in the final sections even less, especially as there is also films footage of real footage. It jars a little.
The plot offers an ecological parable: Earth has been laid waste by consumerism: the
Everything is alright, and even the thought that one seedling does not make a spring is proven to be too pessimistic. I'm not convinced the obese humans will survive the first storm. And it is clearly a utopian dream that the multi-nationals will tidy up the mess they've made. (I'm not clear why the company would allow the probe - save maybe for PR.)
But it is the spectacle that this film pulls off, and WALL-E is adorable in spades (he owes something to Keaton and Chaplin, and a lot to E.T.) The opening sequences of searching for treasures, and parcelling up rubbish are a joy. I confess I don't know enough about Hello, Dolly (WALL-E's favourite video) (and do tidying machines need to be able to record sound?) to tease out a specific subtext. I felt at times like it was proper sf, with cognitive estrangement and all that.
But there are a lot of screw you moments - or showing off. Look at what we can do? Skies, clouds, smoke, dust, recognisable objects, shade, shadow, gas. The problem with doing humans, of course, is needing to know they are cartoons and then noticing they're cartoons (or if the realism is too great, not realising they are cartoons).
Great fun - and I wonder how many people will check out the rest of the work of the captain's voice artist, Jeff Garlin and end up watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. Cool.
Totals: 84 (Cinema: 32; DVD: 47; TV: 5)
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