Any two movie day is a good day and today the latest from Pixar finally made it to my DVD player. I was mostly interested in watching this as the final installment of this years "Apocalyptic Trilogy", along with I am Legend and The Happening. While there is definitely truth to the idea that high expectations for a movie lead to an inevitable let down, I don't think only high expectations where the problem here. This animated feature got lots of press this summer, but even then I wasn't really interested. Perhaps that is why it slipped to my "watch later" list. But while watching, Annika commented that it seemed like the entire movie was made with one purpose in mind... to create a theme for a ride to be built around at Disneyland. For me, it comes down to the simple fact that the plot devices didn't work. I was not engaged by the "characters" or the "love story" or (as can often be the case with animation) the visuals.
2-stars
The only redeeming factor is that it fills out the "Apocalyptic Trilogy". So lets talk about that...
In the three summer movies (I am Legend, The Happening and Wall-E) we have three different views of how humanity will be screwed over in the future. Respectively, in all of our technological prowess and efforts to cure all ills we create a deadly virus which wipes out humanity, we piss off nature who then creates a deadly pathogen that wipes out humanity, and humans vacate Earth to allow the clean-up robots to fix our mess for us. While the whole zombie creature thing of I am Legend is too far fetched to be believable, the idea of "accidentally" creating a devastating pathogen while trying to do good is probably too close to reality. This is why most of Europe avoids GMO's as they preach the precautionary principle. Something about American arrogance must go along with creating the cure that is really the illness and then being genuinely surprised that this could happen. The same can be said about Wall-E in that the cure is to seek independence by "just vacating the earth", leading to an extreme consumerist society which is ultimately dependent. One wonders what is needed (and I hope the answer isn't war) to move a society or culture's values in a significant way. What are the factors that contribute, who contributes them and what is any individuals role?
2 comments:
Hey Ty. Dave and I just discovered your movie blog and would like to contest your Wall-E rating. To tell a story without relying on dialogue was a bold choice by Pixar, and boy oh boy, did it pay off. Compelling intergallactic love story? Check. Creative physical comedy? Check. Dystopian view of the future? Check. Unorthodox choice of obscure 60's musical as soundtrack? Check. My only disappointment about the movie was that the free Wall-
E promo watch I received upon entering the theater, and subsequently wore for days, was a dud (OK--maybe Annika's right). Looking forward to reading more! --Rebecca
Consider my rating contested, although I think I am sticking with it. I will give you the soundtrack. And I will give you the interesting take on the future, although I am not sure if a future is dystopian if the participants in that future don't know it. Take the future of the Matrix as a case in point. Many inhabitants of that future preferred the "miserable oppression" of being plugged in. Is it still miserable? As for compelling love story, we will just have to agree to disagree and physical comedy... come on, it's animated. They can do whatever they want. Am I too jaded? Regardless, continue to harass me. I have been known to change my opinion on films over time.
Post a Comment