Self-aware robots rebelling are the stuff of science fiction horror. However, Pixar succeeds at making that the subject of its latest family film, "WALL-E."
In the future, WALL-E is the last functioning robot on Earth, cleaning up the trash that carpets the now deserted, lifeless planet. Mankind abandoned the planet and its toxic pollution 700 years ago to live aboard the spaceship Axiom.
When the robot probe EVE is sent from the Axiom to Earth, WALL-E falls in love and eventually sets out on an odyssey across the universe to find EVE and complete a mission to save the human race from itself.
While WALL-E the robot restores humanity to Earth, the film does the same for the blockbuster genre, which generally lacks this film's depth and personality.
With the summer movie season's focus on spectacle, it is refreshing to see a movie that is spectacular for more meaningful reasons.
WALL-E has a limited vocabulary, so the first half of the film is essentially silent, relying on imagery to communicate the plot.
This strategy of minimizing dialogue draws the audience into a closer relationship with the main character. To understand the story, the audience is forced to empathize with the robot's emotion. As a result, WALL-E becomes yet another memorable Pixar character.
The film's appeal to children is obvious. WALL-E is a purely emotional character, driven by curiosity. He is a robot that collects rubber ducks, adores his pet roach and continues to discover the world around him.
However, while the loveable robot will satisfy children, "WALL-E" has complexities that adults can appreciate too.
The film has diverse appeal, combining a love story with science fiction, satire, adventure and a very relevant environmental warning.
The film's message is pervasive but never overly preachy. Other recent films, like "Happy Feet," have tried less successfully to teach children about the morals of environmental awareness.
"WALL-E" triumphs by weaving these themes seamlessly into the plot. The consequences of runaway consumerism are an ever-present element of the story.
The Axiom, for example, is a maze of billboards advertising the latest trends, which everyone immediately buys into.
And later, WALL-E, in compacting trash on Earth, finds everything from clothes and toys to diamond rings thrown away, and it is through his eyes that we see the use and possibility in items we would normally discard for newer possessions.
"Wall-E" walks a delicate line in criticizing society. At once, it idolizes our values while warning against our excesses.
Above all, the film advocates renewed hope in the human spirit with its uplifting end.
What it is to be human and the responsibility that comes with it is in this case best taught by a loveable trash-compacting robot. "WALL-E" and Pixar complete this mission with ease.
