Just this morning I lay in bed (as I frequently do) yearning to watch something special. Something I could optionally watch with intense commitment or snooze in and out of. Something familiar, something simple to evoke a feeling of contentment and obviously, pleasure. Call me picky. It must be a comfort thing, and yes, the motivation for such bed bound niceties vastly undersells what I am here to discuss.
I am of course referring to, drum roll...
WALL-E. Thankfully I've seen the aforementioned many times, thus harbouring no need to give it my full attention. However, for parts, I found myself wanting to pay attention as opposed to having to, to appreciate the beauty of the draw dropping animation, as Pixar bravely returned to form after the disappointing Cars and, the good but not great, Ratatouille.
WALL-E is one of those rewatchable experiences. And, upon reflection, that's down to its strongest, most significant element; charm. Indeed charm is what brings me back every few months. Charm invites me to follow the title character of the same name, in a world where pollution has gotten out of control. Where humanity have taken off on a somewhat perma-holiday to outer space. Charm that leaves a single, charismatic cockroach as WALL-E's companion.
I shan't hold back, it's brilliant. Instantly I adored it upon visiting the cinema, and has since grown on me even more. I stand by my initial view that the first half is better than the second (yes I'm dividing it into 2 'parts' to separate the films 2 locations). Might I also add the first 'part' is devoid of dialogue (a bold move for a mainstream film), yet triumphs where might have anticipated disappoint. Throughout, it's easy to become enthralled by the quirkiness and utterly delightful nature that is WALL-E and his curious actions. Only after a significant spell of following him around in his daily existence, is another character introduced; Eva, where the pair form an unusual, yet moving friendship. Yes, touching indeed.
May I confirm, by no means is the second 'part' poor. In honesty, it's almost a disadvantage that the opening hour is of such a high standard that it's difficult to maintain that consistency throughout. Let me reiterate, the second half is great, brilliant in fact, just not as stunning as the first.
As a whole,
WALL-E is an excellent and highly accessible film and does what Pixar do extremely well, which, on a basic level is to entertain kids with it's simplicity and appeal, whilst on another, is to present a mature, witty and equally accessible movie adults can relate to.
Certainly in the top 3 of Pixar's best (in my humble opinion) and is arguably the most innovative and ground breaking instalment of their collection since the sublime
Toy Story.
Sources: Internet Movie DataBase
Photos: Google Images
