posted June 28 2008 07:05 PM                

This is Pixar's new film, and the one to beat - if it can be beat - for this year's awards.

It is animation, but be advised that it is not for children. Not that
there's mature subject matter or language, but the movie was not
designed for the short attention span of little ones.

The beginning of the movie is dark - bleak, even. I was ferkelmpt,
heartbroken. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong. The art and the
animation are perfect. It's just that the subject matter ...

Wall-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) is the
only robot left behind when humans abandon Earth, and he works
tirelessly picking up the trash, compacting it in his chest, and
ejecting it in block form, which he then stacks as high as he can.

Then, one day, a space probe arrives and ...

Look, I'm not going to tell you any more. I'm sure you can get more
info in other places, but do yourself a favor and don't go looking for
it. Just go see the movie.

Go. See. The. Movie.

A+++

PS There's a chuckle after the credits.


Oh, and the short animated film before Wall-E is funny as heck.

posted June 30 2008 09:30 AM           

I took Dominic to see it yesterday.  It did seem a little more grown up than the other pixar films in its theme.  However, there's enough slapstick and funny robot stuff to keep the kids entertained.  Dominic kind of got bored during Ratatouille, but he was pretty much engaged througout Wall-e. 

posted July 01 2008 10:20 PM                

It supposedly is getting great reviews from just about everyone -- except the radical right :

"[M]y kids were bombarded with leftist propaganda about the evils of mankind..."

"...I will do my part to avoid future environmental Armageddon by boycotting any and all WALL-E merchandise and I hope others join my crusade."

"I agree that the Malthusian fear mongering was annoying."

And a National Review reader is dismayed over "the film’s 'fascistic elements,' which apparently include the movie’s discussion of the environment, a character 'getting in touch with her emotional, passionate inner self,' and the use of the color red."

posted July 02 2008 07:29 AM                

I thought the right liked red.

posted August 04 2008 12:54 AM                

So, has everyone (anyone else) seen this yet?

If you have, did you by chance glance at the detritus that was left behind by the moviegoers?

Talk about not getting the message. Sheesh!

We left when the screen stopped showing anything at all. As we walked out, we could not help but notice that people could not be motivated to pick up their empty (or half-empty, or whatever) soda, popcorn and whatnot containers and take them over to the trash bin on their way out. We just shook our heads at that.

Which, I suppose, explains why the Smithsonian Imax theater has no concession stand, and does not allow food or drink in the theater. I am looking forward to seeing Batman there. It will be a special treat. But I'm not particularly looking forward to being treated like a kindergärtner, even if I understand why they feel they must.